Eater X announces top picks to take Kobayashi's hot dog crown

I got a chance to call into Beautiful Brian's radio program today, where his guest was none other than Tim "Eater X" Janus. (Thanks Liz!)

X seemed very relaxed, especially for someone who was two hours late for the interview due to some kind of mix-up on the train. We talked about life, love, and shoo fly pie (more about those topics later), but in the end it all came back to Coney Island and the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4. Asked to pick who he thought had the best chance of ending Takeru Kobayashi's five-year reign as hot dog champ, X didn’t hesitate, naming Sonya Thomas, Joey Chestnut, and Bob Shoudt as the top contenders for the mustard yellow belt.

As for his own chances, X still has to qualify for the contest at next month’s preliminary event in Hartford, but seemed confident he’d make the cut.

He went on to say that there are several eaters out there – the aforementioned trio included – who are capable of putting down 30 or more hot dogs in this year’s event. For the sake of competition, let’s hope they come to the table with a bigger appetite than that, because barring a sprained esophageal muscle at the 8-minute mark, Kobayashi is almost guaranteed to devour at least 50 dogs.

X also confessed to having an insatiable sweet tooth, as evidenced by his world records in shoo fly pie and tiramisu. “Soft foods,” he says, are definitely where his strength lies. I’m not sure if hot dogs qualify as a soft food, but crab cakes certainly do, so he should do well in the upcoming Phillips Crab Cake Eating Contest in Baltimore on April 29.

Finally I threw him a curve ball by bringing up a little rumor I’d heard about him and Sonya Thomas being romantically involved. He laughed and denied it flatly, but Beautiful Brian mentioned that The Black Widow already has her share of admirers, with one gustatating groupie in particular gunning for official stalker status. Careful guys, I hear she's a real man eater.

technorati tags: food competitive eating IFOCE Eater X Kobayashi