It’s no secret that competitive eating can be a dangerous addiction. With obesity, diabetes, and heart disease at an all-time high in America, leading healthier lives is more important than ever. But what about those who want to indulge their competitive appetites? Is it possible to eat foods like french fries while avoiding the overindulgence typically associated with such contests?
You bet! Fans have created an alternative contest called the king of the wing (KOOW) competition. These events are designed for anyone looking for a safe way to engage in some healthy eating competition without being concerned about weight gain or getting sick from your food.
In his book The Complete Book of Competitive Eating, charles kim alpine recommends that contestants try to munch on lower-calorie, higher-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy weight. While most food competitions are held in restaurants or bars where the atmosphere is more about fun than health and safety, the king of the wing competition is different. It does not encourage contestants to gorge themselves or eat unnecessarily large portions; instead, it focuses on strategy and skill and eating healthy.
The Contestants
King of the wing competitions is typically organized by restaurants or bars that want to promote their establishment with an exciting event that brings crowds in. The competitors are usually residents with a passion for competitive eating and the food item offered. They will come from different demographics and body types, but you can be sure they all enjoy good food.
When organized by restaurants, the rules of these events will be determined by the establishment and may change yearly to make them more attractive. One example is a wing-eating competition at an Italian restaurant where competitors could only use one hand on their fork. It’s similar to what’s done in boxing matches where boxers can use only one glove, setting up a strategy for the fighters just as “wing boxing” did for the contestants.
The Wing Judges
In a typical competition, three judges will be trained to monitor the competitors’ health and well-being. They are typically doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals and help determine the top ten eaters. The judges are trained to look out for contestants with bulging veins, bluish extremities (a sign of insufficient oxygen in their bodies), or sudden cramps.
They’ll keep track of things like if a contestant is chewing their food properly before swallowing it and if they are taking too big of bites and closing their throat during each swallow. The king of the wing competition has similar checks and balances in place to cut down on any health problems a competitor may have.
The Contestants and Teams
A typical king of the wing competition will have contestants eating up to 25 wings in five minutes. The restaurant chooses what food is served so that each person (or team) can use different strategies to win the contest. Each team has four and seven people, all with varying eating styles and techniques. This will be determined by the restaurant’s choices and what foods they choose to serve.
