Not hot dogs, not pies — these contestants compete eating jalapeños

• By IKE FREDREGILL   –   Laramie Boomerang
  ikef@laramieboomerang.com

Huddled over plastic bowls filled with plump green jalapeños, a row of contestants sweated under Laramie’s midday sun Thursday and waited for the wail of an air horn.

Once sounded, the Flaming Gorge Jalapeno Eating Contest entered its eighth year as flaming-hot jalapeno peppers were gobbled with little or no regard for the contestants’ digestive systems.

Hosted by the Laramie Sunrise Rotary Club, the contestants compete for the top five slots to earn prizes donated by local businesses, rotary club member Jerry Schmidt said.

“It’s named after the gorge of your throat, not the dam,” Schmidt said, chuckling.

Originally hosted by the Laramie Jubilee Days Committee, he said he got involved in the jalapeno eating contest when his wife volunteered him seven years ago.

“I wasn’t there, but she said I could probably do it — so I did,” Schmidt said. “The committee couldn’t do it anymore, so I went to my rotary club and asked for help, and we’ve been doing it ever since.”

Nearly 400 jalapeños were donated by Born in a Barn this year, and the Laramie Fire Department is brought in to judge the contest — as well as provide any medical assistance, if needed.

“It’s a timed event,” Schmidt said. “They get three minutes to eat all the jalapeños they can stomach. We give them a small glass of milk and a tortilla to help get them down.”

Attendance is variable, with anywhere from 6-16 contestants participating, but 2017 proved to be a good year for jalapeno pepper punishment as 16 contestants lined up to gorge themselves, with dozens of onlookers filling the intersection of Grand Avenue and Second Street.

“A lot of times, the people who look like they could eat a lot of jalapeños aren’t the winners,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes, the winner hasn’t even started shaving.”

Although 15-year-old Max De Young said he hadn’t really tried eating a whole, fresh jalapeno before, he still managed to take fourth place.

“I think I’ll power through three before the heat hits me,” De Young said before the contest. “Then, I don’t know.”

He managed to eat seven jalapenos, tying with contest veteran Chris Medina, and scarfed another jalapeno down in an eat-off tie-breaker event.

In his fifth consecutive year, Medina decided to show up without his token “Vote for Pedro” shirt, which he’s worn in the previous four contests.

“I always come in second when I where that shirt,” he said explaining the uniform change. “Apparently, this shirt puts me in third place.”

Nick Armijo took first place, followed by Glen Gallick in second.

Medina said he first heard about the jalapeno eating contest years ago on the radio, and when he heard his coworkers talking about going, he decided to join them.

“Everyone said they were going to eat so many, but when the day came, it was just me and (one other coworker) who showed up,” he said, smiling. “I keep coming back, because it’s a fun thing to during Jubilee Days. We come down with family, eat some jalapeños and drink a few beers. It’s a good way to spend the day.”