Top Competitive Eaters to Compete in First-ever Pacific Park World Taco-eating Championship

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Top Major League Eating athletes will gather in Santa Monica, CA, for a new event on the national eating circuit: The Pacific Park World Taco-Eating Championship. The competition, to take place at 4:00 P.M. on National Taco Day—Thursday, October 4, 2018, at Pacific Park, 380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401. The competition will feature up to 15 Major League Eaters from across the nation.

Notably, this inaugural event takes place on "National Taco Day" and will set a new world record for the number of Pacific Park street-style carnita tacos eaten in 8 minutes.

"Pacific Park is pleased to host the inaugural World Taco Eating Contest on National Taco Day in the United States while featuring many top competitors in the Major League Eating circuit," said Nathan Smithson, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. "We are thrilled that the contest is getting so much attention and hope this will be the beginning of an annual celebration of LA's favorite food, the humble street taco."

The Pacific Park 2018 World Taco Eating Championship will be held at Pacific Park on the legendary Santa Monica Pier with a background featuring the world-famous Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel. Rising 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Wheel has been featured in thousands of films, television shows and commercials, print and online ads and social media posts. Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier is the most Instagrammed location in Los Angeles.

"MLE is honored to celebrate National Taco Day, and all those who love tacos, with the first-ever Pacific Park taco-eating contest," says Major League Eating emcee Sam Barclay. "We fully expect a new world record from this event."

Top eating talent will include the #6-ranked Gideon Oji from Morrow, GA, the #8-ranked Adrian Morgan from New Orleans, LA, the #11-ranked Juan Rodriguez from Crestwood, IL, the #20-ranked Erik Denmark from Scottsdale, AZ, the #22-ranked Steve Hendry from Dixon, CA, the #29-ranked Sarah Reinecke from Seattle, WA, and the #49-ranked Mary Bowers from Beverly Hills, CA.

About Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA's only admission free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 14 midway games, an oceanfront food plaza and beachside retail shops. Signature rides include the Pacific Wheel, the world's first solar-powered Ferris wheel; The West Coaster, a steel roller coaster that races 55 feet above the Santa Monica Bay; and Inkie's Air Lift Balloon Ride, the high-flying, family-share kids ride. For additional information and hours of operation, call 310-260-8744, visit www.pacpark.com, follow on Twitter: @pacpark and Facebook: facebook.com/pacificpark

About Major League Eating:
Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.IFOCE.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or twitter @eatingcontest.

PRESS CONTACT: Adriana Ball, Major League Eating, (212) 627-5766, [email protected]    
Cameron Andrews, Pier Communications, (562) 432-5300

SOURCE Major League Eating