Erik Denmark sets Guinness pepper records
Erik “the Red” Denmark reports on his attempts to set two Guinness pepper eating records at the Groz-with-Gas-a-Thon on Friday:
I was on the docket of guests that included a superstar lineup of Seattle sports stars past and present. I think I was able to entertain everyone who was in attendance by putting myself through some serious pain and establishing some pepper eating records that I am very proud of:
Guinness World Record Jalapeno Eating Results (1 minute):
26 Jalapenos (beats previous record of 16)
Habanero Pepper Eating Results (1 minute eating with no substances during and for 5 minutes following):
32 Habaneros (establishes new record)
A gallery and videos of the attempts are available.
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anonymous said
September 18, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Looks like Lerman’s record is down the toilet. I wonder if he is jealous?
Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)
September 18, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
Sorry for the confusion, only the jalapeno record was a Guinness record. The habaneros are a new record for MLE.
SPBBBMB said
September 18, 2007 @ 11:25 pm
Erik, no wonder you can handle that heat…your girlfriend is on fire!! An amazing achievement, and the jalapeño records weren’t bad, either!! Hopefully, see you soon!!
donmoseslerman said
September 19, 2007 @ 1:28 am
my hats off to Eric the red . however there was dfferent pepper then those that were soldbackin 2002once aain I congraduate him ..on lem
Leggo my Ego said
September 19, 2007 @ 1:47 am
Erik, you have certainly set new “records”. You are probably a nice guy, but you are an egomaniac unlike any other in the history of competitive eating (except maybe Lerman and Jarvis). You have travelled more and spent more going to these contests than anyone else in the history of the MLE. You know you will never win the big money to cover your costs and show up in your uniform that depends heavily on wristbands and a headband emroidered with your name on it anyway. Why? Only to get you name in the media and get attention. Very needy in my opinion. I don’t know why you crave your name in print, radio, TV, and the internet. But you certainly expend a lot of effort of getting it out there. I hope you can capitalize on whatever your “brand name” is worth. But it probably has cost you over $10,000 in travel costs to get it. It seems that the top name eaters (of which you desperately want to be included) spend much less effort and money going to these contests. And they win money to cover their expenses. On top of that, you call radio stations and set new “records” in spot shrimp, habaneros, and jalapenos. No way you can claim jalapenos as a Guinness record. Were you in Chicago last weekend as Pat Bertoletti destroyed everyone? Let’s see… 191 jalapenos in 6.5 minuets equals one about every two seconds. Pat kept that pace through the entire contest. You did 26 in a minute. Big deal. To claim with a straight face that you have set these records shows what kind of egomaniac you are. Besides, Guinness does not even certify eating records anymore.
I don’t care that it’s for charity or whatever excuse you give to do this stuff. If you wanted to raise money for charity, donate all your MLE winnings. Or, donate the money outright and skip the East Coast contests that cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars to attend only to win zero dollars in return. You won nothing in Chicago even though you hold a “record” in jalaponos. Seattle must be desperate for a new hero if they give you any credit for the eating accomplishments that you so proudly brag about. You are by far the most prolific loser out there – unless you count your made up “records” as winning. Good luck in your next contest. Maybe it’s eating cashews in two minutes or a box of Cracker Jack as fast as possible. Whatever “record” you decide to go after, I’m sure you will set it. And then we can all see it displayed on the internet. Can’t wait…
Carey said
September 19, 2007 @ 8:16 am
Wow, that was a bit uncalled for. Erik enjoys what he does, isn’t broke, and is making great contributions to competitive eating. Plus, those arguments are worthless. Comparing the two different jalapeno stats of Erik and Pat proves that. Each one had a very different set of rules. And, he does a stunt only to get criticized for doing it for charity?
Mega Munch said
September 19, 2007 @ 8:20 am
Damn Ego, tell us how you really feel. I sort of already said this on the Dale Boone post, but Erik just wants to compete…just like any of us. That’s what inspires him to travel. It’s not the big checks (which would be nice)…it’s fueling that competitive fire. To him, and most of the rest of us, just being there is worth the cost of the plane ticket or gas money.
Also, so what if the jalepeno record is obscure (which it may be, but it’s also friggin’ awesome), so is Beautiful Brian’s pickle record.
