manassasjm.com has a report on the competition between Ian Hickman and three four person teams in eating the OutrageouSplit, a large mixing bowl-sized sundae, at BR Frozen Custard and Sweets in Lake Ridge, VA. Ian came in 2nd.

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HamptonRoads.com has an article about Uncle Al’s Hot Dogs which mentions the restaurant’s hot dog eating challenge: a diner who can break the record of 22 hot dogs in 90 minutes will receive his or her meal free.

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The Washington Times has an article about Juliet Lee which compares her to Sonya Thomas.

The AP article about the Norfolk qualifier has been picked up by a lot of outlets.

updateWUSA also has an article and video clip (from beautifulbrian.com & Joe Callow)
ABC news has a video clip on Yahoo (from the Sicilian)

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The Don “Moses” Lerman episode of Brian Seiken’s television show is now available for free at http://hometown.aol.com/beautifulbrian43/lermanshow.html

Brian also has a commentary on the Nathan’s qualifiers and a report on Juliet Lee’s victory in Norfolk.

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Norfolk results From IFOCE.com:
1) Juliet Lee, 26 HDB
2) Joe Tursi, 15.5 HDB

Juliet Lee becomes the 4th woman in the IFOCE era to reach the Nathan’s finals (Sonya Thomas, Carlene LeFevre, Takako Akasaka)

update HamptonRoads.com has an article about the contest It is surprising the Juliet Lee was apparently the only ranked eater to compete.

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Delaplane Strawberry Festival results from a Wing Tut (contest MC) text message:

Tom “Goose” Gilbert 9 lbs
“Gentleman” Joe Menchetti 6.88 lbs
Ian “the Invader” Hickman 6.2 lbs
Carey Poehlman 5 lbs
Chris “The American” schlessinger 4.9 lbs
Cain 2.5 lbs

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The website for the Delaplane Strawberry Festival has a list of the expected and possible entrants in the strawberry eating contest:

Expected
# Tom “Goose” Gilbert, Hadley, MA
# Christian “Muscox” McCarthy, Lagrange KY (last year’s champion)
# “Gentleman” Joe Menchetti, Wallingford CT
# Ian “The Invader” Hickman, Sterling VA (our local competitor)
# Brad “The Lunatic” Sciullo , PA

Possible
# Bob “Killer” Kuhns, Freeport PA
# James “The Food Prowler” Fowler, Pittsburgh PA
# Chris “The Amnerican Schlesinger, Bohemia NY (competed last year)
# Eliot “The Savage” Cowley, Audubon NJ (competed last year, placed 2nd with 5.10 lbs)

The Washington Post has a paragraph about the festival and its eating contest

The MC for the contest, Derek “Wing Tut” Payne, has posted his contest predictions on his blog

update TimesCommunity.com has an article about the festival with some quotes from Ian Hickman.

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CBS6 produced a news segment about the Moonpie Madness contest held at Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday which can be viewed at http://youtube.com/watch?v=S-ZuwD3PScw Chris “The Nasty” Iganacio won the contest. Some other Moonpie Madness videos can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=MoonPieMadness

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A June 16 Nathan’s qualifier in Norfolk, VA that was not in the original list has been added to the qualifier schedule on IFOCE.com and nathansfamous.com

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A letter to the editor critical of the hot dog eating contest at the University of Mary Washington won by Sonya Thomas appears in today’s edition of the Fredricksburg Free Lance Star.

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A blog about the Moonpie Madness contest to be held at Virginia Commonwealth Univerisity has been set up at http://moonpiemadnessdave.blogspot.com/. The blogger describes the event:

MoonPie Madness stands to be the largest MoonPie eating contest to ever be held. Ever. At VCU at least. But for the record, we haven’t heard of any other eating contests to have over 64 people competiting on the same day, and we’re estimating to have at least 84 “gurgataters” so I’d say we’re safe in making that claim. 84 gurgataters! MoonPies!?! How’s this all going down? Well, here’s the deal:

There’s 2 competitions going on the sacred day of April 1st. An exhibition (a classic eating contest where everyone has 5 minutes to out eat each other, and try to break the unofficial record of 15 in 5 minutes), and as I like to call it, The Grand Tourney” (a March Madness themed eating contest where 64 students will go through 6 – 2 minute rounds and work their way through the bracket.)

I think some Japanese contests have had more than 84 entrants, but I am not aware of any US contests with that large a field. The contest is restricted to VCU students only.

