Hot Dog Eating Contest Finalist Crazy Legs Conti: The Interview!
Never before has so much drama and mystery surrounded the Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating contest...
American Joey Chestnut destroyed the hot dog eating world record during a qualifying event in May, consuming 59-1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes. (That's right ? nearly 5 hot dogs a minute.) This eclipsed the previous record of 53-3/4 hot dogs held by Japanese chomper and six-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest winner Takeru Kobayashi. It also marked the first time in over ten years that the record was held by an American (1996 - Ed "The Animal" Kratchie).
This, of course, sets up the ultimate Coney Island showdown. The reigning champ vs. the world-recorder holder. Japan vs. the United States. East vs. West. Thin vs. Could-Stand-To-Lose-A-Few-Pounds.
But not so fast.
Last week, Kobayashi mysteriously came down with a jaw ailment. Desperate to defend his title against the new world record holder, Kobayashi is said to be working with a doctor and chiropractor to heal in time for Wednesday's big event.
To get a proper perspective on just how much is at stake during this year's July 4th hot dog contest, I turned to a man who will be competing on Wednesday for the sixth time ? professional competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti.
Crazy Legs, could this year's competition be the most anticipated professional eating contest - ever?
Crazy Legs: The July 4th contest is going to be one for the ages. I am going on record as saying that this July 4th will be the most important one in history. I think it's going to outrank 1776. Not only because Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, an American, holds the world title right now, but because Kobayashi is going for a Lance Armstrong like 7th title. (Of course, compared to Koby, Armstrong is just riding his bike around the block.)
Speaking of the reigning champ, I need to ask you about what some people, perhaps only me, are calling Jawgate. Will Kobayashi heal in time to compete on Wednesday?
Crazy Legs: Obviously, right now a lot is being made of Kobayashi's sore jaw. He is the greatest athlete in the history of sport and injured or not, he will be in prime form at high noon on the fourth. I don't care if his jaw is in a sling; he is going to be hard to beat.
Magic Johnson has often said that competing against Larry Bird brought out the best in both of them. Is this true in professional eating, as well? Does Kobayashi bring out the best in Chestnut and vice versa?
Crazy Legs: Most people incorrectly assume this is a Japan vs. The United States scenario. Kobayashi has always hoped that American eaters would improve to his level. I personally told Kobayashi last year on July 2nd that Joey had eaten fifty hdbs in his qualifier. Kobayashi had no idea, but responded with one word, "Segoi" which means "Wow". Besides Joey, Kobayashi was the most excited about Joey's progress. As for Joey, if you watch the last two minutes of the 2006 Krystal Square Off, it is physical poetry in motion. Slider hamburgers are tasty but eating 91 in eight minutes is preposterous. Joey thought he had it won, and Kobayahi ate 97. The bunnette with the flip cards was in panic because her counter was only double digits. This year for the Krystal square off, they will need a scoreboard with triple digits.
Now that Joey Chestnut holds the world record, will competing head-to-head with reigning champ Kobayashi change his eating strategy? Will Chestnut feel added pressure on July 4th that he didn't feel during his qualifying match when he beat the world record?
Crazy Legs: Noted Pro-Eating historian, archivist, and head judge Gersh Kuntzman feels that the only reason Joey beat the record was due to the air-conditioning in the Arizona Mall. I don't deny that humidity affects the casing and chewiness of the dogs and that high noon on the 4th will be a sweltering pit of meat, fans, groupies, and stomach pressure, but Joey is the working man's hero. He might as well wear a hard hat to Coney.
Do you think Joey Chestnut has it in him to eclipse the 60 hot dog mark? And what would that mean to the sport of professional eating?
Crazy Legs: Don't be fooled by all the hype. This is not just the Joey/Koby show. Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti will become the third person in history to break the fifty hdb barrier and Tim "Eater X" Janus will likely eat 45. I could see Chipburger Simpson and Sonya "The Black Widow" chewing their way to forty as well. I use to have to worry about getting lapped by the top gurgiators, now I worry about getting tripled. I am focusing on out eating 7-foot-6 Indian giant, P. Theyargan, the reknown tika-masala-eating champion of the world. I think the table is going to be too low for him to reach the dogs.
How about you? You qualified this year by traveling to and competing in Minnesota, correct?
Crazy Legs: Yes, I qualified this year in Minnesota for my sixth visit to the final table at Coney Island (World Hot Dog Eating Championships, July 4th ESPN, high noon) by eating my personal best 24 hot dogs and buns in twelve minutes. It was a roller coaster of emotion at the Mall of America; followed by an actual roller coaster ride. I chose not to ride the one that spins around based on my stomach assessment and the large group of school children on the log plume below.
