Safeway celebrates Wing Day with eating contest (Photos)

Ian "The Invader" Hickman won the store's inaugural chicken wing eating contest. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Ian “The Invader” Hickman won Safeway’s inaugural chicken wing eating contest. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike "Munchin" Longo, left, and "Gentlemen" Joe Menchetti in the final moments of the competition. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike “Munchin” Longo, left, and “Gentlemen” Joe Menchetti in the final moments of the competition Wednesday. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Hickman's stratgey involved takiing what he called "big swallows" so he'd spend less time clearing his throat. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Hickman’s strategy involved taking what he called “big swallows” so he’d spend less time clearing his throat. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Competitors described the bone-in chicken wings as big, and had concerns about how many they could take in before the start of the eat-off. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Competitors described the bone-in chicken wings as big, and had concerns about how many they could take in before the start of the eat-off. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike "Munchin" Longo took home third place which included $50 cash and a $50 gift card to Safeway. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike “Munchin” Longo took home third place which included $50 cash and a $50 gift card to Safeway. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Friends of the competitors and many shoppers stopped to watch the competition on Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Each competitor's wings trays were weighed before and after the eat-off to ensure the data was accurate. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Each competitor’s trays were weighed before and after the eat-off to ensure the results were accurate. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
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Ian "The Invader" Hickman won the store's inaugural chicken wing eating contest. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike "Munchin" Longo, left, and "Gentlemen" Joe Menchetti in the final moments of the competition. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Hickman's stratgey involved takiing what he called "big swallows" so he'd spend less time clearing his throat. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Competitors described the bone-in chicken wings as big, and had concerns about how many they could take in before the start of the eat-off. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Mike "Munchin" Longo took home third place which included $50 cash and a $50 gift card to Safeway. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
Each competitor's wings trays were weighed before and after the eat-off to ensure the data was accurate. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)

WASHINGTON – Sometimes you’ve got to spice things up and on this National Chicken Wing Day, eight brave souls took part in a wing-eating contest to do just that.

The event was held Wednesday at Safeway’s Georgetown location, better known as the social Safeway to  locals. Dozens of shoppers packed around the long table, interested in both watching the eat-off and tasting the store’s wings free of charge afterwards.

As the “Rocky” theme song played in the background before the competition began, a few of the competitors “Gentlemen” Joe Menchetti, Ian “The Invader” Hickman and Mike “Munchin” Longo made small talk. Then the subject changed to strategy.

“I think my strategy today is to just go as fast as I can. Probably swallow heavy swallows, so I don’t spend a lot of time clearing my throat, taking a sip of water, things like that,” says Hickman who later won the event and the $500 prize.

The aim was to eat as many chicken wings as possible in 5 minutes. But the bone-in wings presented a unique challenge.

“This isn’t really capacity, this is technique-driven. You’re going to see a pretty close contest,” Hickman predicted.

In fact, he only won by one hundredth of a pound, eating a total of 2.21 pounds of chicken wings.

“There may be some guys who aren’t used to the wing who may be choking on them later,” said Longo, who took home third place swallowing 1.82 pounds.

“The average competitive eater should be able to eat 8 to 10 pounds in capacity,” Longo predicted.

Most of the men who expanded their stomachs did not consider themselves professional eaters, but also say they’ve participated in both local and national events.

See video of the final seconds of the chicken wing eating competition:


 

Megan Cloherty

WTOP Investigative Reporter Megan Cloherty primarily covers breaking news, crime and courts.

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