Twenty to 25 contestants, some of them the top-ranked competitive eaters in the world, will gather at Rockvale Outlets Saturday to compete for the title of world shoofly pie-eating champion.

The prize will go to the competitor who, in eight minutes, scarfs down the greatest amount of the Lancaster County treat.

"It's one of the most coveted awards in competitive eating," said Matt Rizzetta, spokesman for International Federation of Competitive Eating, the organization that supervises and regulates eating contests throughout the world, according to its Web site.

"There's a certain level of pride with this contest," he said. "The bar is raised for shoofly pie."

Tim "Eater X" Janus, a competitive eater ranked sixth in the world by IFOCE, will return to defend his title.

He'll face some hungry competition, including the inaugural year's runner-up, Brian Subich.

"I never go into a contest to lose," the 6-foot-6-inch, 320-pound Subich said Monday. "I'm coming to win first place."

Subich, who lives in Johnstown, compared competitive eating to football, a sport he coaches at Johnstown High School.

"In the fourth quarter when your legs get tired, your body's sore and you're beaten up, it has more to do with will," he said. "It's not as easy as people think. It's like any other sport -- you have to work at it."

Eating contests are difficult, he said, because competitors not only have to push themselves past fullness, they also have to consume large amounts of foods of the same flavors.

"A little bit of something tastes good," he said, "but when consuming that much, it can get a little nauseating."

This year, Subich will try a new pie-eating strategy, but he refused to reveal it.

"I don't want to give anybody an added advantage," he said.

Janus, on the other hand, who consumed 6 pounds of pie at the competition last year, said he's sticking with his original strategy.

"I just hope to go faster than last year," the 5-foot-10-inch, 170-pound day trader from New York City said.

Eating shoofly pie is tricky, Janus said, because its combination of ingredients creates a gooey texture that weighs heavily on the stomach.

But, he said, "I like food, I like flavor, and (eating competitions) combine all those interests. I can't get that kind of sanctioned competition anywhere else."

Janus has been featured on MTV's "True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater," and he was a guest on "The Late Show" with David Letterman.

"The nature of the sport is conducive to entertainment. People are enamored with the idea of competitive eating," Rizzetta said. "As a sport, people are starting to respect it."

What competitor will take the pie this year?

Rizzetta was hesitant to make any predictions.

With several recent surprising winners on the professional eating circuit, he said, "It's been an unpredictable year."

The competitions will begin Saturday at the Rockvale Outlets food court area with a shoofly pie bake-off at 11 a.m, amateur eating competition at noon and the professional eating competition at 12:30 p.m.

The winner in the professional division will take home $2,000 and a custom heavyweight title belt. The amateur champion will win a $250 Rockvale gift card and a trophy.

For more information about the contests, visit www.shooflypiecontest.com.

"I like food, I like flavor, and (eating competitions) combine all those interests."

Tim "Eater X" Janus

Reigning champ blog comments powered by Disqus