Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to eat large quantities of food, usually in a short time period. Contests are typically eight to ten minutes long, although some competitions can last up to thirty minutes, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner. Competitive eating is most popular in the United States, Canada, and Japan, where organized professional eating contests often offer prizes, including cash.
Sonya Thomas and Tim Janus at the 2005 Midway Slots Crabcake Eating Competition
Nicholas Wood, 1630
Pie-eating contest at the Jefferson School in Washington, D.C., August 2, 1923
Joey Chestnut after his victory at the 2010 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island
Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a British reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, the book was co-founded by twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter in Fleet Street, London, in August 1955.
Norris McWhirter co-founded the book with his twin brother Ross at 107 Fleet Street, London, in August 1955.
Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi with two Guinness World Record certificates
The North Beach (Nazaré, Portugal), listed on the Guinness World Records for the biggest waves ever surfed
Lucky Diamond Rich is "the world's most tattooed person", and has tattoos covering his entire body. He holds the Guinness World Records title as of 2006[update].