Good job Erik. As an eater and fan of competitive eating, I appreciate your efforts to shine a spotlight on the sport. Keep it up!
anonymous said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:02 am
Wow! If there are any Erik the red haters out there , that have held back on voicing their opinion on him in the past year or so, this dude really layed it into him. Erik is not one to take this lying down. Expect a rebuttal from the red equal in length or maybe longer than the one you just read
anonymous said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:05 am
Leggo my ego IP got to be akron ohio. i put money on it
Donny said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Hey Eggo
It’s obvious who you are with all the punctuation marks.
It’s surprising because youi have the biggest EGO’s that ever lived in Comp Eating EB
Rhonda Evans said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Good job Erik. LME, if the man can market himself (and MLE) to elicit media attention, then more power to him. Not everyone has that ability — like himself, CL, X, BB, Kevin Carr, and Hall, for example. It doesn’t just benefit him, it benefits CE as a whole. The same can be said for any one’s contribution to CE, whether it be Erik, Koby, Sonya, Joey, Pat, CL, X, Bob, or Rich.
One’s contributions are everyone’s gain, whether that person is independent or MLE-affiliated. I can’t believe so few people can see that!
I said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:41 am
damn leggo is obviously very jealous of it all…………………………………..
Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)
September 19, 2007 @ 10:18 am
For someone who is taking such a strong shot at Erik, you seem to know an aweful lot about him. Jelous Much?
Erik is an asset to CE and a stand up guy.
The Jalapeno Record is excellent however the Habanero Record may prove unbeatable and will stand the test of time. It is one of the top 5 Amazing Feats of CE.
Anonymous said
September 19, 2007 @ 10:37 am
ok, steakhead, what are the other 4 amazing feats of of CE theen?? Joey 66 hDB? TK 97 kyrstals? Pat B 11lbs of strawberry shortcake in the first 4 min and then finishing with 15.25lb in the next 4 minutes? Hmm, whats next, the new shoo-fly pie record by Pat, and maybe…oh yeah, Erik the red in habeneros? 1 minute feat!! against who?? Steak, The problem with great eaters such as Erik and other middle class eaters is, they will never beat eaters like Sonya, Rich, or any eaters above the top 8, unless a unfortunate reversal happens. The muddled middle will have to wait until some of these eaters retire or die, thats the only way it seems. Otherwise, the sport is fun and a battle to make a mark, but thats what drives all of you crazy guys like yourself. Steak, i think you should go out there and tell those MLE people that you want to establish a world record in PHILLY CHEESE STEAK sandwiches or anything you like!!! You’re a crazy guy, go for it!!
U said
September 19, 2007 @ 11:46 am
i think maybe hes got something for erik.
Easy said
September 19, 2007 @ 11:50 am
“top 5 Amazing Feats of CE”……….wouldnt go quite that far……….there was no “c” in that “e”………….maybe “se” but not “ce”………..
Bwahhh haaa haaa said
September 19, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
I’m truely impressed. Erik anyone who matters knows how hard it was to do either of the two events, you did them back to back. The haters can keep hating but Erik has a Record I don’t think anyone can take away.
Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)
September 19, 2007 @ 12:20 pm
and why not?
You think we dont show up to a stacked table knowing what our realistic chances are? I’ve done this enough to know just how good these people are. Everyone is younger, smarter, better looking and faster than me. Thats a fact. They swallow faster, have better hygene, and better choices of footwear.
I am I supposed to just stop myself and surrender? It’s not going to happen. I will show up at that table 100 times and keep banging my head against that wall until it breaks, and if I dont get the win, I will contest 100 more times, and so will these other guys. Thats the spirit of competition, that drives most of us and we have to settle for improving in the smallest of quantities. The guys who are there for the money will be short lived in this league.
Erik’s feat was not in the top 5 most IMPORTANT (Koby’s first 50, Sonya’s 65 Eggs, Sonya’s win over Wingador, Kate Stelnick’s Burger, Joey’s 66 HDB, ya’ll can post a survey for your own opion) records, but clearly one of the top 5 most Amazing.
Erik doesnt need help defending himself against people who are too scared to even be identified, but I’ll bite anyway. I applaud his spirit and his initiative to further this sport in a positive way. He’s not waiting for Life to happen to him, but going out and getting something that he can call his own. SO what if he’s savy enough to work the guys at a local radio station and get himself on the news? so what?
