Photos by Amanda LaCasse
Local hot-dog mainstay Short Leash Hot Dogs is usually busy, but it’s not every day that a crowd surrounds one table with keen fixation on seven individuals. Usually all the attention goes to the dogs.
Each of the seven eager humans was pitted against six spectacular dogs in Short Leash Hot Dogs’ inaugural Man vs. Dog competition Wednesday night. The celebration was held at and coordinated for the first birthday of Short Leash’s brick-and-mortar restaurant, Sit…Stay, located near the corner of Roosevelt and First streets, as well as for National Hot Dog Day.
Competitors were given 30 minutes to wolf down all six signature Short Leash hot dogs, with one simple rule — the hot dogs could not be dipped in water, a competitive hot-dog-eating trick.
However, this guideline did not stop competitive eater Gus “Guszilla” Beisel. He was awarded the title “Best in Show” after consuming all six hot dogs in five minutes and 13 seconds. Beisel found the contest through EatFeats, a website that offers a calendar for competitive eating in Arizona and around the country.
Beisel said this contest differed from others in both food and atmosphere.
“It’s different. There are more unique items,” Beisel said. “It has more of a fun atmosphere. Everyone was here for a good time.”
Beisel said he would be willing to compete again in next year’s competition — and win, too.
Editor’s note: Carolyn Corcoran, who is pictured in the slideshow and participated in the contest, is the head of marketing and PR for Downtown Devil. She did not contribute to the writing or reporting of this article.
Contact the reporter at alacasse@asu.edu
