The “eating power” of native British Columbians
There might have been some historical basis to have competitive eating as a demonstration sport in the Vancouver Olympics. TheTyee.ca has an article from 2004 about the “tsatlsqulalitut” or eating power of the Salish tribe of coastal British Columbia and Washington State:
Powers played an important role in Coast Salish culture. There were many kinds, including, but not limited to, the powers of a shaman, and any adult ought to have one or more. A person with eating power ate normally most of the time. But when challenged or challenging, the same person would eat vast quantities of food without showing the slightest sign of discomfort.
The article retells a story of an old man who ate two sides of beef and washed it down with a barrel of water.