Santimel

Eating competitions have long been a part of American culture. Traditionally, eating competitions were casual affairs, entertaining mainly for the factor of humor involved. They took place at county fairs, organization fundraisers, and the like, and consisted of amateur contestants competing to see who among them could excel within the rules of the contest.

This tradition has developed into a full-fledged sporting industry, enjoying special popularity in the United States and Japan. Professional competitive eaters, known within the sport as gurgitators, travel worldwide to participate in competitions.

Like the traditional pie- or watermelon-eating contests of bygone years, these competitions usually stress quantity, or speed, of consumption, or a combination of the two. Competitors may be given a very short amount of time to consume as much of a given food as possible, which focuses on the speed of their eating. Alternatively, they may be given a longer period of time; this places a greater focus on the total amount of food they are able to consume in one sitting.

The industry has become so marketable that competitors may be paid by sponsors, who fund their travel and training. One famous annual contest is The Wing Bowl, which takes place in Philadelphia; more than 20,000 spectators have been known to attend.