If I Wasn't a Competitive Writer

I'd probably be a competitive eater.  In high school I though it might be my destiny since the biggest eating competition is hosted at Nathan's.
 

A lot of people find the bun soaking, face stuffing, belly swelling spectacle to be a touch on the disgusting side.  I see it as a feat of human achievement.  I do have one eating title to my name when I downed a foot-long Subway sandwich in 45 seconds.

I'd also consider cooking competitions.  I'm a huge fan of shows like Iron Chef and Chopped.  Chopped is a lot like some writing competitions, a basket of unknown ingredients (characters, themes, etc.) transforms into a culinary (or literary) delight in a fixed time window.

Another one right up my alley is World Beard and Mustache Championship.  This one I' may consider one day.

There are competitions all around us. Just look at the sports industry.  TV has capitalized on hundreds of contest based reality shows. I've watched Last Comic Standing, The Voice, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, the Sing Off , Design Star and probably some others that I'm forgetting.  I could do without the drama in some of these shows, my favorite parts are seeing artists at work. There's just something enthralling about putting talent to the test.

What are some of your favorites?


.