Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Long Road to Home (Bucket List)

I've tried to write this article 4 times, and cant seem to put it together. I'm going to try to just stick to the facts.

To Go to the Nathans Finals (4th of July in Coney Island on ESPN) you must WIN a Qualifier.

An Eater may sign up for up to 3 Qualifiers.

I have been trying to Qualify for three years.

I have also been trying to Eat 20 Hot Dogs and buns for 3 years.

I did not Qualify or eat 20 in the first 2 Qualifiers this year. I was getting desperate and decided that I had put too much pressure on myself.

So the night before my final chance, I allowed myself to eat dinner and drink a shitfull of beer. I didnt do any of the little tricks I've developed before and during a contest. I just lived my life and showed up on time.

Hungover, on a series of tables setup on the back of a flatbed truck, I competed in over 100 degree heat (at least on the back of the truck it was).


Rich Shea
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.
Richard Shea was the Announcer for the contest. He's pretty much awesome. He honored me with some Social Distortion to my entrance. At the Pittsburgh Qualifier he played 'The Mountain Song' from Jane's Addiction. (What he couldnt know is that I sang that song outloud in TERROR while making a decent of the Rocky Mountains in Jackson Hole Wyoming on a bicycle. I was going 47.5 MPH and scared shitless. I always smile now when I hear it)

Camden was recently awarded the title of most dangerous city in the United States.

I did not qualify for the finals but I ate 20.75 Hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes and came in 3rd. At the end of the contest when everyone else was leaning over in discomfort, I was the only person with my hands in the air. I felt great. I felt like I won. I still feel like I won. Maybe I did Win????

This took a long freaking time and alot of writing and alot of beating myself up and I'm proud my family and freinds were there to see it. I look forward to NOT having to eat 50 Hotdogs a week. Believe me.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Truly a winner. What is the goal on Krystals?

Anonymous said...

Kobayashi got in without winning a qualifier though, right?

steakbellie said...

Koby was originally supposed to Qualify in Tokyo, but was in Canada filming commercials. Then he was supposed to Qualify in the US (possibly at my Qualifier) but he didnt fly in until a few days before.

They then set up an inpromptu Qualifier of just 3 people for him, but it was too close to the actual contest and he refused.

Nathans gave him a 'Sponsors Bye' which pretty much shows you whats going on behind the curtain in Competitive Eating. I anticipate something similar in Krystals.

steakbellie said...

I ate 31 Krystals last year for Second Place at the Geaorgia State Fair. Eating 30 Krystals is comparable to eating 20 Hotdogs.

My capacity and speed have improved abit in a year, and I think a good goal would be 40 Krystals in 8 minutes.

Anonymous said...

I ate 16 White Castles on the way to a Dead show at Giants Stadium about 15 years ago and spent about a half-hour in a Port-a-John outside the stadium on 4 hits of double-dipped blotter acid, feeling like my vital organs were making their first acquaintance with the outside world via my sphincter. God bless you.

steakbellie said...

16 Burgers is ALOT of food. There's plenty of people on the contest who never top that! And only HALF of them are on Acid, so GOOD JOB!

Anonymous said...

I may have been at that Dead concert, someone didn't bring my ticket and I spent the night doing balloons of Nitrous Oxide in the parking lot ..overall, it was a good night!