Cheap Dates: Watch as six contestants try to cram three half-pound hotdogs down their gullets
Each hot dog weighs a half pound. (Photo courtesy Bob’sBig Dawgs)
Photo courtesy Big Bob’s Dawgs.
Each hot dog weighs a half pound. (Photo courtesy Bob’sBig Dawgs)
Photo courtesy Big Bob’s Dawgs.
Thomaston is bringing out the big guns this July Fourth, and no, we’re not talking about fireworks. The annual Thomaston celebration was looking to offer more fun things to do after the parade this year and they decided, “Why Not, let’s put on a Hot Dog Eating Contest.”
Starting at 12:30 p.m. at the bandstand, six contestants will be able to chow down on Bob’s Big Dawgs (not to be confused with Bob’s Burgers.) According to coordinator Julie Russo, “These hot dogs are super large, like, seriously intimidatingly gigantic. Each one is a half pound. So, instead of requiring contestants to eat the most of them—which grosses us out—we’re only limiting the contest to how fast each contestant can eat three of them.”
You know this is a big deal (and the greatest Cheap Date evah!) when there’s actually a Wikipedia page dedicated to Competitive Eating and apparently, choking down hot dogs on July Fourth is about as American as Alka-Seltzer is to competitive eating.
Possible techniques in competitive eating include:
Chipmunking: in which eaters will attempt to put as much food in their mouths as possible during the final seconds of a contest.
-Or-
Dunking: Unless this contest adheres to "picnic style rules,” eaters are allowed to dunk foods in water or other liquids in order to soften the food and make it easier to chew and swallow.
According to the contest’s judge, Bob Stafford, owner of Bob’s Big Dawgs, “The winner must be first person to eat three of the ½ lb. hot dogs and bun. Empty mouth and hands in the air are how you show that you're ready for inspection.”
And yes, you know you’re going to ask it, so I’ll ask it for you.
“Do you anticipate any spontaneous vomiting?”
“It’s entirely possible,” said Russo. “I would vomit if I were in this contest. I don’t think we’re going to attract the professionals to our first one,” she said.
Unfortunately if any vomming happens, it’s known as a “Reversal” in the Competitive Eating parlance and that’s an index finger drawn across the neck as far as the judges go.
But luckily, this contest is limited to three big dogs. The weiner winner will receive $25 in cash, a medallion and a certificate for their first-ever contest.
There’s still room to enter this free contest, so call Julie at (207) 691-2971 to sign up.
To see what else is going on for the Fourth of July weekend, check out our latest underCURRENT column.
Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
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