Local man eats 41 slices of pumpkin pie in 10 minutes
‘It’s about pushing boundaries,’ he says of feat that would leave lesser men pie-eyed
Hamilton’s Joel Hansen squashed the competition at what’s billed as the world pumpkin pie eating contest in Clarence, N.Y.
The 24-year-old local man ate 41 pieces of pie in 10 minutes Saturday to come second to Molly Schuyler of California who guzzled 50.
As an added twist, the competitors couldn’t touch the pie, only the plate, at the annual competition at the Great Pumpkin Farm that pays out $1,000 (U.S.) or $1,500 if it’s a record. Second place nets $500 which is just over $660 (Canadian).
“I like pumpkin pie, although, I enjoyed it a lot more prior to eating 41 slices,” Hansen said Sunday.
It’s a bonus for Hansen to get to scarf down fare he enjoys. The food-challenge hobbyist was often confronted with dishes he ill-favours at the 15 competitions he’s done over one year.
“I eat things I dislike all the time,” he said. “I’ve done quite a few that contain cheese and that is probably the one food I generally dislike.”
But the competitions aren’t really about the joy of eating, says Hansen.
“It’s like a marathon,” he said. “It’s the feat of the task and the physical exertion. It’s about pushing boundaries.”
His advice to those wanting to follow in his footsteps is, “Don’t do it.”
“I’d never encourage anyone to take up such a hobby,” said Hansen.
He started about two years ago with restaurant food challenges.
“I always enjoyed eating a lot,” he said. “I was one of those kids who would see a restaurant food challenge and say, ‘I bet I can do that.’ ”
His first challenge was eating a fivepound burger and fries in 40 minutes.
“I felt so horrible,” he said. “I was fighting not throwing up. But somehow I was able to finish it. About two hours later when I was in a lot of pain and discomfort I said, ‘I’m going to do that again.’ ”
He’s learned, like any sport, you have to to train to be the best.
“If you want to get good at eating, you have to eat,” he said. “You definitely have to get used to eating big portions and you have to learn about effective swallowing.”
His first competition was about a year ago in Halifax where he devoured two extra-large pizzas in 10 minutes to win.
He did the pumpkin pie eating contest last year too, but came in fifth after gobbling only 24 slices, leaving him hungry for the winner’s circle.
“It’s one of the bigger eating contests in this general area,” he said. “It’s always pretty exciting. I wasn’t anticipating second, so that was a surprise.”