The Kentucky Kernel
Compete to eat: Shovel it in, keep it down
Caitlin Coughlin
Posted: 4/26/06
Most UK students graduate with a list of accomplishments, but Ian Hickman can boast of a most unusual one.
Hickman, a 2005 UK journalism alumnus, has a weekend hobby most students have never even tried: competitive eating.
"I don't get crazy with it," Hickman said. "The competitive eating thing is a weekend hobby."
Hickman, who now works in Washington, D.C., doesn't spend his weekends visiting the Lincoln Memorial. Instead he travels around the country for free while eating in various eating competitions and winning world titles.
In a short time, Hickman has become the World Fried Zucchini Champion, the World Potato Pancakes Champion and the World Spoon Bread Champion. His talent caught the eye of MTV, putting him on one of their shows, "True Life."
"It was random, it took about three weeks," said Hickman. "They filmed me for my first real competition as a competitive eater."
Before he was an official competitive eater, Hickman did local competitions like the one at Trumps for the Final Four that is held every year.
"I knew I could eat a lot," said Hickman. "I just needed to learn how to eat faster."
Hickman, who is about 6 feet tall and weighs 165 pounds, got involved in competitive eating after contacting Arnie Chapman, the chairman of the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters (AICE). He asked Chapman for suggestions, and he ended up being sponsored by Chapman.
Hickman is now a member of the AICE along with Chapman and many others. "We believe you shouldn't take the humor out of competitive eating," said Chapman about the AICE's philosophy.
Chapman, also a competitive eater, holds the world record for chili after eating 7.1 pounds of it in five minutes.
Hickman has learned competitive eating can be a lucrative hobby. Each competition has a different reward, sometimes it is money and sometimes it is food. Thanks to Hickman's unique hobby, he has free Ben & Jerry's for life after eating a seven- pound sundae.
"I start training two weeks before a competition, every other day," said Hickman. "I'll drink a gallon of water and eat cottage cheese while at I'm at work."
Some of his eating accomplishments include 220 Red Lobster shrimp in an hour, 19 Skyline chili-cheese dogs in 30 minutes, 117 Hooter's wings in one sitting, and 22 Taco John's tacos in one sitting.
"Ian is the future of competitive eating," said Chapman. "He is a great kid who represents the fact that competitive eating attracts all sorts of people, even the young and good looking."
Hickman's next competition will be the National Strawberry Eating Championship in Delaplane, Va., on May 27.