We've long been fans of the sheer madness of competitive eating contests -- from Coney Island's July Fourth hot dog-eating challenge to the more obscure ones (Sauerkraut, really?). A particularly un-Atkins-friendly competition happened over the weekend in New York's Times Square, where competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut (pictured on right) managed to stuff 45 slices of pizza into his gullet in 10 minutes during the first Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Contest.
There are different methods for making pizza slices easier to swallow, but the 24-year-old California native stuck with the tried-and-true -- folding his and squeezing them in order to get them into his mouth.
Chestnut gained fame on the eating circuit after winning the Coney Island contest in 2007 and then again this year. He also won a hamburger-eating contest in Tennessee last month, taking in 93 Krystal burgers in eight minutes.
Competitive Eating
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Competitive eaters down pizza slices at the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA (4th from L) ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Competitive eater Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA holds up his cash prize of $5,000 after he is is pronounced the winner of the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, of Chicago (R) gestures towards reigning hot dog champion and fellow competitive eater Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA (C) as chairman of Major League Eating and Master of Ceremonies George Shea (L) holds his microphone moments before the start of the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, of Chicago (R) gestures towards reigning hot dog champion and fellow competitive eater Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA (C) as chairman of Major League Eating and Master of Ceremonies George Shea (L) holds his microphone moments before the start of the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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009 - NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Competitive eater and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut greets onlookers before competing in the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: "Humble" Bob Shoudt, of Royersford, PA (L) and fellow competitive eater and reigning hot dog champion Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA (R) chew slices of cheese pizza at the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Competitive eater Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, (L) keeps a slice ahead of fellow competitor Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti (R) of Chicago at the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: "Humble" Bob Shoudt, of Royersford, PA (L) and fellow competitive eater and reigning hot dog champion Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA (R) chew slices of cheese pizza at the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Competitive eater Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA is pronounced the winner of the first-ever Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship contest held October 12, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. Chestnut ate 45 cheese slices in 10 minutes to win the contest. (Photo by Rhonda Vanover/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Competitive eater Brad Sciullo (R) is interviewed by the media after winning the Annual Cannoli Eating Contest during the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy September 12, 2008 in New York. The competition, sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, was won in an upset by 21-year-old newcomer Sciullo, who ate over 20 cannolis at 500 calories apiece. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
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Monday 13 October
By tae
this is sum dat i would do at da age of 14 how do u join these competitions
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Wednesday 26 November
By Chaz
When will Barney Frankes & Chris Dodd come out of hiding and admit that it was them that put this country in harms way. They need to do some serious jail time.
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