"Notorious B.O.B." comes up short at Dorney

On Saturday,  guests were invited to leave their umbrellas at home and bring their appetites instead. The park hosted the second annual Subway World Philly Cheesesteak Eating Championship, welcoming professional eaters to compete for the title of cheesesteak champion.

Five hundred onlookers squeezed into the Center Stage pavilion to watch the competition, which drew 14 of the country’s most famous foodies, including Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the reigning champ of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and 2010’s Subway Cheese Steak Eating Contest.

But this year, all eyes were on Chestnut’s biggest competitor, Bob “Notorious B.O.B.” Shoudt. The Royersford native was looking to wrest the title from Chestnut, a Californian.

Shoudt is no newbie to competitive eating. He’s mastered every food group, from blueberry pie to pasta and roast beef sliders. But Saturday, he was focused strictly on cheese steaks. Amidst the chants for Chestnut, Bob’s wife Beth and local foodies lined the front of the pavilion to cheer on Shoudt for the 10-minute competition.

George Shea, who emcees the annual Nathan’s contest with his brother, Rich, was on hand to host the event, sporting his signature red, white and blue ensemble and straw hat.

Although Shea was on the opposite side of the table, he seemed to have equally as many fans as the foodies themselves. One attendee was even sporting a homemade George Shea t-shirt. According to Chuck Hutchison, Dorney Park Public Relations Manager, it’s all part of the fun.

“The production is so much more than an eating competition. Our guests really enjoy it all; it’s a lot of theatrics and drama and show,” said Hutchison. “There’s so much emotion on behalf of the audience, and it makes it such a great event.”

As Shea outlined the rules for the event – 10 minutes, all-you-can-eat, no dunking—contestants readied themselves for the competition. Shoudt organized his cups of Hawaiian Punch, his drink of choice, as his competitors hunched over the table, arranging their plates of steaks for the easiest access.

Contestants wasted no time, throwing their whole bodies into conquering the cheese steaks. Some appeared to be more relaxed than others, including Chestnut, who maintained a fast pace without looking too overwhelmed. By the sixth minute, the California native was onto his sixth plate of cheese steaks, working on number 18.

Shoudt stood elbow-to-elbow with Chestnut, downing cups of sweet red punch as he did his best to keep up with the competition. 

In the end, despite Shoudt’s support system, it was Chestnut who came out on top with a whopping 23 cheese steaks, topping his previous record of 19. Shoudt placed second, downing 19 steaks. But there was no bad blood between him and his fellow foodie.

“He’s a beast, and he deserved that win. I think I drank too much during the competition when I probably should have backed off,” said Shoudt. “I’m happy for Joey.”

Chestnut took home a prize of $1,500, but Shoudt didn’t go home empty-handed, either. He took home a $750 prize for placing second. That’s a lot of five-dollar footlongs.

This is the third year that Dorney has been the host for a Major League Eating event. In 2009, the Park hosted the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, and 2010 was the first year for the cheesesteak contest.