How to win free bacon for a year
There are few among us who can resist the allure of free bacon. Bacon is popular for a reason: the salty, savory, crispiness makes it the perfect food to eat with pancakes, on a sandwich, and heck, even in a boozy root beer float. So it’s no wonder people line up to nosh it down not only at brunch, but competitively in bacon eating contests such as the Hormel bacon eating contest in Colorado. In this competition, six winners have the opportunity to compete for the ultimate prize, a year’s worth of free bacon. But the royal stash of breakfast meat won’t be easy to win.
• Nevada teens sets record for most retweets, wins a year's supply of Wendy's nuggets
The Denver Post reports that bacon-loving competitors will have to put away a pound of bacon (which is about 16 strips) faster than anyone else. Last year’s winner chomped the bacon down in just three minutes. To enter, attendees to the Bacon and Beer Classic at Mile High Stadium this weekend must simply drop their names into a hat on a stage that will be set up for the occasion. The competitors will be chosen at random, so best to come with a prepped stomach just in case.
Of course, going hard on the bacon comes with some risks. As we reported in April, eating too much bacon can cause a painful illness called gout, which brings about intense joint pain and can even be temporarily immobilizing. So perhaps consult with a doctor before doing a bunch of practice competitions prior to the Bacon and Beer Classic.
Participants in the contest should also make sure they’re super careful and mindful during the contest itself. Last month a 20-year-old student in NYC choked while participating in a pancake eating competition, and died in the hospital a few days later. The same day, a man in Colorado died while trying to eat a half-pound doughnut in a doughnut eating contest.
For anyone hoping to check out the Bacon and Beer Classic without participating in an eating contest of any kind, never fear. As the name suggests, there will be a plethora of bacon dishes and beer to sample from local restaurants. Tickets start at $69, a bargain for whoever wins the year’s supply of bacon.
