That first bite of a Johnsonville bratwurst, where the hot juices pop on your tongue and the spices dance across your taste buds, is a cherished summertime experience for millions of Midwesterners. But by the 150th bite, even the mayor of Sheboygan, Wis., would be hurling.
It should be interesting to see how the pros do.
On Aug. 6, members of the International Federation of Competitive Eaters (IFOCE) will lumber into Sheboygan for the first Johnsonville Brat-Eating World Championship. And Chicagoan Frank Wach will be among them.
During competitions this year, Wach already has scarfed 17 grilled-cheese sandwiches, gobbled 4 pounds of pizza and, in mid-July, traveled to Las Vegas for the Alka-Seltzer U.S. Open of Competitive Eating–nicknamed “Starch Madness”–where he stomached a 10-pound burger.
“I’ve always eaten fast,” explained Wach, 51, who weighs in at 230 pounds. The father of three girls starts training this week with gut-stretching buckets of cabbage and water. He hopes to reach his goal of 20 brats (no buns) in 10 minutes and claim the $4,000 grand prize.
“[While training] you start slow, gradually increasing to test your capacity,” he said. “You don’t want to do anything stupid.”
Think you’ve got the guts to compete? Spots may be open to amateurs, who can register at IFOCE.com. Just be sure to follow the advice of federation chairman George Shea:
“We don’t endorse any particular training style, but you want to be used to the feeling of bulk in your stomach.”
“Brats have a slightly tough texture on the exterior, so you’ll have to have strong jaws.”
“You’ll likely want to split the brat so you’re not doing everything with your mouth. We call it Solomon style.”
