Twenty minutes and 16 hot dogs later, Houma man wins inagural hot dog eating competition
Four people gobbled their way through 35 hotdogs in front of a cheering crowd.
Bradley Russo won Houma's first hot dog eating contest, Wednesday, July 19, at Downtown Jeaux after scarfing down 16 hot dogs in 20 minutes. Over 60 spectators showed up cheering on the competitors.
He celebrated with his girlfriend, holding the hot dog trophy for all to see. She videoed and cheered him throughout the contest.
"She wanted the trophy," Russo said, pointing to his girlfriend Sadie Anderson after he won.
"I wanted the hotdog on the mantle," she added.
First place received $200, second $100, and third $50. Entry was free for all who competed.
Russo began the contest in a sprint, wolfing down five hot dogs in three minutes.
Tyler Duplantis, who came in second, stayed a few dogs behind, glancing at Russo's plate as he went. The two's rivalry continued throughout the 20 minutes as Duplantis tried to catch up. He would munch through buns, washing them down with water, then work his way through the dogs.
Once Russo finished his third plate, he waited, watching Duplantis's progress to see if he'd have to take another bite.
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In a final bid to beat Russo, Duplantis grabbed a fistful of dogs from his plate, and tried biting through them all at once as the crowd whooped wildly but time and a full belly were not on his side.
"You know how the Grinch's heart grew three times bigger?" Duplantis asked. "That's going to be my stomach after this."
Tommy Guarisco, owner of Downtown Jeaux, also competed. He boldly added chili to his hotdogs but waved a white paper napkin in surrender with five minutes remaining. Guarisco said he didn't want to take any of the prizes from the contestants.
He said he would host the competition next year again on national hot dog day, and Russo said he'd return to defend the title.
"I'm going to train, and you told me your secret," Duplantis said, laughing as the two left the restaurant.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Over 60 people cheered five competitors munch through 35 hot dogs