So having eaten a personal best heading into this competition, how do you feel you'll do on Wednesday? Going for the quarter-of-a-century mark?
Crazy Legs: There was more than just stomach pressure to make it to Coney Island this year. The documentary, Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating is finally available on DVD. It can be ordered online now and will be in stores July 24th.
Yeah, let's take a step back - your documentary initially opened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Mighty impressive. What was that experience like?
Crazy Legs: To celebrate the release of the film at the Tribeca Film Festival, I ate my way out of an 8-foot box of popcorn called the "Popcorn Sarcophagus". I was literally buried under an avalanche of popcorn and had to eat my way out to survive. It earned me the moniker the "Houdini of Cusini" I'm positive David Blaine would have gagged on all that butter and failed.
The great news this hot dog season is that the film is available on DVD and its stuffed with extras including the Popcorn Sarcophagus, other contests, and commentaries in Taste-O-Vision. We've got Kristy and Maria, my two favorite Coyote Ugly bartenders, in hot dog halter tops and burger bikinis who, ahem, dunk their buns. And I am naked behind a mountain of food I've consumed competitively over my career... so something for all preferences. Check out more at www.crazylegsconti.com
You're a big fan of Kobayashi. In one of the more touching scenes in your documentary, you and Takeru have breakfast together. A day after competing against each other, no less. What impresses you the most about him?
Crazy Legs: That was the first time that I casual dined with him. We went for breakfast and I figured studying him would be like watching Einstein do his math homework. I ordered the left side of the menu, he ordered a bagel. He is a true master. I have since been fortunate to dine with him several times. I visited him in Nagoya, Japan for four days and we ate Fugu, the deadly blowfish. Obviously we lived to eat another day. What impresses me the most is that he is a humble consummate pro ? he treats Food Fighting solely as a sport and will not sell out to anything that doesn't give competitive eating the athletic respect it deserves. I however, have enjoyed the tangential benefits of being a gustatory gladiator (459 oysters on Letterman, hot sauce on Emeril, cannolis on the Sopranos). Rich Shea of the IFOCE, has correctly pointed out that my celebrity has surpassed my capacity. The trappings of fame are not the same as the allure of busting the buffet. Kobayashi will keep eating until this is an Olympic sport. One other thing that not too many people know is that Kobayashi is a lover of small animals. I can see him becoming a veterinarian after he hangs up the esophagus.
As a guy who's been part of this competition for six years as a competitor - and many more as a fan - you must indulge me... Nathan's Famous claims 30,000 fans showed up to last year's competition. I attended the competition ten years ago, and I counted maybe 250 people in attendance. And it felt PACKED. Has this competition really grown that big in a decade, and where does everyone stand?
Crazy Legs: Everyone sweats it out on the corner of Stillwell and Surf. The stage was elevated last year, George Shea was on a twenty foot riser, but its still hard to see all the action. Those hot dogs look pretty small in a crowd of thirty thousand, but they expand in one's lower intestines. ESPN looked into jumbotrons, but its just too bright. Regardless, its one of those Woodstock like events, where years from now everyone will claim that they were there. Pro-eating has left the sideshow and entered the cusp of the mainstream. ESPN and Spike TV have revolutionized the way fans get to see the action. Corporate sponsorship has done its part. Even technology too. Did you know during the Krystal Square off, fans can get qualifying totals sent to their mobile phones. With webcams and instant stats, fans can follow every bite. Still, there is nothing like actually being at the event. Or the after party, which this year is at Ruby's on the Boardwalk. Join me for a digestive beer, or twelve.
At what point does Ticketmaster get involved and one has to pay to get in to see this amazing event?
Crazy Legs: Major League Eating is the universal sport. Everyone eats, just not at the professional level. It will always be free, because the IFOCE recognizes that this years fans are tomorrow's top gurgitators. If you can afford lunch, you can start training as a pro-eater. Also for free are all the bunnette videos at www.majorleagueeating.com. I spend a lot of time studying those looking for the next beautiful card flipper.
I think the perception by many is that once a year there's this hot dog eating competition on July 4th, and then those competing go home and don't eat hot dogs until next year. Not only is that not true, but you and your colleagues compete in eating competitions year-round. What other contests have you been involved in recently?
Crazy Legs: Well, the weekend after I qualified for the July 4th Hot Dog Eating competition, I spent that Sunday "saving room for dessert" and ate 9 1/4 pounds of Strawberry Shortcake at the world championships on Long Island, good enough for third place. And I am just back from the World Pig Feet eating championship where I also placed third in a very tough discipline (crutches do not befit pigs).
