After months of preparation the eaters and Wingettes were at the table Friday morning for 94WIP’s Wing Bowl 20 but no one came close to the great Takeru Kobayashi.
This year’s competition featured more than two dozen eaters but appeared to be a two-way race for second behind Kobayashi as two former champs -- five-time champ Bill “El Wingador” Simmons and three-time defending champ Jonathan “Super” Squibb -- battled for a car.
CSNPhilly.com: "He's the Gandhi of eaters."
The eating started around 7:45 as Kobayashi blazed out to a record pace -- eating a first-round record of 165 wings despite being just 127 pounds. The champ continued to set the pace with another record of 317 wings eaten through the first two rounds (28 total minutes).
Kobayashi, the former Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champ, has been showing off his eating abilities for years. But his final total of 337 wings in 30 minutes in his first Wing Bowl was almost unfathomable and shattered Squibb's old record by 82 wings. "Kobi" won $20,000 and a Steven Singer championship ring for his efforts.
"Kobi" says he will return next year to defend his crown.
Squibb put up a personal record of 271 wings eaten in 30 minutes -- he won a new Chevy Camaro for his second-place effort.
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El Wingador was third with 251 wings, 105-pound Stephanie "Chilita" Torres -- the only woman in the field -- finished an impressive fourth and Dave "U.S. Male" Goldstein surprised everyone by placing fifth.
The event is as much about eating as it is the entourages. Entrances featured many competitors paying homage to boxing and Andy Reid bashing as they marched around the arena.
The award for best entourage went to four-time Lichter Cup champion "Gentleman Jerry" Coughlan -- his amazing float earned a Caribbean trip for him and his entourage.
The annual eating competition pits eaters from around the world against one another to see who can eat the most chicken wings.
"I haven't eaten in two days getting ready for this event," said El Wingador before the event. "This year I just wanna eat."
He ate but it wasn't enough to win and the Wing Bowl great announced his retirement -- again -- after the event.
