For most people, 10 burritos are nine burritos too many.
For professional eaters, also known as “gurgitators,” consuming that many burritos in about as many minutes is what it takes to be a champion.
On Saturday, 15 competitive eaters gathered at Costa Vida in South Portland to chow down in Maine’s first burrito eating contest. Contestants, who flew in from as far as New Zealand to compete, had 12 minutes to eat as many 18-ounce pork burritos as they could.
“I think it’s gross,” said Fred Abaroa, chief marketing officer for Costa Vida. “But it’s just so interesting to watch somebody to see how much they can eat in so little time.”
Many people agreed with Abaroa. The crowd, which consisted of more than one hundred fascinated fans with horrified expressions, cheered on the competitors as they shoveled bite after bite into their mouths.
At first, it was a close race. But by the halfway point, with beans and cheese covering their faces, it was clear that several contestants were pulling ahead of the pack.
In the end, 165 pound Tim “Eater X” Janus managed to squeeze by fellow competitor Sonya “Black Widow” Thomson, eating 10 and three-fourths burritos. Sonya, weighing in at 105 pounds, consumed 10 burritos in the allotted time. Along with winning the $1500 prize, Janus now holds the title of world burrito eating champion, previously held by Eric “Badlands” Booker.
“I don’t like to be full in real life, so common sense tells me I should stop after one burrito,” said Janus. “But today, there was a reason to keep eating.”
The sport of professional eating has been growing in popularity over the past few years. Major League Eating, the franchise that sponsors official competitive eating events, allows the eaters to register for different competitions through its Web site. For every event in which competitors place, they receive a certain amount of points. The 50 competitors with the most points are considered “ranked” eaters.
The competition to get to the top can be fierce, but eater Pete “Pretty Boy” Davekos, ranked 29th, said there isn’t a cutthroat mentality that often comes with other professional sports. “For 12 minutes we’re competitors, but for the rest of the time we’re good buddies,” said Davekos. “It’s a good solid rivalry.”
Sean “The Vaccuum” Kirby, who flew in from California for the competition, said one of the biggest misconceptions about competitive eating is that professional eaters don’t take care of their bodies.
“Lots of people think we do this and then go throw up,” Kirby said. “But it’s not the case. We train for the event. We know our bodies, we know what they can take. I’m 42 years old. I’m not going to do anything that’s going to endanger my health.”
Davekos, a former body builder, said a lot of people consider it a “fat man’s sport,” but that stereotype is a mistaken belief.
“If you look at the top 15 guys, there might be one or two heavy hitters, but the majority of them are lean,” Davekos said. “Because, believe it or not, the leaner you are, the more room you have for your stomach to expand with the food.”
While it’s true that it takes a lot of dedication to become a professional eater, the majority of the competitors don’t do it for a living. Davekos is a regional sales manager in Boston, and Kirby is a commercial construction superintendent. The draw is, at least for these two, the love of the food.
“After my last competition, I went to Bertucci’s and ate a whole pizza,” Davekos said. “I don’t run out of food. I run out of time.”
Tim “Eater X” Janus celebrates his win at the burrito eating contest at Costa Vida in South Portland last Saturday.
Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas ate 10 burritos during the 12 minute competition.
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