emirates man
apr/may 2015
| FEATURE | EATING
64
HUNGER GAMES Randy
consumed more than 200,000 calories on a recent tour of the UK
disposition that’d see him die sooner than come second – Santel slimmed down to 16-stone, acquiring massive biceps and blister pack abs along the way. In just two-thirds of the time and ahead of thou- sands of others, he won the competition. And yet Santel’s ravenous appetite remained, with the body-
builder toasting his victory and ditching his super clean diet plan by taking on The Pointersaurus – a restaurant challenge that offered a $500 bounty (Dhs1,835) to anyone who could finish their 28-inch pizza. Teaming up with a friend, Santel won that, too. And little did he know at the time, but it was his first foray into what would soon become his career – travelling the world as a competitive eater.
L
ike a bloated stomach being stuffed full of food, the weird and wonderful world of competitive eating is growing ever larger. With an increasing number of res- taurants offering free dinners, T-shirts and even cash prizes to diners that can vanquish meals that weigh as much as new-born babies, it seems possessing the appetite of a small army can sometimes pay. What’s more, hungry individuals stretching their stomachs
against the clock is becoming a bona fide phenomenon in the sport- ing world, too. “I think it’s the sport of the people,” claims George Shea, founder
of sanctioning body, Major League Eating (MLE). “Everybody knows what it’s like to eat three hard-boiled eggs and how full they would be, so if they see someone eat 50, they get an immediate sense of how monumental that is.
“I think that in a lot of sports, even something like tennis,
high jump or pole vault, there’s a significant barrier of entry to most people. But there’s no such barrier to competitive eating and I think it really connects with people that way.” Competitive eating is not strictly new, with contests dating
as far back as 13th century Norse mythology – detailing a match- up between the god Loki and his servant (the latter won by eating his plate). In more recent times, pie eating contests at county fairs
have become a staple part of American culture, whereas MLE chairs events for just about every foodstuff out there – including birthday cake, chicken wings, watermelon and even raw cow brains. The jewel in the competitive eating crown is without doubt Na-
than’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, held every 4th of July on New York’s Coney Island. Founded in 1916 – the first official eating challenge on record – four immigrants squared off to determine who was the most
“Everyone knows how full you feel after eating three boiled eggs. So if people see you eat 50, they get a sense of how monumental that is”
patriotic, with an Irishman swallowing 13 hot dogs in 12-minutes to seal victory. Since then, the contest has become a fundamental part of America’s Independence Day celebrations – with entrants chew- ing for their chance to win the coveted Mustard Belt and share of the $40,000 purse (Dhs147,000). More than 60,000 fans descend on Co- ney Island to catch the annual contest live, and in 2014 a record 2.8 million TV viewers watched the men’s and women’s (a fixture since 2011) finals unfold on sport channel ESPN2. Coining the term ‘competitive eating’ in the 1980s, Shea is a man serious about his food and claims his eating federation will be “a worldwide sporting franchise similar to FIFA” within a decade. Think his tongue is in his cheek? It isn’t. Shea is so confident that he’s genuinely aggrieved eating challenges are not yet represented at the Olympic Games. “We have tried many times in the past to get into the Olympics,
but we were snubbed,” Shea admits. “I think you would find com- petitive eating as an absolute crowd favourite and would further
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