Trivia NYC/DSO Media

The IFOCE circuit has grown to literally hundreds of events around the world, but there are still precious few prestigious ones: the Philly Wing Bowl, the new MLE Chowdown series in Las Vegas (which runs on Spike TV intermittently), and of course the big daddy of them all, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July at Coney Island.

One of the other prestigious ones is the Krystal Square Off, held every year in Nashville, TN. You get eight minutes to eat as many Krystal hamburgers as you can (I’ve never had one, but I’m guessing these are about the size of White Castle sliders. If I’m wrong about that, please let me know.)

But on Sunday, the newest heavyweight champeen of the gastronomic arts, Joey Chestnut, broke the record by eating 103 Krystals in 8 minutes, beating the previous record of 97 set by the Babe Ruth of eating, Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi, who wasn’t there because of wisdom tooth surgery. (Laugh it up. If a pitcher has a hangnail, or if an opera singer has a sore throat, or if a Republican has a conscience, then they can’t do their jobs neither.)

Kobayashi was the unquestioned all time greatest of the sport of competitive eating for most of the last decade, and I find it kind of bittersweet that Chestnut is rolling over him this year. (He smashed Kobayashi’s record at Coney Island in July, and won the recent MLE Chowdown of chicken wings & potato wedges, so he’s the clear #1, at least at the moment.)

Ultimately, it’s good to have a healthy competition, but I have to say, I’m really hoping the Tsunami returns to form and continues on his legendary run.

[Thanks, Brittney]

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