Jun 29, 2008

11 rivals vie to be top dog

Temecula resident triumphs at San Bruno hot dog eating contest

By Christine Morente / Bay Area News Group

Kevin Ross' strategy was to compete on an empty stomach.

He knows what he's doing.

Ross is a competitive eater who has gulped 21 dozen raw oysters in 8 minutes and eaten 5 1/2 pounds of blueberry pies with no hands in about 9 minutes.

Last week, the 26-year-old from Temecula ate 23 hot dogs with buns at another competition.

So it was clear to the other 10 competitive eaters that Ross, who weighs 180 pounds and stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, was the one to beat Saturday at the Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno.

Regardless, they all mentally prepared themselves to eat as many Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs with buns, or HDBs, in 10 minutes.

Behind the stage, an emergency medical technician was on standby.

Saturday's win at the Shops at Tanforan came with a chance to compete in the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y., a 91-year-old tradition.

Emcee Ryan Nerz, of Major League Eating, pumped up the large crowd of spectators.

"One of these contestants will have their gurgitating dreams come true!" he said. "At the 8-minute point, they hit the wall, much like the 20-mile marker of a marathon. So cheer them on!"

Onstage, Ross didn't look at his competitors. Focused, he shifted from one foot to the other, opened and closed his mouth to stretch, and gazed down at the plate of five Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs nestled in their untoasted buns. When prompted to eat, he broke a hot dog in half, rammed it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. Then he dunked the bun in water and crammed it into his mouth.

That went on as the clock ticked.

Ross finished 10 hot dogs and buns in 6 minutes.

"Watch that gag reflex," Nerz warned the competitors.

Four minutes left into the contest, Ross jammed another seven and three-quarters into his gob, making him the winner.

Roger Schlafly, of Santa Cruz, was second, with 11 hot dogs and buns.

Ross looked a little dazed but took away a trophy and a year's worth of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs.

He will soon leave for New York to compete against reigning champion Joey Chestnut, of San Jose, and other esteemed eaters, such as Takeru Kobayashi, who took second place last year.

The winner of that event will share a $20,000 purse with those who place second and third.

Ross said he expects to "catch a little bit of crap" from friends after finishing with a little more than 17 HDBs.

He said it wasn't his technique that slowed him down.

"There was something about the hot dogs," Ross said. "They were not going down right. They were overcooked. It was like trying to eat bricks to tell you the truth."

He doesn't expect to win on July 4, since he knows Chestnut downed 66 HDBs last year. Chestnut was expected to view the competition, but was stuck in traffic.

"I think I can do 25, which is still good," said Ross who normally doesn't eat meat. "I'm going for the fun."

Nevertheless, Ross found a new fan at the Shops at Tanforan.

"He just looked like he had it down to a science," said Fred Villce, of South San Francisco, who yelled encouragement. "But I didn't think he'd make it for a minute there. He was awesome though."

However, one person in the audience was more interested in the anthropological and historical aspect of competitive eating in the United States.

Adrienne Johnson, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, is writing her thesis on the phenomenon and will also attend the contest at Coney Island.

So far, her research has shown that eating contests could be used as a way to "unite people or establish group identity."

Meanwhile, Schlafly, a newcomer to competitive eating, was surprised at his capabilities. He doesn't anticipate eating another hot dog in the near future.

"I'm all the more impressed with the champs now," the 51-year-old said.