Acme World Oyster Eating Championship

On April 18, the Acme World Oyster Eating Championship, a storied event that hearkens back to the glory days of the competitive eating circuit, will return once again to New Orleans.

This is the contest that launched Crazy Legs Conti's career back in '02. In the three years that followed, the eaters who showed up at the Acme contest are among the most colorful characters the circuit has ever seen - "Bayou" Boyd Bulot, Eric "Badlands" Booker, "Crawfish" Nick Stipelcovich, Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, and of course, Ms. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas. Indeed, the latter still holds the course record, with an astonishing 46 dozen (that's 552) oysters in 10 minutes, set back in 2005.

Last year, in a shortened 8-minute contest, Deep Dish Bertoletti dropped 35 dozen. What'll it be in '09?

To learn more about the Acme Oyster House, visit: www.acmeoyster.com.

All eaters must be at least 18.

Registration for this event is closed for the time being.

*All applicants must be 18 years of age or older and fully acknowledge and understand the inherent dangers and risks associated with participating in an eating contest. The applicant further acknowledges and understands that the MLE/IFOCE coordinates with event sponsor(s) to select and approve eligible participants, and that the MLE/IFOCE shall decide, at its sole discretion, whether an applicant is eligible to participate in any eating event, and/or related activities. The MLE/IFOCE may revoke an applicant’s eligibility to participate in the eating contest, or related activities, at any time, for any reason, at its sole discretion. The MLE/IFOCE and the event sponsors reserve the right, at any time, to change any and all details concerning the event, including, e.g., time, duration, location and prize structure.