I got to do my second story for the Boston Globe in recent months, on a long-running competitive eater known as Crazy Legs Conti. Conti has been on the pro eating circuit for 22 years, an extraordinary run.
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The piece came to be when the Malones were in the Boston area over Christmas. We went to a Christmas Eve party at my wife's friend's place, and got to talking with a friend of Crazy Legs, who is from the suburb of Belmont, as is my wife.
I'd profiled Crazy Legs a long, long time ago--20 years ago, in fact--for the now defunct New York Sports Express. The documentary Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating had just come out. I figured I'd check in with Conti again, and see if there was a new story to tell.
There was!
He's gotten a real kick out of his time on stage, and hopes to stick around a bit longer. He told me, “I try to be an ambassador to the sport and welcome the rookies, but also celebrate the fact that I’ve been able to do this for 22 years, and really enjoy the travel, the food, the people, and the storytelling.”
