"There's nothing like putting yourself through a lot of pain for no reason."
Truer words were never spoken - especially not if you're an amateur about to enter a Jalapeño-eating contest sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive eating, pitting yourself against professional gurgitators. The contest was held on Sunday at the State Fair of Texas and included 6 amateurs against pros Rich LeFevre, Sonya Thomas, Pat Bertoletti and Erik Denmark. Jalapeños are a particularly difficult food to eat because, although they are small, they can be quite painful. Some eaters reported a loss of feeling in their faces and a general dizziness, in addition to sickness, after the competition was over. The pros used some tricks that they picked up on the circuit, including drinking Pepto Bismol before the competition and using milk, rather than water, to dull the burn of the peppers' oils. Unsurprisingly, the well-prepared pros came out on top:
- First place: Rich "The Locust" LeFevre, 247 jalapeños
- Second: Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, 239
- Third: Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, 226
For comparison, the amateurs seemed to average around 50 or so.
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