Anyone who’s going to try to stab that American spirit in the back and be too cowardly to identify themselves is just a pussy. (sorry OJ)
Rhonda Evans said
September 19, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
In my mind the most amazing feats are:
1. Koby’s 50 HDBs in 2002: remember, the man DOUBLED the previous record of 25 1/4
2. Joey’s 66 HDBs in 2006
3. Sonya’s 46 Dozen (552) Oysters in 10 minutes, 2004
4. Koby’s 97 Krystals in 2006
5. Pat’s 15.25 lbs of Strawberry Shortcake in 8 minutes, 2007
6. Koby’s 58 Brats in 10 minutes, 2006
Locust said
September 19, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Erik should not be criticized for wanting to have fun and pursue his hobby. He is not hurting anyone (but possibly himself with those habaneros) and so what if he wants a little attention. While most of us have that same competitive fire, it still is not a bad thing to get noticed now and then. At least it is not negative publicity like losers such as OJ Simpson, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, Brittney Spears and Paris and Nicole have earned. Competitive eating may seem silly to some people, but it is harmless fun and has a lot more validity than a lot of other so called sports. Personally, I really like Erik’s spirit and his desire to keep improving and hope he keeps up the good work.
Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)
September 19, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
Hey thanks for defending me Steak and others and I totally agree with what you wrote. Though I don’t really think it is worth the time, what do I need to defend myself for? It is obvious there are haters out there, I mean that’s fine. The event on Friday was all about supporting the local community and trying to get attention for the charities, I got nothing for it. I was asked to be a part of the event and tried to do something that I thought would be entertaining. In fact, I have never asked to be a part of any media that I have been on; I have been contacted by them first. I mean some people make it sound like I am standing outside of ABC’s studio banging on the door to get in, come on that is rediculous.
For someone who doesn’t know, competitive eating is about a lot of things, one of them is winning money, but that alone would not keep people coming back to the table. I mean it really is about something more, about proving something to yourself more than anything, proving your will is stronger than others. The publicity is great, not because it lines my pocket with money (it doesn’t) or because it gives me some level of fame, but because it is a rare opportunity in life that people actually care enough about what you are doing and who you are that they want to share it with the masses. It’s a privelege and I don’t take it for granted and I know it probably won’t last for ever. If I did everything for the money than life would suck, money is just a means to an end and if the end is only money, than I think you are missing a lot in your life. My experiences in CE would hardly be different if I had won 10 times as much as I have.
But if you are asking me if I want to win, I’d say hell yeah, and any chance I have to prove that I am the best I am going to take it.
mamamia said
September 19, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
Eric is ‘pretty darned good ‘ in my book and Steakbellie you have the right of it.
I love the line, “he is not waiting for life to happen to him”
Philly Guy said
September 19, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
Steakbellie finally admits I’m better looking!!!
Rhonda Evans said
September 19, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
Joe though you are qualifying being a “pro” with whether or not that endeavor (CE) serves as one’s primary source of income, I also think it’s fair to equate being a “pro” with one’s level of talent.
That said, I think the top dozen or so eaters in both orgs, the independents and MLE, can certainly qualify as being a professional on the basis of talent.
Even you Joe, with all said and done, I don’t think there are more than a dozen people in this world who have more talent than you.
Plus, you have that sneaky, forked tongue and knack for raising one’s ire, so that further qualifies you as a pro in my book. I know of no one else exactly like you in CE!
Carey said
September 19, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Pete, I don’t think he had you in mind, cause he also said better choices of footwear, and he has to be sportin some kicks that are nicer than your Keds.
WingKong said (Registered December 19, 2006)
September 19, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
LME, you and a few others who don’t have the balls to at least give your own names make me sick. You all hide behind your cute little ambiguous names to start fires on here or simply to add fuel to them, for what?!?!? To take shots on people who are will to go the extra mile for their community, to raise money for a charity???
As I sit here and read this, I can only imagine what your distinguished list of achievements must look like. I’ll assume right at the top of the list is, “stayed at home and read eatfeats all day got a few people all fired up”. Followed immediately by “thought about signing up for a few contests today”, but decided not to because “I’ll never get in” and “I can never beat those top eaters”. When will you realize people like SB, the Philly guy and myself do this simply because we like it…we enjoy the opportunity to push our body to new limits we didn’t think were obtainable, and we enjoy the and bonds we form w/ other eaters.
Do yourself a favor stay anonymous and don’t take any chances…It sounds like a whole lot of fun. Maybe I’ll try it one day, but not right now I’m having to much fun doing what I’m doing!
