Pizza 9 is challenging anyone with a big enough stomach to break the world record for eating the most pizza slices in 10 minutes.
The record, set by Joey Chestnut in 2008, is 45 slices of Chicago-style cheese pizza.Pizza 9’s Tom Epley said the contest is a great way to have fun while consuming ludicrous amounts of pizza. Pizza 9 will offer prizes as well, even if the world record is beyond reach.
The event begins at noon, but the contest doesn’t start until 2 p.m. on Saturday at 5305 Gibson Blvd. SE, Epley said.
He said contestants will eat in front of a crowd high on pizza fumes and the spirit of competition.
Anyone who beats the world record will earn a fully funded trip to New York City to participate in The IFOCE Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Participants on Saturday will receive a Pizza 9 T-shirt and all the pizza they can shovel into their mouths in 10 minutes. Contestants can also win one of three prizes, including a 42-inch flat screen TV for first place, a laptop for second place and $250 in gift certificates to Pizza 9 for third place.
Pre-registration is $15, but more contestants can sign up at the event for $25.
Pizza 9 owner Hass Aslami said he wanted to host a pizza-eating contest after noticing a trend of eating contests over the summer.
Aslami said the contest also gives back to the community.
“I used to live here a while back, and it always has been a good pizza market,” he said. “The customers are very faithful. If you give them good service and good food, they seem to stay with you for a long time.”
Pizza will be served four slices at a time for the contest, and competitors are required to keep track of how many plates they consume, Aslami said. The Pizza 9 staff and two guest judges will moderate the contest. The scheduled judges are Mayor Martin J. Chávez and City Councilor Rey Garduño.
“It’ll be a 32 foot long table, kind of like the last supper,” Aslami said. “We’ll start with all the contestants sitting, and they’ve got to have both hands up in the air, and then the clock will start.”
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Over 45 competitors, some as young as 10 years old, are already signed up.
“I thought I’d get some fun people,’” Epley said, “Especially for the kids. We always have been family oriented, and we always want to help out and keep them entertained.”
Erika Perea said she is happy to be one of the few female competitors.
“It gives me the opportunity to see if I can do it better than a guy,” Perea said.
UNM student Daselin Enloe said he would participate in the pizza-eating contest.
“Yeah, if you have prizes, and all-you-can-eat food, why not?”
Enloe said. “You just got to run afterward — burn some calories.”
There will also be a rivalry match between the Albuquerque Police Department and the Albuquerque Fire Department. The two departments are bringing their self-proclaimed biggest eaters, and the winner between the two departments gets bragging rights for a year, Epley said.
Epley said each contestant will probably eat about eight slices of pizza within the 10 minutes.
“That’s a large pizza,” Epley said. “We’ll just keep handing them more and more.”
Pizza Eating Contest
Pizza 9
Saturday, noon
5305 Gibson Blvd. SE
$15 pre-registration, $25 day of registration
505-366-6463
