thedrifter
02-02-07, 06:46 AM
Macho Marines take on Chretin's nacho challenge
BY NICOLE E. SQUIBBS, SUN STAFF WRITER
Feb 1, 2007, 7:08 pm
Forty-five Marines challenged each other to see who could eat the most nachos — without tossing their nachos Thursday.
The soldiers from MALS-13 Ordinance shop from Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma competed to become the next Marine on Chretin's Mexican Foods' wall at 485 S. 15th Ave.
Owner Jim Waits gave the Marines advice before the nacho chow, such as: the less water you drink, the more you can eat; the average Marine can eat four to five plates of a dozen nachos in an hour; anyone who only downs two dozen is weak; the jalapeņos on top of each nacho are meant to be eaten; and to have some fun with it.
"I've never done a contest where somebody doesn't puke or lose it," he said. He instructed Marines to "clean up your own mess" and handed out dishwashing buckets for that purpose.
Pfc. Juan Islas was the top male nacho eater downing almost five plates of 12 nachos with gobs of cheese and topped with a jalapeņo; Lance Cpl. Kelli Peterson was the top female nacho eater eating almost three plates.
Chretin's has a dining room wall filled with Marine nacho contest winners dating back to 1969, with the amount of "nachos killed" on each. The most Waits had ever seen consumed in an hour was 100 nachos. One of the last Marine nacho contests was held by 103 Marines from VMA-211 Harrier squadron. They "killed" a total of 4,272 nachos.
He said the jalapeņos were hot, but not super hot. The plates were counted at the end, with the winner receiving a Chretin's T-shirt.
Waits said his staff made up the nacho plates ahead of time, so they would only have to cook them during the contest for about 7 minutes per plate.
About 25 employees worked during the contest, beginning at 5 a.m. to make the tortillas, which they cooked and ground fresh from corn and ran through a machine to make the nacho chips, a process that takes about eight hours.
Pfc. Riley Lucas and Cpl. Matt Neal won Top Pair for the most nachos eaten by a team of two.
Neal stacked his nachos in threes and ate most of his jalapeņos.
"That's what's gonna kill me. I don't like them (jalapeņos)," Neal said.
Lucas had eaten a big breakfast, and Neal ate right before the contest. And they still managed to eat about five plates each.
"I feel good," Neal said.
"I'm not gonna lie. I'm not feeling the best, but it was worth it for the win," Lucas said.
Nicole Squibbs can be reached at nsquibbs@yumasun.com or 539-6855.
WINNERS:
TOP MALE NACHO EATER: PFC. JUAN ISLAS
Ate a little over five plates of nachos
His strategy: "I tried not to stop."
TOP FEMALE NACHO EATER: LANCE CPL. KELLI PETERSEN
Ate almost three plates of nachos
Her strategy: "I just didn't eat breakfast this morning."
THE BET:
Lance Cpl. Buddy Carr was challenged to eat a large glob of cheese with a jalapeņo on top of it after eating at least four plates of nachos. He won $40 for keeping it down, although he had many close calls.
Ellie
BY NICOLE E. SQUIBBS, SUN STAFF WRITER
Feb 1, 2007, 7:08 pm
Forty-five Marines challenged each other to see who could eat the most nachos — without tossing their nachos Thursday.
The soldiers from MALS-13 Ordinance shop from Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma competed to become the next Marine on Chretin's Mexican Foods' wall at 485 S. 15th Ave.
Owner Jim Waits gave the Marines advice before the nacho chow, such as: the less water you drink, the more you can eat; the average Marine can eat four to five plates of a dozen nachos in an hour; anyone who only downs two dozen is weak; the jalapeņos on top of each nacho are meant to be eaten; and to have some fun with it.
"I've never done a contest where somebody doesn't puke or lose it," he said. He instructed Marines to "clean up your own mess" and handed out dishwashing buckets for that purpose.
Pfc. Juan Islas was the top male nacho eater downing almost five plates of 12 nachos with gobs of cheese and topped with a jalapeņo; Lance Cpl. Kelli Peterson was the top female nacho eater eating almost three plates.
Chretin's has a dining room wall filled with Marine nacho contest winners dating back to 1969, with the amount of "nachos killed" on each. The most Waits had ever seen consumed in an hour was 100 nachos. One of the last Marine nacho contests was held by 103 Marines from VMA-211 Harrier squadron. They "killed" a total of 4,272 nachos.
He said the jalapeņos were hot, but not super hot. The plates were counted at the end, with the winner receiving a Chretin's T-shirt.
Waits said his staff made up the nacho plates ahead of time, so they would only have to cook them during the contest for about 7 minutes per plate.
About 25 employees worked during the contest, beginning at 5 a.m. to make the tortillas, which they cooked and ground fresh from corn and ran through a machine to make the nacho chips, a process that takes about eight hours.
Pfc. Riley Lucas and Cpl. Matt Neal won Top Pair for the most nachos eaten by a team of two.
Neal stacked his nachos in threes and ate most of his jalapeņos.
"That's what's gonna kill me. I don't like them (jalapeņos)," Neal said.
Lucas had eaten a big breakfast, and Neal ate right before the contest. And they still managed to eat about five plates each.
"I feel good," Neal said.
"I'm not gonna lie. I'm not feeling the best, but it was worth it for the win," Lucas said.
Nicole Squibbs can be reached at nsquibbs@yumasun.com or 539-6855.
WINNERS:
TOP MALE NACHO EATER: PFC. JUAN ISLAS
Ate a little over five plates of nachos
His strategy: "I tried not to stop."
TOP FEMALE NACHO EATER: LANCE CPL. KELLI PETERSEN
Ate almost three plates of nachos
Her strategy: "I just didn't eat breakfast this morning."
THE BET:
Lance Cpl. Buddy Carr was challenged to eat a large glob of cheese with a jalapeņo on top of it after eating at least four plates of nachos. He won $40 for keeping it down, although he had many close calls.
Ellie