World Pig Feet eating championship? What proud city hosts that event?
Crazy Legs: Where else, but New Jersey. It was held at the state fair at the Meadowlands because I believe the venue was once a pig farm. Arturo "Grande" Rios came away the victor because I believe he wisely focused on the soft cartilage, while I was gnawing on the chewy fat. We followed a Sparkle Motion like dance squad and then the fair held a "Pretty baby contest" right after the eatfest. That stage was covered in glitter, pig fat, and dirty diapers. I don't know who the Meadowlands janitor is, but give that guy a medal and a raise.
What's on tap for you after the Coney Island hot dog competition?
Crazy Legs: Let's see - we have a couple great events that you may be interested in. On July 24th we have the DVD release in New York. And we will screen some scenes in Taste-O-Vision, where what you see me eat on screen, the audience gets to eat - color coded jelly beans for hot dog, oyster, butter, etc.
Then on July 28th, I will be flying to Brownsville, Oregon for the outdoor screening of "Stand by Me" (by the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Picture Roadshow) with the first ever hands-free blueberry pie eating championship. Corey Feldman will be the head judge.
Now you're talking! That's actually very cool ? Stand By Me was a great film, blueberry is a terrific pie, and Corey Feldman is a national treasure.
Crazy Legs: Feldman is a genius, not only musically and cinematically, he knows his competitive eating. I met him on July 1st, 2005 just after his debut in the off-off Broadway play, "Fatal Attraction: A Love Story". He and his wife had just had a son named, "Zen". I had just birthed the documentary with the same name. We got along very well. He told me I should stand up straighter while eating hot dogs and let gravity do its work; perhaps even wearing suspenders. The next day at Shea stadium, wearing a pair of his discarded costume suspenders from the show, I ate my first deuce (twenty hdbs in twelve minutes) and went on to qualify for that year's finals. Feldman is my hero. Don't think I won't be asking him for some hands-free blueberry pie advice. Look out barforama... it's Zwinky Time!
American Joey Chestnut destroyed the hot dog eating world record during a qualifying event in May, consuming 59-1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes. (That's right ? nearly 5 hot dogs a minute.) This eclipsed the previous record of 53-3/4 hot dogs held by Japanese chomper and six-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest winner Takeru Kobayashi. It also marked the first time in over ten years that the record was held by an American (1996 - Ed "The Animal" Kratchie).
This, of course, sets up the ultimate Coney Island showdown. The reigning champ vs. the world-recorder holder. Japan vs. the United States. East vs. West. Thin vs. Could-Stand-To-Lose-A-Few-Pounds.
But not so fast.
Last week, Kobayashi mysteriously came down with a jaw ailment. Desperate to defend his title against the new world record holder, Kobayashi is said to be working with a doctor and chiropractor to heal in time for Wednesday's big event.
To get a proper perspective on just how much is at stake during this year's July 4th hot dog contest, I turned to a man who will be competing on Wednesday for the sixth time ? professional competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti.
Crazy Legs, could this year's competition be the most anticipated professional eating contest - ever?
Crazy Legs: The July 4th contest is going to be one for the ages. I am going on record as saying that this July 4th will be the most important one in history. I think it's going to outrank 1776. Not only because Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, an American, holds the world title right now, but because Kobayashi is going for a Lance Armstrong like 7th title. (Of course, compared to Koby, Armstrong is just riding his bike around the block.)
Speaking of the reigning champ, I need to ask you about what some people, perhaps only me, are calling Jawgate. Will Kobayashi heal in time to compete on Wednesday?
Crazy Legs: Obviously, right now a lot is being made of Kobayashi's sore jaw. He is the greatest athlete in the history of sport and injured or not, he will be in prime form at high noon on the fourth. I don't care if his jaw is in a sling; he is going to be hard to beat.
Magic Johnson has often said that competing against Larry Bird brought out the best in both of them. Is this true in professional eating, as well? Does Kobayashi bring out the best in Chestnut and vice versa?
Crazy Legs: Most people incorrectly assume this is a Japan vs. The United States scenario. Kobayashi has always hoped that American eaters would improve to his level. I personally told Kobayashi last year on July 2nd that Joey had eaten fifty hdbs in his qualifier. Kobayashi had no idea, but responded with one word, "Segoi" which means "Wow". Besides Joey, Kobayashi was the most excited about Joey's progress. As for Joey, if you watch the last two minutes of the 2006 Krystal Square Off, it is physical poetry in motion. Slider hamburgers are tasty but eating 91 in eight minutes is preposterous. Joey thought he had it won, and Kobayahi ate 97. The bunnette with the flip cards was in panic because her counter was only double digits. This year for the Krystal square off, they will need a scoreboard with triple digits.
