Slopping spree: Esper dethroned at 2023 World Slopper Eating Championship
Food lovers, unite!
The 2023 World Slopper Eating Championship took place this Saturday at the Colorado State Fairgrounds and there is a new champion to be celebrated as two-time defending champion Geoff Esper was dethroned by none other than the wonder from down under, James Webb.
When it comes to southern Colorado’s culinary gems, nothing tops the legendary slopper.
Picture this: an open-faced cheeseburger, smothered in the velvety embrace of savory green chile. It's a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to cloud nine for a can't-miss dish that embodies the soul of Pueblo. In simple terms, a slopper, which was created here in Pueblo, is a hamburger patty covered in cheese and Pueblo Chile sauce.
Webb, Esper, and a group of other competitive eating athletes gathered together in the Steel City on Saturday to participate in the fifth annual World Slopper Eating Championship held at the fairgrounds.
The competition is to eat the most 9-ounce sloppers in an eight-minute time period. The record for the most sloppers eaten in that time frame is held by Esper with an impressive 37.5 sloppers. The competition is a highly touted one with fans and competitors coming from near and far to take part.
This year's race was a close one, as Webb narrowly beat Esper with a grand total of 32 sloppers to Esper's 31.5. In third place with 23 sloppers was up-and-comer Mohamed Mbengue. Webb was “full” of excitement after finishing as world champion in his first-ever slopper-eating competition.
“Very full, to be honest. I've never eaten a slopper before, so I just worked on my capacity to make sure I had enough room,” Webb said.
Webb travels all over the world competing in these kinds of events and is currently the No. 5-ranked eater in the world. Esper is currently the second-ranked eater in the world. They, along with many other competitors, would not be able to do what they do without the support of Major League Eating.
“We have a great organization, the MLE, they organize a bunch of events,” Webb said. “They tell us where the events are when they are going to be, and we organize ourselves accordingly.”
As far as the competition itself, Webb was surprised by the makeup of the slopper, as he had never had one before, but still managed to persevere and take down the defending champ.
“They were very hot, as in temperature-wise, and very sloppy,” Webb said. “You expect them to be hard, but it's very soft. I guess that’s why they call it a slopper. It was very fun though.”
If you are unfamiliar with Webb, he has been a competitive eater now for about two years and has burst on the scene in a big way, reaching the top-five in the rankings in a short time.
“I’m from Australia and I've been doing this for two years,” Webb said. “I started this as a bit of fun and now I get to travel the world eating.”
Webb encourages more and more people to get out and try competitive eating as the more people that join, the better the competition is for all.
“The more the merry, grab yourself a camera and a tripod, make some videos, and do some food challenges,” Webb said.
You can follow Webb on his social media jwebbycaneat.com/socials. For more information about him and other competitive eaters check out Major League Eating at majorleagueeating.com.
Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: New champ emerges at 2023 World Slopper Eating Championship in Pueblo
