Big burger eaters gather in Gowanda
Story and Photos
by Mary Pankow
What a Mardi Gras celebration! There were strands of beads, glitz and glitter, floats, parade, music and jubilant people enjoying Fat Tuesday.
This may sound like the annual gala in New Orleans, but the festivities actually took place much closer to home.
While favorite tunes played on the jukebox and the floats contained ice cream, the parade consisted of seven big eaters leading the crowd to the "table of truth" for the annual burger-eating contest at K&L Lanes in Gowanda.
This year's contest attracted seven ground-beef gourmands. Leading the way was WYRK's Clay Moden, last year's winner and defending champion; joining him were Tim Taber, Bill Friedman, Brian Schulz, Ben Hewitt, Kimber Erhart and Bill Stockwell.
At 8 p.m., the first tray of cheeseburgers was set on the table and the first bite was taken. Less than 10 minutes later, each contestant had chowed down two burgers. By 8:20 p.m., two contestants had four burgers down and, at 8:25, Moden had started on his sixth cheeseburger, determined to retain his title.
Taber stacked two burgers - complete with buns - and began munching away. Erhart's eyes glazed over after three of K&L's specialty and he began to just pick the meat out of a fourth burger, obviously deciding to call it quits.
Friedman, following Taber's lead, also doubled his eighth and ninth servings, mashing them down to easier-to-bite size. At 8:45, he stood and undid the top button of his jeans, attempting to "make room" for his stacked burgers. Five minutes later, he strolled around hoping that would also help.
Meanwhile, Hewitt had been quietly chewing and tallying amazing numbers. At 9:03, he took his last bite of burger number nine.
By 9:25, only two "players" were left. It's Hewitt and Moden, moving slower, but going for the brass ring. At 9:26, Moden called it quits at nine and a half. Hewitt, one bite away from finishing his tenth burger, was proclaimed the winner.
After his victory, Hewitt said he felt "full." An understatement considering the size of K&L Lanes cheeseburgers. These are no fast-food mini-Frisbies on rolls. They are hand-made, thick rounds of ground beef oozing with melted cheese.
Hewitt attributed his success to his daily lunch fare: just a salad.
Will it be a while before Hewitt can face a burger again? Not according to this big eater. He said he'll probably indulge again - although he'll most likely keep it to a modest one or two burgers when he comes to bowl Friday night, only three days after the competition. This guy loves burgers!
Final tally for the Fat Tuesday Burger-Eating Contest was: Ben Hewitt - 9-3/4, Clay Moden - 9-1/2, Bill Friedman - 8-1/4, Tim Taber - 7-1/4, Bill Stockwell - 5-1/4, Brian Schulz - 5, and Kimber Erhart - 3.
At the end of the event, Moden and Hewitt shook hands, exchanged congratulations and challenged each other to a double-digit finish at next year's contest.
Surprisingly, after a night of tossing, turning and stomachs churning, the first- and second-place winners were at work bright and early the next morning: Hewitt at the New York State Thruway and Moden on the air for his Breakfast Club morning show.
Now that's dedication!