Now that Joey Chestnut holds the world record, will competing head-to-head with reigning champ Kobayashi change his eating strategy? Will Chestnut feel added pressure on July 4th that he didn't feel during his qualifying match when he beat the world record?
Crazy Legs: Noted Pro-Eating historian, archivist, and head judge Gersh Kuntzman feels that the only reason Joey beat the record was due to the air-conditioning in the Arizona Mall. I don't deny that humidity affects the casing and chewiness of the dogs and that high noon on the 4th will be a sweltering pit of meat, fans, groupies, and stomach pressure, but Joey is the working man's hero. He might as well wear a hard hat to Coney.
Do you think Joey Chestnut has it in him to eclipse the 60 hot dog mark? And what would that mean to the sport of professional eating?
Crazy Legs: Don't be fooled by all the hype. This is not just the Joey/Koby show. Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti will become the third person in history to break the fifty hdb barrier and Tim "Eater X" Janus will likely eat 45. I could see Chipburger Simpson and Sonya "The Black Widow" chewing their way to forty as well. I use to have to worry about getting lapped by the top gurgiators, now I worry about getting tripled. I am focusing on out eating 7-foot-6 Indian giant, P. Theyargan, the reknown tika-masala-eating champion of the world. I think the table is going to be too low for him to reach the dogs.
How about you? You qualified this year by traveling to and competing in Minnesota, correct?
Crazy Legs: Yes, I qualified this year in Minnesota for my sixth visit to the final table at Coney Island (World Hot Dog Eating Championships, July 4th ESPN, high noon) by eating my personal best 24 hot dogs and buns in twelve minutes. It was a roller coaster of emotion at the Mall of America; followed by an actual roller coaster ride. I chose not to ride the one that spins around based on my stomach assessment and the large group of school children on the log plume below.
So having eaten a personal best heading into this competition, how do you feel you'll do on Wednesday? Going for the quarter-of-a-century mark?
Crazy Legs: There was more than just stomach pressure to make it to Coney Island this year. The documentary, Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating is finally available on DVD. It can be ordered online now and will be in stores July 24th.
Yeah, let's take a step back - your documentary initially opened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Mighty impressive. What was that experience like?
Crazy Legs: To celebrate the release of the film at the Tribeca Film Festival, I ate my way out of an 8-foot box of popcorn called the "Popcorn Sarcophagus". I was literally buried under an avalanche of popcorn and had to eat my way out to survive. It earned me the moniker the "Houdini of Cusini" I'm positive David Blaine would have gagged on all that butter and failed.
The great news this hot dog season is that the film is available on DVD and its stuffed with extras including the Popcorn Sarcophagus, other contests, and commentaries in Taste-O-Vision. We've got Kristy and Maria, my two favorite Coyote Ugly bartenders, in hot dog halter tops and burger bikinis who, ahem, dunk their buns. And I am naked behind a mountain of food I've consumed competitively over my career... so something for all preferences. Check out more at www.crazylegsconti.com
You're a big fan of Kobayashi. In one of the more touching scenes in your documentary, you and Takeru have breakfast together. A day after competing against each other, no less. What impresses you the most about him?
Crazy Legs: That was the first time that I casual dined with him. We went for breakfast and I figured studying him would be like watching Einstein do his math homework. I ordered the left side of the menu, he ordered a bagel. He is a true master. I have since been fortunate to dine with him several times. I visited him in Nagoya, Japan for four days and we ate Fugu, the deadly blowfish. Obviously we lived to eat another day. What impresses me the most is that he is a humble consummate pro ? he treats Food Fighting solely as a sport and will not sell out to anything that doesn't give competitive eating the athletic respect it deserves. I however, have enjoyed the tangential benefits of being a gustatory gladiator (459 oysters on Letterman, hot sauce on Emeril, cannolis on the Sopranos). Rich Shea of the IFOCE, has correctly pointed out that my celebrity has surpassed my capacity. The trappings of fame are not the same as the allure of busting the buffet. Kobayashi will keep eating until this is an Olympic sport. One other thing that not too many people know is that Kobayashi is a lover of small animals. I can see him becoming a veterinarian after he hangs up the esophagus.
As a guy who's been part of this competition for six years as a competitor - and many more as a fan - you must indulge me... Nathan's Famous claims 30,000 fans showed up to last year's competition. I attended the competition ten years ago, and I counted maybe 250 people in attendance. And it felt PACKED. Has this competition really grown that big in a decade, and where does everyone stand?