I speak the facts said
September 19, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
Wingkong you could not have said it better. These are sad assed people that talk shit behind alias names because they are punks. Especially who is OJ Rifkin who talks alot of smack in text and has yet to throw a punch when he sees a real IFOCE member at a real contest. If i am correct in my assumption LME does have some kind of a life. He has a wife, kids but no real job and i loudmouth to boot. I wont reveal but i think everyone in this forum knows who the hell he is
Using an Alias said
September 19, 2007 @ 5:18 pm
weak people hide behind aliases…………hey wait…………hi ojrifkin………….
Fred Mcmurray said
September 19, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
It is very pleasing to see 15 of the 29 comments come to bat for Erik. Note how fast this cowardly dickbrain LME made his exit after all was said and done. It would be nice if the same or different people would come to bat for others that get blasted by haters on this site time and time again . In defense of OJ there is a difference between someone that prefers to conceal his identity and someone that conceals his identity for the purpose of spewing hate and cowardly insults towards people that are not able to defend themselves . It is a downright disgrace if you ask me
Oh yes i know said
September 19, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
LME left that comment at 1:47am meaning that Erik’s record really must have gotten to him if he couldnt get any sleep . Claiming that Jarvis and Lerman are egomaniacs are one thing but i doubt either would spend thousands or even hundreds to fly to an event just to get their faces on tv or newspaper. Lerman would demand that the IFOCE pay his way or reimburse him. Jarvis wouldnt spend his own money to fly to an event unless he thought he could win , get compensated or recieve an appearance fee.
donmoseslerman said
September 20, 2007 @ 1:23 am
I always paid for my owm way to contests and never asked for reinbursment, this is my hobby, what oh ues I Know said is not so…..don lerman
Donny said
September 20, 2007 @ 8:29 am
Looking at past comments of LME there is only One poster that uses the Punctuation marks in the post earlier.I am very surprised if I am right because this person was so full of themselves .
LME you are an idiot!!!
Mega Munch said
September 20, 2007 @ 8:47 am
I think to be a competitive eater, you have to be a little egotistical. Or at least very confident about yourself. I mean, we’re willing to get up on a stage in front of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people and shove disgusting amounts of food into our faces. It’s not a sport for the meek.
Oh yes i know said
September 20, 2007 @ 9:28 am
To make it easier LME is an aice member. One of the so called “egotistical” ones. Now you should be able to figure.
anonymous said
September 20, 2007 @ 9:54 am
LME is not an idiot . He is very articulate He writes articles for a local tribune in his area . Some of the people that are full of themself in CE cannot type or spell
Rhonda Evans said
September 20, 2007 @ 9:56 am
That’s right MM. You shouldn’t be in it if you’re worried about winning a popularity contest.
The Sicilian said (Registered February 23, 2006)
September 20, 2007 @ 10:46 am
Wooa, there is all kind of debates going on here. I think when it comes to competitive eating it’s all about having fun as well. These contests are fun, whether you get to be in the spotlight or not. I think it’s pretty exciting to meet a bunch of eaters from across the country. I do recall only 3 of 15 eaters being from Chicago at the Jalapenos contest. That’s a big deal because whenever I talk about CE with people who don’t know much about it, they are surprised to know that at all kinds of levels, eaters travel whether they have a shot at money or not. That shows true dedication and love for a hobbie. CE is competitive, we are going to get aggressive and have a little ego. Everyone wants to beat someone when they go to a contest. I don’t think they just show up and eat to see what happens, there’s something in all of us CE that motivates us to do these contests. Ego doesn’t play that much of a roll. If Erik the Red wants to set a record for himself, thats good, at least he’s doing something, and succeeding. Haters will be haters, what can we do. Although, I do believe that there should be a time when all eaters who are ranked or unranked to gather together to set or break records, not exactly like eats of strength where it is televised. Just something that can be done where more forms of records can be established, updated, or broken. That would be fun, something along the lines of the Title Rallies they had back in the days, or something like the US Open, where it can even become like a tournament. There is so much that can be done with CE. If I had the money to set something up like that, I would love to host it.
Anonymous said
September 20, 2007 @ 11:22 am
Are any of you guys embarrassed at how serious each of you is in this thread? Relax.
Anonymous said
September 20, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
We dont take this thread seriously now shut up or get your ass kicked!
Bison said
September 21, 2007 @ 8:31 am
Just for information only.
I read all the Documentation from Guiness on this Jelopeno Record and it is legitimate.Besides a few Guiness does not Publish Records in the Book but still does document and control many Food Records.
Also I commend Erik for doing these Two Records and helping KJR Radio raise over 1000,000.00 Dollars for Literacy and Youth Football programs in the Seattle area..
