Alum, son win first hot dog eating contest at Fresno State Farm Festival

A Fresno State graduate and his son won the university’s first-ever hot dog eating contest on Saturday at its annual farm festival by eating five and a half extra-large hot dogs in two minutes.

John and Timothy O’Rourke, team Irish Mafia, beat out six other pairs as 350 spectators watched from around the competition tent. The competitors ate 7-8 inch, one-fifth of a pound Bulldog hot dogs. The all-beef dogs were smoked and cooked by Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology students and are available for purchase in the Gibson Farm Market.

The Irish Mafia received first-place medals, Gibson Farm Market gift baskets, a Maya Cinemas gift basket and succulent plants.

John O’Rourke is co-owner of RJO Produce Marketing, Inc. He graduated Fresno State in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.

Second place went to the Maya Munchies team of Larry Porricelli, vice president of neighboring Maya Cinemas, and Marcos Cotton. Third place went to the Ragin Cajuns team of Joseph Rodrigues and Myles Scott.

The event was part of the all-day farm festival, which gave out free samples of food produced by students of the Jordan College.

This story was originally published July 11, 2015 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Alum, son win first hot dog eating contest at Fresno State Farm Festival."