Chicago man the king of chicken wings at Lake County Fair
The "Chickenator" strikes again.
An apparent rising star in the world of competitive eating, Steve Flores bested nine challengers in the "Ultimate Winger" chicken wing-eating contest at the Lake County Fair Thursday night.
The 31-year-old patent attorney from Chicago forced down nearly three pounds of wings in 15 minutes to win his fourth hot wings-eating contest.
Sipping a beer moments after the match, Flores said he doesn't really have a strategy.
"I eat as fast as I can before my body knows what's happening," he said.
Wearing a headband with the "Chickenator" moniker, Flores chomped down exactly 2.87 pounds of bird to take the crown.
Sponsored by Franks for the Memories in Mundelein, 10 men competed for $200 in cash and the reputation as the champion chicken-eating machine.
Flores said he had a normal breakfast and lunch but saved dinner for the competition. "I won't be eating much tomorrow, I'm sure," he said.
Franks owner Jim Schultz said his restaurant has been sponsoring wing-eating contests for the last three years, but this was its first time at the fair.
"We follow all the rules mandated by the International Federation of Competitive Eating," he said. "The winner earns a trophy and prestige."
The wings weren't the blazing hot variety, Schultz said. "We go with traditional Buffalo wings. That's a mild sauce with no breading," he said.
Surrounded by a couple hundred cheering people, the guys started with an aluminum tray filled with about eight pounds of wings. They were given exactly fifteen minutes to devour as much as their bellies could hold. The trays were weighed again with the consumed amount subtracted.
But it ain't over till it's over.
The overstuffed competitors had to wait 20 more minutes to make sure none of it came back up.
"We've only had one reverser in our three-year history," Shultz said.
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