9 Champions of Extreme Eating Challenges

Even amidst the growing obesity crisis in America, extreme eating competitions continue to captivate audiences. Explore the astonishing feats of these record-breaking competitors.

Leading the pack is Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, a 160-pound titleholder hailing from Nagano, Japan.

1. Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi

In October 2006, ESPN2 broadcast the third annual Krystal Square Off hamburger eating competition in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi, a 160-pound competitive eating champion from Nagano, Japan, emerged victorious by consuming 97 square Krystal burgers in just 8 minutes. Kobayashi not only walked away with a hefty $10,000 prize but also solidified his reputation as one of the world's top competitive eaters. He held the world record for hot dog eating until 2007 and dominated the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island for six consecutive years (2001-2006).

2. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas

Weighing just 105 pounds, Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas from Alexandria, Virginia, is the reigning lobster-eating champion. In August 2005, at the second annual World Lobster-Eating Championship in Kennebunkport, Maine, she devoured 44 Maine lobsters, totaling 11.3 pounds of meat, in 12 minutes. Thomas not only broke her own record but also claimed $500 and the prestigious "The Claw" championship belt. With over 40 world titles to her name, she earned the nickname "The Black Widow" for consistently outperforming male competitors much larger than herself.

3. Rich "The Locust" LeFevre

Rich "The Locust" LeFevre thrives on heat. In October 2006, this 132-pound retired CPA from Henderson, Nevada, set a world record by consuming 247 pickled jalapeño peppers in just 8 minutes. He also boasts records for devouring 1.5 gallons of chili in 10 minutes, 30 Tex-Mex rolls in 12 minutes (March 2005), and 7.75 pounds of huevos rancheros—a zesty Mexican breakfast dish—in 10 minutes (March 2006).

4. Joey Chestnut

Joey Chestnut, a 230-pound competitive eater from San Jose, California, reigns supreme in chicken wing consumption. At Wing Bowl 15 in February 2007, he ate 182 wings in 30 minutes, securing his title. Chestnut also holds the hot dog eating record, having consumed 66 hot dogs (with buns) in 12 minutes at the 2007 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, dethroning six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi.

5. Patrick Bertoletti

Patrick Bertoletti, a 190-pound competitive eater from Chicago, holds the record for eating shoofly pie, a dense Pennsylvania Dutch dessert. In June 2007, he consumed 11.1 pounds (37 slices) of the pie in 8 minutes. Since joining the competitive eating scene in 2006, Bertoletti has claimed numerous victories, including a world record of 19 pizza slices at the Three Brothers Pizza Eating Championship in August 2006.

6. Bill "Crazy Legs" Conti

Bill "Crazy Legs" Conti, a New York City window washer, holds the world record for pancake consumption. During his debut year in competitive eating on July 4, 2002, he devoured a -pound stack of pancakes (with bacon) in 12 minutes at the Hibernation Cup in Anchorage, Alaska. His life story was captured in the documentary Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating.

7. Dale Boone

Dale Boone, a 303-pound competitive eater from Atlanta, Georgia, set the world record by consuming 28 reindeer sausages in 10 minutes during a 2002 event in Anchorage. He also holds the record for eating 84 ounces of baked beans in just 1 minute and 52 seconds.

8. Eric Booker

Eric Booker, a 440-pound competitive eater from Copaigue, New York, set a world record by consuming 21 baseball-sized matzo balls in just 5 minutes and 25 seconds at Ben's Deli in Manhattan in January 2004. Known in the hip-hop world as a rapper with two albums, Booker also frequently appears on Last Call with Carson Daly, where he serves as the announcer and "Eater in Residence."

9. Erik "The Red" Denmark

Erik "The Red" Denmark, a 208-pound competitive eater from Seattle, holds the world record for consuming 4 pounds, 15 ounces of spot shrimp in 12 minutes, set in September 2006. He also set a record by eating 9.75 pieces of Native American fry bread in 8 minutes in October 2006.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen