So Long Denny's Burger, Rockford Chili Dogs, Pointersaurus

The competitive eater can take many forms: the professional, the amateur, the aspiring, the weekend warrior. While their goals and aspirations may vary, what they all have in common is a love of eating and a desire to test the limits of their bodies by doing what they love. Head-to-head competitions are one way to indulge their hungry side, but not all eaters can participate in all competitions, and often they look for other ways to keep their stomachs in competitive mode. The IFOCE restricts their eater to competing in officially-sanctioned contests only; outside of these, the next best thing an IFOCE eater could look forward to was a solid challenge offered by a local restaurant. An oversized hamburger. A twelve pound pizza. A dare to down as many malts as possible.

Unfortunately for those who loved this individual aspect of the sport, this week officially marks the end of an era. Earlier in the week, the IFOCE released an email to its members, banning their participation in restaurant challenges. Ostensibly, the ban is about upholding standards. The IFOCE has always taken a strict stance on safety measures. They disallow (to the extent possible) training at home, and are careful to adhere to standard safety guidelines for all their sanctioned competitions. Their website clearly states that they believe "speed eating is only suitable for those 18 years of age or older and only in a controlled environment with appropriate rules and with an emergency medical technician present." So, they may believe that by allowing eaters to participate in restaurant challenges where they have no say in safety measures, IFOCE concerns are undermined.

But of course, there's a bigger driving force at play here: money. The organization's concern is that restaurants offering these challenges cash in on free publicity when a top IFOCE eater comes in and slaughters a record (see Joey Chestnut and his recent conquering of the Heart Attack Grill's Quadruple Bypass Burger). Because the IFOCE has contracts with sponsors who are paying money for advertising at appearances and competitions, they want to make sure these sponsors don't feel like their exclusivity is in jeopardy or that they're paying for what others are seemingly getting for free. Eric "Steakbellie" Livingston, 39th ranked eater in the US and recent Wing Bowl participant, put it this way, "The IFOCE needs a certain amount of exclusivity (or rareness) for them to be able to sell their product (the events) to their customers (the Sponsors). If an Eater shows up at a restaurant challenge and creates his own Spectacle (especially in front of press), then no one is getting paid for what the IFOCE perceives as their product."

While on the surface, this ban shouldn't come as a surprise to eaters familiar with the organization's strict policies, it hit home with many eaters who looked forward to these challenges as a way to test their eating capabilities and wow local restaurant owners and fans. There's a long history of eaters with professional accomplishments or aspirations seeking out establishments that offer big challenges. Often the prize is little more than a name on a wall or getting the challenge item for free, but for the eaters it represents a different kind of personal accomplishment. There are certain ones, like Denny's Beer Barrel Pub's burger challenges, that have become legendary within the competitive eating community, acting as a rite of passage for newbies and also as a bit of a litmus test for how good a seasoned eater really is.

And while some of the challenges, like aiming for Rockford Corner Bar's Hot Dog Hall of fame (chili dog title held by Tim "Eater X" Janus) or demolishing the Sasquatch Challenge at Big Food Lodge (most recently killed by Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti), are solo attempts, many others, such as Pointer's and Schiappa's pizza challenges, rely on team efforts. Adding another layer to the challenge, eaters can then build "dream teams" amongst themselves to shatter records. Sometimes it's not just about the solo eater--it's about two freakin' great solo eaters putting a standing record to shame together.

As it often is in this sport, where the big motivation behind eating isn't always the money and the fame (and how could it be for those who don't regularly grace the top ten lists?), sometimes eaters just want an excuse to hang out with other people who share their love of the food. And for those who can't afford, with money and/or time, to attend all the competitions their hearts desire, local challenges have always been there to fill the void. Steakbellie puts it this way, "Eaters eat like climbers climb. Because it's there. A restaurant challenge represents almost everything they eat for in the purest form...to be able to say, 'I made it to the top.'"

The IFOCE seems to be concerned about new places offering challenges in order to grab the attention of their top competitive eaters and gain publicity for it, but some of the more famous challenges have been around for years. The Pointersaurus debuted in ten years ago, Denny's has been challenging large appetites since 1991, and the Rockford Corner Bar's Hot Dog Hall of Fame has been up since 1968.

