Competitive eaters graze their way through Overland Park

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As for the nickname, he says it plays off his Scandinavian heritage — “ ‘Erik the Red’ is a Viking, he’s kind of a rebel.”

Abatsas, a 41-year-old native of Greece, drove through the night from his home in Cleveland to compete Saturday. He said of his alter ego: “I owned a Greek nightclub … and everybody always used to say I was nuts, so they started calling me ‘The Mad Greek.’ ”

Among his more memorable milestones are eating 288 oysters in 10 minutes, 59.5 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes and 8 pounds of cranberry sauce in 8 minutes.

“That was the worst one of them all,” Abatsas said.

As opposed to the oysters and eggs.

The 6-foot, 280-pound Abatsas hadn’t eaten in two days before discarding his cigar around noon Saturday, taking a final gulp of water and filling two cups with watered-down ketchup for dipping purposes.

The slender 6-4, 215-pound Denmark, who used Crystal Light fruit punch as his dipping sauce of choice, strode confidently to the table wearing a headband bearing his nickname.

“I don’t come to a contest expecting to lose,” Denmark said. “It’s painful enough to have to go through it. You have to believe in yourself and not give up at any point in the contest.”

Once it was over, though, he said he didn’t plan to eat again for another day or so.

Abatsas, meanwhile, wasn’t satisfied — not with his runner-up finish, and apparently not with his appetite.

“I’m probably going to enjoy a big fat steak here in a little while. I always do — it’s tradition,” he said. “There’s different compartments in the stomach — one’s for contests, one’s for enjoyment, one’s for pleasure.”

He is, after all, serious about his eating.

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To reach Ryan Young, call 816-234-7747 or send e-mail to ryoung@kcstar.com