City of Lewisville Top-ranked eaters enter field for World Tamale Eating Championship Page style not found: User Content Style Email; 88846BAA8D6CB2D086257380006992C7 - Page cannot be rendered

Top-ranked eaters enter field for World Tamale Eating Championship
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Some of the top-ranked competitive speed-eaters in the world have joined the field for the fourth annual World Tamale Eating Championship to be held Saturday, Sept. 27, in Old Town Lewisville.

The event, organized by the Lewisville Convention and Visitors Bureau and officially sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), is being held in conjunction with the popular Western Day festival.

Last year’s competition was won by Tim “Eater X” Janus of New York, who downed 71 tamales in 12 minutes to capture the title, beating LeFevre by 20 tamales and shattering the world record. Janus and LeFevre also were one-two in the 2006 event. Janus and LeFevre will miss this year’s event, leaving the title chase open for new competitors.

Heading the field are Eric “the Red” Denmark of Seattle, ranked 12th by IFOCE’s Major League Eating, and Tim “Gravy” Brown of Chicago, ranked 13th.

Other ranked eaters confirmed for the Lewisville event are Kevin Ross (#29) of Temecula, Calif.; Nate Biller (#30) of Briarwood, NY; Bill Myers (#31) of Breinigsville, Penn.; rookie Patrick Vandam (#45) of Eagan, Minn.; and Damon Serignet (#46) of Baton Rouge, La. David Cagle of Houston, ranked 50th, is the top-rated Texan in the field.

[Note: Profiles of the ranked eaters are included below.]

The top six finishers in the Sept. 27 event in Lewisville will share $3,500 in prize money, with $1,500 going to the champion and $1,000 to the runner-up.

The inaugural World Tamale Eating Championship was held during the Bassmaster Elite 50 Country Fair at Lewisville Lake in June 2005 and was won by Oliver, who established a world record by eating 36 tamales in 10 minutes, 30 seconds. That record was beaten in May of the following year in Houston by Chip “Burger” Simpson of Pennsylvania before being broken by Janus in Lewisville in 2006 and again in 2007.

The IFOCE is the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducting more than 70 events annually including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community, which numbers more than 3,000 veteran and rookie athletes, travels the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide.

The contest will start at 1 p.m. on the front steps of City Hall. Dallas Tortilla & Tamale Factory in Lewisville is donating the tamales for contest. For Western Day festival information, please visit www.cityoflewisville.com.

2008 World Tamale Eating Championship – confirmed entrants


Media Contacts
Eater Profiles (courtesy of Major League Eating and EatFeats.com)

Erik “the Red” Denmark, Seattle, Wash.

Erik the Red has competed in chicken wings, corned beef and cabbages, Nathan’s hot dog, and is known for have a tolerance for hot and spicy fare including jalapeno papers, huevos rancheros and buffalo wings. He notched his first title at the 2006 Sky City World Fry Bread Championship. Erik has 12 top-10 finished in 2008.

Tim “Gravy” Brown, Chicago, Ill..

Gravy Brown won the Buffalo Wild Wings Potato Wedges event during Spike TV’s MLE Chowdown in October 2007. He downed 33 hot dogs with buns earlier this year at a qualifier in Arizona to earn a spot in the Nathan’s Famous July 4th International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Tim has seven top-10 finishes in 2008.

“Double-O” Kevin Ross, Temecula, Calif.

Double-O has four top-five finishes during 2008, and placed 21st in the Nathan’s Famous July 4th International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Other top outings this year have been in oysters and dumplings.

“Nasty” Nate Biller, Briarwood, NY.

A native of Wichita Falls (where he dominated the annual Beanie Burger competition), Biller is a repeat competitor in the World Tamale Eating Championship and holds two of the six all-time top tamale totals by a Texan in sanctioned events. He has 16 top-seven finishes during 2008 and was 18th in the Nathan’s Famous July 4th International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

“Wild” Bill Myers, Breinigsville, Penn.

Wild Bill has 14 top-12 finishes this year, including such events as burritos, burgers, hot dogs, cannoli and strawberry shortcake.

Patrick “Wam-Bam” Vandam, Eagan, Minn.

An exciting rookie with tremendous potential in the Major League Eating ranks, he was a finalist for 2008 Rookie of the Year. His 31 Nathan’s hot dogs in one sitting put him just one slot away from qualifying for the televised finals.

Demon Serignet, Baton Rouge, La.

Damon has posted three top-five finishes since June, including fifth place earlier this month in the World Grits Eating Championship at Louisiana Downs.

David “SyKoBOZO” Cagle, Houston, Texas

David has four top-10 finishes during 2008, including first place at the Raw Oyster Eating Contest in March when he ate 181 oysters in five minutes.

Nic “The Incredible Bulk” Fry, Great Bend, Kan.

Nic has two top-ten finishes during 2008, placing third at a Nathan’s qualifier in May and seventh in pork sandwiches at the World BBQ Eating Championship in Tulsa.

Frank “the Kaiser” Wach, Chicago, Ill.

Also known as “Fraggle Wach,” this web developer from Chicago recently ate 17 2-ounce meatballs in seven minutes during an event in Illinois. His best Major League Eating finish has been second twice.

Brent Ricord, Keller, Texas

Another top Texan in the field, Brent won last year’s World Corny Dog Eating Championship at the Texas State Fair and was second in the event in 2006. This year’s corny dog competition will be held Sunday, the day after Lewisville’s tamale event.