Unconquered food challenges

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/5-undefeated-eating-challenges-171400230.html
 
Roadfooders with BIG taste buds...here's the ultimate challenge....food eating contests that have never been beaten......try this and you're sick...before and after.....wouldn't mind some of these reduced to more managable size!!!

This begs the question..."why?" 
 
It's my experience that just because it's big, that doesn't mean it's good, or worth the time to consume it all.  It sort of reminds me of those buffet places where sure, there's a lot of food and it's all-u-can-eat but the quality is so bad, what's the point? 
 
Maybe these are genuinely good, I don't know.  But I've seen too many where big doesn't equal good. 

I agree with SpicyCheese.  I always told my cooks, "Bigger is NOT better."

Going back a bit:  What was the first "food challenge" you ever saw advertised?
 
And I don't mean something your peer group dreamed up like mine which kept an informal record of how many chili dogs could one wolf down in one sitting at M&P Coney Island (New Castle, PA).  What was the first one you saw promoted by the business?
 
The first one I ever saw was circa 1971 when That Steak Place in Charlottesville, VA offered a "free 72 oz. steak" to anyone who could eat it within an hour.  Looking back that was kind of strange as the restaurant was rather quiet and upscale.
 
I'm sure that Adam Richman acted under the orders of his physician when he changed his format this year.  He is a likeable little cuss and I was fearing an untimely death for him.

I saw my first food challenge a few years ago in Chattanooga.  It was the start of Krystal's burger eating contest.  I guess they do this regional and the winners of each go on to the finals for the big money.
 
I was at the aquarium and I noticed a commotion going on and I went over to explore.  There was a huge crowd of better than a thousand.  I was intrigued and I watched the competitors gobble down a bunch of burgers in an allotted time.  The time was much shorter than the finals.  Even in a short time, I almost gagged watching them stuff the burgers down their throat as quickly as possible.
 
In my opinion only, that is not a very good sport to watch or participate in. 
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer7


I saw my first food challenge a few years ago in Chattanooga.  It was the start of Krystal's burger eating contest.  I guess they do this regional and the winners of each go on to the finals for the big money.

I was at the aquarium and I noticed a commotion going on and I went over to explore.  There was a huge crowd of better than a thousand.  I was intrigued and I watched the competitors gobble down a bunch of burgers in an allotted time.  The time was much shorter than the finals.  Even in a short time, I almost gagged watching them stuff the burgers down their throat as quickly as possible.

In my opinion only, that is not a very good sport to watch or participate in. 

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

 
If we all go to Mobile this February, I want to see Paul engage in a raw oyster chugging contest at 
Wintzell's 

WJ:  If we go to Mobile, the oysters are about the only thing I could even approach Al, BB or yourself and then I would not be even close.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

And sometimes a challenge isn't a challenge at all. Cheeburger Cheeburger has a challenge, with the prize being going on their "Wall of Fame". I went with my grandkids, and was going to order the 12 ounce burger, but decided to go with the "challenge:" a one pound cheeseburger. Well, I didn't put on all the toppings that I might have otherwise put on, but eating that thing was no problem at all.
 
Bart

My Avalanche Challenge, 8- 1/2 lb burgers, 8- 3 1/4 oz. hot links on top of each burger, 16 slices of American Cheese, divided into two stacks with 3 slices of bun for each stack , L, T, M, O. A Korean woman did it in 40 minutes, didn't break a sweat, drank 2 beers, 2 waters, during the challenge which has a 1 hr. time limit. Don't know exactly hoe many have tried, over the years, 50 to 75 probably. Winner gets a shirt, picture, and $100.00 gift certificate. Many guys have "lost it", so we keep a big trash can next to them!

I once ate 16 tacos on a Taco Tuesday night at the dining hall in college, lettuce, tomato, onions, and salsa on each one, with probably 4 iced teas, and two pieces of pie for dessert.
 
Of course that was 22 years ago, I wouldn't even think of trying one of these challenges now.