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.
Or the business end of a J57... with afterburner!
Even hotter coming back out. That boy's gonna be screaming in the bathroom for the next week .. and those sensitive tissues are going to make it very difficult for him to sit down.
No wonder.
Bacon once bet me I wouldn't drink a bowl of Ninfa's salsa for a certain sum of money (can't remember if it was $20 or $50).
So far, I have been too chicken to do so.
I once ate a half jar of fairly mild peppers while drinking beer and watching football.
The burning the next day as the inevitable happened was enough to make sure I NEVER made that mistake ever again.
Oh this guy is (or did) regret this in a big (and painful) way.
He'll experience LeFevre in L'intestines very soon....
Lightweight!
Please don't do it until I'm there to watch!
The red or the green salsa?
Bwaaahhahaha! I thant theel thy thathe!
Good to see that there are things Kobayashi won't do...
A few years ago I was at a party fro the Superbowl my brother held in Deer park. He got the same stuffed jalopinos that Joe's Crab Shack sells. I ate abour 20 to 25 of them during the party, pregame and all. By 3 pm the following day I would have welcomed the mercy of death. Yes Shiners were involved.
"Recently I was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity
in Texas, to be a judge at a chili cookoff because no one else wanted to do
it. Also the original person called in sick at the last minute and I
happened to be standing there at the judges' table asking directions to the
beer wagon when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges
(native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides I
could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted."
Here are the score cards from the event:
Chili #1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Chili
JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Darryl: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from
your driveway with it. Took me two beers to put the flames out. Hope
that's the worst one. These hicks are crazy.
Chili #2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
JUDGE ONE: Smokey (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting barbecue flavor, needs more peppers to be taken
seriously.
Darryl: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I'm supposed
to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me
the Heimlich maneuver while I shoved my way to the front of the beer line.
Chili #3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick! Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
Darryl: This has got to be a joke! Call the EPA, I've located a
!?#@%~#@*_#! uranium spill! My nose feels like I have been sneezing Drano.
Everyone knows the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make
it to the beer wagon. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is
in the front part of my chest.
Chili #4: Bubba's Black Magic
JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or
other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Darryl: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste
it. Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills so that I
wouldn't have to dash over to see her.
Chili #5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit
the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Darryl: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I belched
and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed
hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved
my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. Sort of irritates
me that one of the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Chili #6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice
and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic.
Superb.
Darryl: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous flames.
No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally.
Chili #7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef threw in canned chili peppers at
the last moment. I should note that I am worried about judge #3, he appears
to be in a bit of distress.
Darryl: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I
wouldn't feel it. I've lost sight in one eye and the world sounds like it
is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili, which slid
unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good, at my autopsy they'll know
what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful and I'm
not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll let it in through the
hole in my stomach.
Chili #8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor
hot. Sorry to see most of it was lost when Judge number 3 fell
and pulled most of the pot on top of himself.
JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not
too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Darryl: Our Father, who art in heav...
The red of course! I believe the bet started at $20, was raised to $50 and she still wouldn't do it. Wussy. ;)
I'd like to see him eat just five habenaroes.
Are those the ones you can't touch without gloves?
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