she's not really a rookie -- she's been around for a couple of years at least, i think. incidentally, the only competitive eater in the world that outranks sonya thomas is takeru kobayashi -- also a skinny asian kid. kinda makes me proud.
No, she's not any kind of rookie; she's a mainstay on the circuit. I'm curious, though. Clearly, skinny Asians are to competitive eating what East Africans are to long distance running. I understand the running thing - namely, a freakish predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers - but I can't for the life of me figure out why skinny Asians so completely kick fat Americans' asses at power eating. And oh but they do. It isn't even close. I watched the last Coney Island hotdog eating contest (yay, ESPN2!), and Sonya Thomas came in third - behind two skinny Asian boys.
For the East Africans, it's not just the freakish predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers, it's also the high altitudes they grow up and train in. Nature AND nurture.
You know, today may be the greatest day in unfogged history. First the drugs with the new "mystery" blogger, then sex with the same post and others, then Ogged breaks out into the Rock and Roll. Bob finishes the day off nice with some Gluttony. To make this day perfect, we need Unf to do nothing to confirm the Sloth.
There have been several articles written on what makes a champion competitive eater. Basically, the trick is to train your stomach to expand like a balloon. But extra flesh around the stomach inhibits the expansion; hence, skinny people have an advantage. To train, they eat high-volume, low-calorie foods like cabbage. Some Asian people may have an advantage only because competitive eating is more well-established in their countries. On the other hand, Sonya Thomas is an American, I believe. And she would have won the most recent Wing Bowl here in Philadelphia, if it had not been for some very dubious judging, and encountering a very hostile crowd. Filthadelphians threw full cups of beer at her as she entered the arena and one wit held up a sign that said, "Where's my massage, Sonya?"
There is a International Society for Competitive Eating website with lots of information on the, er, sport.
Oh my god, that pick of her with a "moutful"...that's a huge mouth!
Despite that, there's something sexy about a world championship eater.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 4:13 PM
Holy shit, she's a rookie! And doesn't train!
And just because the phrase needs to be on our blog, "world cannoli eating champ Badlands Booker."
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 5:05 PM
she's not really a rookie -- she's been around for a couple of years at least, i think. incidentally, the only competitive eater in the world that outranks sonya thomas is takeru kobayashi -- also a skinny asian kid. kinda makes me proud.
Posted by mina | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 5:28 PM
No, she's not any kind of rookie; she's a mainstay on the circuit. I'm curious, though. Clearly, skinny Asians are to competitive eating what East Africans are to long distance running. I understand the running thing - namely, a freakish predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers - but I can't for the life of me figure out why skinny Asians so completely kick fat Americans' asses at power eating. And oh but they do. It isn't even close. I watched the last Coney Island hotdog eating contest (yay, ESPN2!), and Sonya Thomas came in third - behind two skinny Asian boys.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 6:26 PM
It might be teh skinny thing, not the asian thing--no fat to hold the stomach back.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 6:27 PM
Yes, but skinny Americans are getting waxed by fat Americans in these competitions. No there's something else at play here...
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 6:29 PM
RACIST!
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 6:47 PM
Rhymes with facist.
So sue me.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 7:14 PM
Rhymes with facist
If that's the case, does facism mean: discrimination on the basis of physiognomy?
Posted by aj | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 7:47 PM
For the East Africans, it's not just the freakish predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers, it's also the high altitudes they grow up and train in. Nature AND nurture.
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 7:55 PM
You know, today may be the greatest day in unfogged history. First the drugs with the new "mystery" blogger, then sex with the same post and others, then Ogged breaks out into the Rock and Roll. Bob finishes the day off nice with some Gluttony. To make this day perfect, we need Unf to do nothing to confirm the Sloth.
Posted by niucons | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 8:05 PM
racist?
Ooh, ooh, I know the answer to this:
"Racy? W'ots wrong with being racy?"
Thanks, SomeCallMeTim
(http://www.unfogged.com/cgi-bin/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=2917#011351)
Posted by jbbuhs | Link to this comment | 02-14-05 8:12 PM
There have been several articles written on what makes a champion competitive eater. Basically, the trick is to train your stomach to expand like a balloon. But extra flesh around the stomach inhibits the expansion; hence, skinny people have an advantage. To train, they eat high-volume, low-calorie foods like cabbage. Some Asian people may have an advantage only because competitive eating is more well-established in their countries. On the other hand, Sonya Thomas is an American, I believe. And she would have won the most recent Wing Bowl here in Philadelphia, if it had not been for some very dubious judging, and encountering a very hostile crowd. Filthadelphians threw full cups of beer at her as she entered the arena and one wit held up a sign that said, "Where's my massage, Sonya?"
There is a International Society for Competitive Eating website with lots of information on the, er, sport.
Posted by Mithras | Link to this comment | 02-15-05 12:09 AM
I have been advised I am not getting into the spirit of the blog and should revise and extend my comments as follows:
Cock.
Posted by Mithras | Link to this comment | 02-15-05 1:29 PM
Cock.
More in the spirit, yes, but in a thread about competitive eating, well...
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-15-05 1:39 PM
should've been "weiner" or "beefstick," maybe "salami."
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 02-15-05 3:49 PM
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in....
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 02-15-05 3:51 PM