Local food fighter gulps 23 hot dogs

Erik Denmark, the local entry in the Nathan's Famous International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, finished 14th of 17 Wednesday, eating 23 hot dogs.

Denmark, 29, of West Seattle, qualified by winning an event last month at Shea Stadium in New York, eating 26 ½ hot dogs (plus 3 ½ in a one-minute overtime).

The Boeing employee competed in the Nathan's event last year, too. In that outing, he ate 22 hot dogs in a qualifier July 3, and 22 in the July Fourth contest.

The difference between this year and last?

"Last year, I didn't really care what happened. This year was different. I really wanted to do well. I wanted to do better. There were more expectations, and that was good and bad," he said.

Denmark said that just before he went on stage Wednesday, he thought about his mother, who died of cancer last year. "It was really an emotional moment for me. At this huge event, this significant thing in my life, my mom was always there for that stuff, and now she wasn't, and it hit me."

On hand to cheer him on, however, were his father, niece and two friends.

Denmark said he was distracted during the competition by watching Joey Chestnut, who won, and Takeru Kobayashi, who placed second. He said that after the event, Kobayashi was happy, "almost like he was excited that someone could actually beat him."

Referring to Kobayashi, who had won the six previous Nathan's championships, Denmark added, "In order for the sport to gain legitimacy, someone else had to win."

What's next for Denmark?

A rib-eating contest next weekend in Lincoln City, Ore.

Greg Bishop, The Seattle Times