Crazy Legs: Everyone sweats it out on the corner of Stillwell and Surf. The stage was elevated last year, George Shea was on a twenty foot riser, but its still hard to see all the action. Those hot dogs look pretty small in a crowd of thirty thousand, but they expand in one's lower intestines. ESPN looked into jumbotrons, but its just too bright. Regardless, its one of those Woodstock like events, where years from now everyone will claim that they were there. Pro-eating has left the sideshow and entered the cusp of the mainstream. ESPN and Spike TV have revolutionized the way fans get to see the action. Corporate sponsorship has done its part. Even technology too. Did you know during the Krystal Square off, fans can get qualifying totals sent to their mobile phones. With webcams and instant stats, fans can follow every bite. Still, there is nothing like actually being at the event. Or the after party, which this year is at Ruby's on the Boardwalk. Join me for a digestive beer, or twelve.
At what point does Ticketmaster get involved and one has to pay to get in to see this amazing event?
Crazy Legs: Major League Eating is the universal sport. Everyone eats, just not at the professional level. It will always be free, because the IFOCE recognizes that this years fans are tomorrow's top gurgitators. If you can afford lunch, you can start training as a pro-eater. Also for free are all the bunnette videos at www.majorleagueeating.com. I spend a lot of time studying those looking for the next beautiful card flipper.
I think the perception by many is that once a year there's this hot dog eating competition on July 4th, and then those competing go home and don't eat hot dogs until next year. Not only is that not true, but you and your colleagues compete in eating competitions year-round. What other contests have you been involved in recently?
Crazy Legs: Well, the weekend after I qualified for the July 4th Hot Dog Eating competition, I spent that Sunday "saving room for dessert" and ate 9 1/4 pounds of Strawberry Shortcake at the world championships on Long Island, good enough for third place. And I am just back from the World Pig Feet eating championship where I also placed third in a very tough discipline (crutches do not befit pigs).
World Pig Feet eating championship? What proud city hosts that event?
Crazy Legs: Where else, but New Jersey. It was held at the state fair at the Meadowlands because I believe the venue was once a pig farm. Arturo "Grande" Rios came away the victor because I believe he wisely focused on the soft cartilage, while I was gnawing on the chewy fat. We followed a Sparkle Motion like dance squad and then the fair held a "Pretty baby contest" right after the eatfest. That stage was covered in glitter, pig fat, and dirty diapers. I don't know who the Meadowlands janitor is, but give that guy a medal and a raise.
What's on tap for you after the Coney Island hot dog competition?
Crazy Legs: Let's see - we have a couple great events that you may be interested in. On July 24th we have the DVD release in New York. And we will screen some scenes in Taste-O-Vision, where what you see me eat on screen, the audience gets to eat - color coded jelly beans for hot dog, oyster, butter, etc.
Then on July 28th, I will be flying to Brownsville, Oregon for the outdoor screening of "Stand by Me" (by the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Picture Roadshow) with the first ever hands-free blueberry pie eating championship. Corey Feldman will be the head judge.
Now you're talking! That's actually very cool ? Stand By Me was a great film, blueberry is a terrific pie, and Corey Feldman is a national treasure.
Crazy Legs: Feldman is a genius, not only musically and cinematically, he knows his competitive eating. I met him on July 1st, 2005 just after his debut in the off-off Broadway play, "Fatal Attraction: A Love Story". He and his wife had just had a son named, "Zen". I had just birthed the documentary with the same name. We got along very well. He told me I should stand up straighter while eating hot dogs and let gravity do its work; perhaps even wearing suspenders. The next day at Shea stadium, wearing a pair of his discarded costume suspenders from the show, I ate my first deuce (twenty hdbs in twelve minutes) and went on to qualify for that year's finals. Feldman is my hero. Don't think I won't be asking him for some hands-free blueberry pie advice. Look out barforama... it's Zwinky Time!
Editor's Note: If you've reached this message, you're either a huge Crazy Legs fan, were highly entertained by this interview, or are at work and are desperate to read most anything. So here are two more interesting facts...
1) In the photo above featuring Crazy Legs wearing a helmet with a handful of hot dogs stuck in his mouth, the helmet has the name "Boone McQueen" taped on it. Here's why.
2) In the photo of Corey Feldman above, Mr. Feldman is signing a VHS copy of Goonies for Crazy Legs. Under that copy of Goonies, Corey is holding the only VHS copy ever made of Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating.
