Mike Jack from Stellarton, N.S., has 18 Guinness World Records for eating foods that most people find too hot to handle.
“The craziest record that I have is for fastest time to eat 100 Carolina Reaper peppers,” Mike said. “I have records for eating a hundred ghost peppers, 50 Carolina Reaper peppers, 25 Carolina Reaper peppers, most ghost peppers eaten in two minutes and yeah, a lot of other crazy spicy stuff.”
Mike is also the reigning, four-time, League of Fire Chilli Eating Champion – A competitive hot pepper eating promotion that pits players head-to-head in chilli eating matches like prizefights.
League of Fire started with the inaugural World Title Chilli-Eating match at the 2019 Guildford Cheese and Chilli Festival in Guildford, England. League of fire has grown to include several belts and a global ranking system that allocates points to players who compete in chilli-eating challenges.
According to its website, League of Fire regards its World Title Belt Holder as World Champion.
Mike’s training to be world champion began in college with an interest in hot sauce. He started with “mild” sauces like Frank’s and Tobasco and developed his tolerance from there.
“I started searching for hotter and hotter sauces,” Mike said. That’s not the only way his preparations differ from other competitors.
“Eat a lot of food before,” Mike said. “I get pretty full to try to dilute it in my stomach because it’s one thing when it’s pain in your mouth but once it gets to your stomach it’s a whole other issue.”
In addition to his physical training, Mike calms himself before matches by listening to Buddhist breathing meditations.
Like any great competitor, Mike has a terrific coach. His wife Jamie is in his corner during his matches, helping him beat the heat.
“I think it’s just curiosity,” Jamie said. She wasn’t convinced that her husband’s spicy challenges were “that hot” until she tried a one for herself.
“This feels like a match was like, lit on my tongue,” she said. “And then you just get intrigued.”
The hot couple hold one spicy record together.
“We have a Guiness record for longest habanero kiss,” Jamie said. “So we each ate a habanero pepper and then put our mouths together for 15 minutes.”
The couple have turned their passion for spice into a business. Their signature hot sauce comes in three flavours and heat levels: Taco Tueday, Rise and Shine — a result of Mike’s efforts to make the ultimate breakfast hot sauce – and Tropical Fury — his hottest sauce, made with pineapple, ghost pepper and habanero.