Thanks Erik for all you did .I am very proud of what you do and look foreward to future events like this in the Northwest.
Ray
Square Meal said
September 21, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
There should be a charity points race….the CE who raises the most money for charity throughout the course of a CE season gets a trip to Bora Bora or someplace. We could get sponsers for this no? Someone should talk to IFOCE/MLE and AICE. I think its a great cause.
THere could be a chicken-heart eating competition (Brazilian Style) for the Heart Foundation.
A seared Foies Gras eating comp for the Liver Foundation
Maybe a chicken breast eating comp for Breast Cancer
A blood sausage (in the UK of course) eating comp for a Blood Drive.
A repeat of Boiled Brains for Alzhiemers
anonymous said
September 21, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
donmoseslerman said,
September 19, 2007 @ 1:28 am
my hats off to Eric the red . however there was dfferent pepper then those that were soldbackin 2002once aain I congraduate him ..on lem
Lerman what are you implying? Cant you just for once in your life give someone credit where credit is due and not brag about your 18 in one minute which is plastered all over your website When you said . “my hats off to eric the red”, thats where it should have ended. But no you have to go on about different peppers that were sold in 2002 and no milk allowed. blah blah. That’s another way of sneaking in a dig on Erik . GROW UP!
Anonymous said
September 22, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
LME EB
donmoseslerman said
September 22, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
listen , don;t take my word ask the companies that pack the peppers, they will tell you what i said, Idid say that my hats off to him , the you reprinted whatsaid in a post , comes across like a snitch…don lerman
Enough said
September 22, 2007 @ 3:20 pm
LME is EB???? what the hell is that supposed to mean? Why dont we all cut the nonsense and expose this idiot Leggo for who he really is instead of LME EB . Get a life all of you idiots and stop with the puzzles.
Rabbi Yitzy said
September 22, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Stop mid the fighting. If you are jewish this is a holiday and you should be in temple instead of fahtzing around on the computer. The holiday ends at sundown and it is a sin on your head if you are caught doing anything else but fasting and praying. Ahrhhhight alrrehhhdy who the hell is LME?? EB? BB? RE? DO? AC? PB? Luther Ooy vay . Vat else Who else. Vat more do you vant. Dont hock me a chiynick
By George i think he's got it said
September 24, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
LME decided to critisize Erik’s pepper record because he was jealous of Erik’s girlfriend. He must be married to a dog or a woman that looks horrendous compared to the stunning blonde Erik showed off on his video. By the way I would assume that Don Lerman is very jealous of Erik breaking his jalapeno record. He can congragulate him all he wants bad grammar and all. The fact is he is boiling made . Some of you competitive eaters are like children. Donmoses lerman this and Donmoseslerman that and how come this one is getting more publicity than me blah blah. I pioneered the wingbowl and paved the way for the Joey chestnuts to eat wings. Yeah right. joey chestnut is laughing in your face with those stupid ass remarks. . You think the ifoce is any better? They get a kick out of playing friends against each other. Flying this one to vegas and not flying that one. Total Bullshit! Every fucking member ranked 1-50 should be flown out and have a chance to compete. This SPIKE shit is no different than tryouts for the high school baseball or football team. Only certain favorites of the coach make the cut. Superpaul and Pat Philbin shouldnt make jest of the situation with remarks like “Gee you know your breakin my heart” or ” i got the sad news today through an email. I was kinda upset” Fuck that. Let them know how pissed off you really are instead of that panzy making light of the situation shit! The classic excuse from the ifoce is SPIKE didnt pick you. Its more like the SHEAS didnt pick you!
Philly Guy said
September 24, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
From what I understand there is only so much of a budget and I’d be economically stupid to fly out the top 50. Some people off the street could beat people probably 20 up so to showcase us would be bad. Might as well have the guy Joey and Koby beat only loose by half instead of five times.
u said so said
September 25, 2007 @ 9:28 pm
Damn! She is hot!
Super Paul said
September 25, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
I was plenty upset about Vegas, but, I know it was up to Spike TV to pick who they wanted…It’s their money. Bottom line: If I was a better eater combined with my idiocy/brilliance, I’d be going! – I blame myself
u said so said
September 26, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
Hei Erik ,, where is your girlfriend from?
u said so said
September 26, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
hmmmmm
u said so said
September 26, 2007 @ 10:34 pm
congrats on setting new record,,,
u said so said
October 2, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
ah