Community Corner

West Deptford's Freak of Nature Back for One Last Wing Bowl Shot

John Harker is contemplating retirement after the 20th edition of the Philly competition.

Even freaks of nature have their limits.

For John “Freak of Nature” Harker, a man who once devoured an entire loaf of bread in less than five minutes to earn that nickname, SportsRadio WIP’s Wing Bowl 20 might just be it.

Might be time to call it quits.

Find out what's happening in West Deptfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 41-year-old beast of an eater—he stands around 6-5 and 275 pounds—has already gone through the gastronomic insanity three times before, but he knows this is a younger—and probably crazier—man’s game.

“If I was 20 years younger, man, I’d be all over this,” he said. “My wife and my kids are more important.”

Find out what's happening in West Deptfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In fact, it was prodding from his kids—one of whom is vegan—that made him consider the long-term health implications and made him resigned to one last shot at chicken-wing glory.

“It’s hard to believe I’ve got a kid who’s a vegan, and I eat the way I do,” Harker said. “I really do have to stop eating like that.”

But there’s one more chance, one last effort at superhuman consumption, thanks to maybe his most bizarre eating stunt yet.

Harker earned his way into this, his fourth Wing Bowl, back in December, with a stunt that could only be born of the Delaware Valley: He demolished four Wawa Sizzli breakfast sandwiches and a half-gallon of eggnog in just under five minutes.

Disgusting, perhaps, but it was an idea that came out of early-morning Wawa binges on way home from his overnight job—after making something of a tradition of stopping at for a handful of Sizzlis, Harker knew he could tackle the sandwiches without any problem.

“I don’t eat in moderation, that’s for sure,” he said.

The eggnog was the added wrinkle, though, and Harker knew he couldn’t go into WIP’s studios and try the stunt cold.

No, he practiced.

Four times.

The run-throughs clocked in at about five minutes, 30 seconds—not bad, for consuming something on the order of 5,800 calories—and Harker initially asked for WIP’s morning crew to give him seven minutes to accomplish the feat.

They countered with four minutes.

“They want to make sure you’re worthy of your spot,” Harker said.

He bargained them to five minutes, and when the clock started, took an approach that surprised host Angelo Cataldi: Harker went straight to the eggnog and downed 32 ounces to start before tackling the breakfast sandwiches.

Cataldi and the rest of the WIP crew watched as Harker tore apart the Sizzlis as the seconds ticked down

“The question is, can the belly accommodate this odd combination of weird products?” Cataldi shouted into the microphone during the attempt.

The answer was yes, and with ten seconds to spare. Harker said he felt surprisingly good afterward—well, until the ride home, when every pothole was a kick in the stomach.

“I don’t recommend it, trust me,” Harker said. “I actually liked eggnog, until after I did that.”

Now, it’s back to his usual regimen of jaw-strengthening exercises via frozen Tootsie rolls and eating a ton to keep in fighting shape for Friday morning. After not getting past the first round last year, Harker is determined to advance as far as possible.

So he’s trying to combine strength and speed—sort of marathon training for the gullet—in the hopes of jumping out early and outlasting the competition. Getting through that early stage is key, Harker said, since fatigue can set in and stomachs start to fill up.

“It’s a whole lot different when you’re in the second round,” he said.

He figures on chewing through more than 100 wings in the first round—or about one every seven seconds or so—to lock himself into a spot in the second round, with a shot at the big guns.

The Kobayashis.

The Squibbs.

.

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” he said of having to hit a high number early. “There’s too many big eaters in there.”

But one thing separates him from the three-ring circus atop the leaderboard, Harker said: Pressure.

As in, he doesn’t have any. If he loses, it’s not the end of the world. There are no massive expectations weighing on his shoulders, tightening his chest. He’s free to be the Freak.

“I’m completely all-in this year,” Harker said. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Well, minus his streak in the entourage competition, which Harker and his team have won in back-to-back years with floats featuring the late Jim Johnson and . That’s one title he doesn’t want to give up just yet.

While Harker was mum on exactly what the float would be this year, he said it’s another Philadelphia sports tribute. His team’s been working on it since he qualified, and are just putting on the finishing touches for what Harker said should be another winner.

“This was not an easy float, by any means,” he said.

Going out with a third straight entourage title would be great, Harker said, but his ultimate goal is to win everything—hear the roar of a stadium full of crazies as he trumps the pros and the established locals and stuns the entire scene before he has to leave it all behind.

Even if Harker walks away having been crowned Friday morning as Wing Bowl champ, he said he’ll always want to come back to the rush of fighting it out among the weird brotherhood of competitive eaters.

“I’m sure it’ll eat at me that I’ll want to compete again,” Harker said. “Leaving it behind…it’s going to hurt.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here