"Clean like this!"

Finally. In my fifth contest, I get my first title -- the Kokomo Wing Eating Champion of Harrisburg -- and my first winnings (a $25.00 gift certificate to Kokomos).

I won by a single wing. It was a roller coaster contest because two other guys finished before me, but their bones were FAR from clean and were ordered by the judges to get 'em "clean like this" (as the judges pointed to my scraps). After looking at their debris, I had to agree. On some you could barely see the bone through all the meat still left on it. Pistol Pete "Philly Guy" Miernicky also made it out for the competition and came in a very close second.

It was a tough contest too. At one point, I dropped a wing on the sidewalk and, without thinking twice, had to pick it up and continue eating. I was hoping for a collective moan from the crowd, but I didn't get it. It was also tough because after the first two guys finished, my adrenaline levels plumetted (at least for a few seconds) as I conceded defeat, only to shoot back up again when they were told their bones were way too meaty. Twice that happened, but maybe the resurgence of adrenaline when I realized I was still in it actually helped me. Sorta like a turbo boost.

A full set of pictures from the event can be seen here.