Posted on 10/09/2006 10:04:48 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
DALLAS - A 62-year-old retired accountant from Nevada swallowed 247 peppers in eight minutes to win the Jalapeno Eating World Championship at the State Fair of Texas.
Richard LeFevre won $2,000 for prevailing in Sunday's contest, which was sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive Eating.
"I love to eat, and I love to compete, so the two go pretty well together," said LeFevre, the world's eighth-ranked eater according to the federation.
LeFevre, who has also won the fair's World Corny Dog Eating Contest three times, said his winning strategy was to mix three or four peppers in his mouth with a swig of milk before swallowing.
LeFevre was one of four professional eaters who took the top four places in the competition.
Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas said she had never eaten a jalapeno before the contest. Ranked third in the world by the federation, she downed 239 peppers to take second place and $1,000 in prize money.
Christopher Huang, of Arlington, entered the competition even though he doesn't normally eat spicy foods.
"I eat mild salsa," Huang said. "But there's nothing like putting yourself through a lot of pain for no reason."
The 26-year-old required several minutes of recovery time after eating 53 jalapenos.
"I cant feel my face," he said when he was able to speak again.
Dr. Daniel DeMarco, a gastroenterologist and director of endoscopy at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, said the amount of jalapenos consumed in an eating contest is more harmful than the burn.
"It's really pretty stupid," DeMarco said. "Like any sort of abuse of your body, it doesn't make any sense."
He said long-term complications are unlikely, but there are some risks.
"If they get sick, they're going to be vomiting it up, and that can cause esophageal tears," he said.
Two days from now is the problem. I had a 10+ alarm chili once that was a combination of habanero, scotch bonnet, jalapeno, serrano, thai bird and several other hot chilis.
I regretted it later when it came out the other end.
Hope he's no where near fire when he farts.
This guy just doesn't understand the spirit of competition...you gotta PUSH!
He'll make his own fire....
He won't be able to sit down (except on the can) for a couple of days.
I think the fire would be redundant. I hope he's nowhere near anyting flamable when he, er, "equalizes".
I are the lyrics to Johnny Cash's song "Burning Ring Of Fire" playing in my head reading this?
That's gonna feel like lava when it comes out the other end ...
How do you eat 247 jalapenos? You practice constantly -- 24/7!
Make it a contest to eat about 250 donuts, and THEN I'd be interested!!
I-don't-care-about-my-stomach-lining-ping.
He better hang on to the toilet seat tomorrow or NASA may be tracking him.
TT
They should wait 24 hours to award the prizes. If the apparent winners are left standing tomorrow they would win.
Let me know if you hear about a Kit-Kat eating contest. I'll be there!
Hasn't anyone here farted next to a lit match? It's Mythbusting time!
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