The restaurants that offer these are often mom and pop operations that started their challenges as a fun way to attract customers. While disappointed about the ban, there doesn't seem to be any illusion that it's not about the bottom line. Jon Basso, founder of the Heart Attack Grill in Phoenix, which opened its doors a year ago and specializes in oversized challenge burgers, expressed a deep admiration for the professional eaters and seemed sorry they wouldn't be allowed to wolf down his challenges in an official capacity anymore. Basso claims he is willing to put down a prize of $10,000 for anyone who can beat Joey Chestnut's recent win, and said he spoke to the IFOCE about sponsoring a competition. The IFOCE declined to comment for this article, but allegedly Basso was temporarily turned down due to the organization's current ties with Krystal. Basso stated, "I think it's sad that these athletes are bound by an organization that only allows one hot dog place, one burger place, one burrito place."

Dennis "Denny" Liegey, owner of Denny's Beer Barrel Pub echoed this sentiment, saying "I'm sorry to hear about the IFOCE ban. We offer a great product with unique challenges. The problem, as in many things today, is money. We would gladly work with Mr. Shea of the IFOCE if the price was affordable. We however will continue to be a spring board for all competitive eaters as they prepare themselves for bigger things."

For an organization that has been criticized in the past for being too controlling with their eaters, is this most recent ban going a step too far? Some eaters are questioning the set boundaries as somewhat arbitrary and confusing. One eater, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "A 'restaurant challenge' -- in most cases -- is just a oversized menu item. As a ranked eater, if I go to a restaurant and see a three-pound burger on the menu, am I not allowed to order it? And where do you draw the line? If it were only a one-pound burger, would be okay for me to order it?" Steakbellie added, "What if I just show up at a restaurant and order a big meal? How big is too big? I can see their point, but lets not squeeze all of the fun out of this."

Most eaters understand and support the IFOCE's desire to cater to paying sponsors; after all, it is they who attract ESPN, create recurring competitions, and pay out the big prizes. However, some wonder if the organization's tight reigns aren't a bit shortsighted at times. Can publicity for a top-ranked eater completing a restaurant challenge ever be bad publicity? Steakbellie sees it this way, "I don't believe that [competing in restaurant challenges] dilutes the IFOCE brand in the same way that I expect they do. I think that an eater finishing something like Denny's Burger, does more to support 'The Legend' of the eater and makes them more marketable and of more interest to the public. Look at Kate Stelnick--she's done a single challenge and we all know her name. A boy seeing a plaque on the wall for the time Steakbellie ate the 50-pound pterodactyl burger, might just Google that event and become a fan." Dave "Mega Munch" Shoffner, an unranked eater who has competed in IFOCE events and regularly participates in casual competitions among friends and restaurant challenges, believes the IFOCE can benefit from having a top competitor win a challenge. "It's good publicity for the organization and the more publicity the IFOCE gets, the more fans they attract. The more fans they attract, the more sponsors they can sign."

From a restaurant owner's point of view, the money-making aspect of it is pretty cut-and-dry. Basso is offering the $10,000 dollars for the person who can beat Joey's time, he says, because he knows he'll see $11,000 in business as a result. His dream right now is to have Kobayashi, the world's #1 ranked eater, come in and claim that money. He says after Joey did the stunt, he had someone teach him the correct Japanese phrasing in the hopes that the Kobayashi would hear the challenge he broadcast over the television. "And if someone can beat Kobayashi's time, I'll give them $12,000," he said. Though for now, that challenge will have to be put on the shelf.

Will this open the doors for non-IFOCE affiliated eaters to dominate the restaurant challenge scene? Of course, the top-ranked eater competing in these challenges has always been the exception, not the rule. Those with big dreams and bigger stomachs will continue to face the burger behemoths and impossible pizzas, but the IFOCE may lose some of them among their lower ranks. "I believe the IFOCE will have some success with the eaters who are winning money at events," said Steakbellie, "and a harder time controlling eaters who are strictly 'The Faithful'."