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Fredricksburg.com reports that Sonya Thomas ate 22.5 hot dogs in 6 minutes at a contest at the University of Mary Washington yesterday, easily beating the runner-up, freshman Rugby player Daniel Kauffman, who ate 12 HDB. Sonya had hoped to eat more than 22.5:

Despite handily defeating the students, Thomas said she performed poorly because her jaw got tired.

When she practiced for the event a month ago, she said she ate at least 25 hot dogs in six minutes.

Even after yesterday’s marathon of sorts, she munched on a bun. “I’m tasting,” she said, while before she was just swallowing.

“You are my idol,” one student told her.

update Some pictures have been added

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The Dining Events page for Mary Washington College in Fredricksburg, VA has the following entry:

03/15/07 – We are hosting HOT DOG EATING CONTEST! 14 UMW Students are invited to compete against Sonya Thomas, the Black Widow, a world champion competetive eater. This event will be sponsored by Dining Services and OSACS. The contest is being held at Palmari Plaza and will start at 12:15.

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There will be a bologna burger eating contest at the “Mason-Dixon Meltdown” at South Boston Speedway in Virginia (near NC border) on November. First prize is $250. The competitors goals will be to break driver Elliot Sadler’s record of 14 bologna burgers.

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The Connection has more information about the pizza eating contest to be held at Bugsy’s restaurant in Alexandria, VA on Saturday. The first place prize is tickets to the Redskins Giants game with transportation by limousine included.

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I have recently come across the results for the four Frank’s Red Hot wing eating contests held in conjunction with beach volleyball contests held in the summer of 2005. Two of the winners were females, making them the only females I am aware of besides Sonya and Carlene to win a coed contest.

Amy Walter of Hillsborough, NJ won the Belmar, NJ contest. Her total of over 3 lbs is almost twice as much as any other winner, but the contest durations are not listed so it could have lasted longer. Kate Stelnick appears to have company among college age female Garden Staters who had one impressive debut in 2005 and have apparently done no eating competitions since that time.

Speedeat.com says Joe Menchetti appeared on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza to promote the Belmar contest, but it does not list the results or indicate if he competed in that contest on his web page.

The other female winner, Ann Steele, is from Arlington, VA, so Sonya is not the only Northern VA woman to have won a contest. Ms. Steele did an interview for a local newspaper after her victory.

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Leesburg2Day.com has an article about QVC qualifier winner and Northern Virginia resident Seaver Miller.

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From dailypress.com

16th Annual Virginia State Harley Davidson Owners Group Rally, Lynchburg, VA

Sonya Thomas 60 biscuits in 8 minutes
Badlands Booker 42 biscuits

Updated 9:55 The Lynchburg News Advance has an article about the contest

11:16 USA Today has an AP article and picture of the contest

Updated June 25 9:14 pm, WDBJ7 has a video of the contest

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The News & Advance has a preview of Saturday’s Virginia Ham biscuit contest in Lynchburg, VA. Sonya Thomas and Eric “Badlands” Booker will compete against twelve of the best Harley riding eaters in an 8 minute contest.

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Liz interviewed “Big” Brian Subich after he won the Norfolk Nathan’s qualifier on Saturday.

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The calendar on Badlands Booker’s myspace page announces that he will appear at the Virginia State Lottery Ham Steaks Contest in Richmond on June 24. This contest does not appear on the IFOCE list of contests.

Updated June 12 1:50 PM Ian Hickman has confirmed that the Virginia Lottery will sponsor a contest on the 24th in Lynchburg, not Richmod. Sonya Thomas is expected.

A new goldenpalace rib contest in Memphis on July 3 has also been announced.

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from IFOCE.com & Brian Seiken – Norfolk Nathan’s qualifier results:

1. Brian Subich, 20.5 HDB
2. Hall Hunt, 20.375 HDB
3. Seaver Miller, 18 HDB
4. Justin Mih, 17 HDB

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The Hampton Roads Daily press has a profile of Partha Peddi, a former vegetarian from Hyderabad, India, who will compete in the Norfolk Nathan’s qualifier on Saturday. (Perhaps Peddi has learned the secrets of Indian competitive eating that Dale Boone has boasted about in his comments)

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wtkr.com has a preview of the Nathan’s qualifier to be held a week from Saturday at the MacArthur Mall in Norfolk, VA. Some spaces are available in that contest according to the article.

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timescommunity.com has a preview of tomorrow’s strawberry eating contest at the Delaplane Strawberry Festival and a profile of Ian Hickman.

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