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L.A. Beast
Personal information
Born	Kevin Strahle (1977-01-06) January 6, 1977 (age 48) Ridgewood, New Jersey
Nationality	American
Occupations	Competitive eater Extreme challenges comedian vlogger
Website	www.labeast.com
YouTube information
Also known as	L.A. Beast KevLAbeast labeast62 skippy62able
Channel	skippy62able
Years active	2010 – present
Genres	Competitive eating Extreme challenges comedy vlogging
Subscribers	1.5 million subscribers (January 2016)
Total views	200 million views (January 2016)
Network	Fullscreen
Associated acts	Furious Pete Tom Green Blumgum La Fenix Wreckless Eating
Creator Awards 100,000 subscribers 2013 1,000,000 subscribers 2015
College football career
Fordham University – No. 62
Position	Offensive lineman
Class	Junior - Senior
Personal information
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Career history
High school	Ridgewood
Career highlights and awards
Started every game during Senior year Second Team All-Patriot League by IAA.org (2005)
Stats at ESPN Stats at Rivals

Kevin Strahle (born January 6, 1977), better known as the L.A. Beast, is a professional competitive eater who hosts a challenge-based channel on YouTube. Strahle started making videos in Los Angeles, California before moving back to his hometown of Ridgewood, New Jersey, and eventually to Santa Monica, California. As of January 2016, his channel has over 1.5 million subscribers, over 200 million total views, and is the 1,069th most subscribed channel on YouTube. In addition to his online presence, he has made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show Australia and Tosh.0. Strahle is well known for his extreme endurance in lengthy, painful, and seemingly incompletable challenges.

In 2015, Strahle led a successful campaign to bring back the soft drink, Crystal Pepsi.

Early life

Strahle was born in Eatontown, New Jersey on January 6, 1977.

Growing up, Strahle developed a love for eating and later used his natural bulk to join the football team at Ridgewood High School. It was there he learned the value of goals and his signature never-give-up attitude. In his free time he would often accept money from his classmates to complete outrageous food challenges.

After high school, Strahle was recruited to play football for the Fordham Rams of Fordham University in New York. In his four years on the team, he started on the offensive line in almost every game for the 2004-2006 seasons.

In 2008, Strahle moved to Los Angeles to work for Pepsi, stocking shelves at minimum wage. After two years of service, he quit after a manager told him he wasn't "persistent enough" to be a salesman within PepsiCo. That criticism would later drive him to spearhead the 'Bring Back Crystal Pepsi' campaign.

Internet videos

While Strahle was in Los Angeles, he uploaded his first YouTube video, "Guy Smashes Gallon Milk Challenge in 20 Min". Noticing the positive response the video received, he started his own channel under the name "skippy62able". Having completed Fatburger's XXXL burger challenge in under 10 minutes, Strahle's roommate commented that he was 'a beast' for finishing it so fast. Starting in 2011, Strahle would often refer to himself as either "Beast" or "L.A. Beast", eventually choosing the latter as his official nickname.

In September 2015, Strahle and fellow eaters Takeru Kobayashi, Bob Shoudt, Patrick Bertoletti and Tim Brown assembled in Chicago, Illinois to consume an entire cooked goat. This eating challenge was performed with the intention of lifting the infamous Chicago Cubs curse. The event gained notoriety due to the Cubs winning the 2015 National League Division Series shortly after the incident transpired.

Competitive eating

In November 2011, at the request of his college roommate, Strahle competed in his first professional eating contest at the Wild Turkey 81 Eating World Championship in New York City.

In June 2012, Strahle consumed 25 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier in Cleveland, Ohio. Though Strahle lost to eating veteran Crazy Legs Conti, he was beat by only a quarter of a hot dog.

"Bring Back Crystal Pepsi" movement

In April 2015, Strahle uploaded a video titled "Pepsi Needs To Bring Back Crystal Pepsi". In the video, he rallied his fans to comment on Pepsi's official social media accounts with the hashtag "#BringBackCrystalPEPSI" in an effort to revive the once-popular soft drink. This led to the creation of a Change.org petition and as of June 2015, it has over 33,000 signatures. The popularity of the movement also produced 15 billboards placed all around the Los Angeles area.

On June 8, 2015, Strahle received a message from Pepsi via Twitter, acknowledging his efforts to get Crystal Pepsi brought back to store shelves and hinting at the soft drink's potential return. The next day, a Pepsi spokeswoman confirmed the message's authenticity.

On July 26, 2015, Strahle released a song on iTunes called "The Crystal Pepsi Song" featuring production company That's Classic Media. A music video was later released August 5, 2015 on the L.A. Beast YouTube channel.

On December 8, 2015, Pepsi announced the re-release of Crystal Pepsi in a limited quantity giveaway.

Notable challenges

Eating

• Two cactuses
• Twenty-six ghost peppers
• The entire menu of burgers from the Burger King menu
• A 5-pound bag of Haribo sugarless gummy bears
• Two jars of Vegemite
• An entire watermelon, including the rind
• 64 egg yolks while upside down, vomiting into a skillet, and re-eating the cooked vomit
• 2 Chocolate Bhutlah Peppers
• 21 dimes covered in olive oil
• A 72-ounce steak meal in less than an hour
• A cluster of bananas and drinking two liters of Sprite
• 90 Warheads (75 during challenge), (15 during gauntlet challenge)

Drinking

• Drinking a 20-year-old bottle of Crystal Pepsi
• A gallon of honey while covered with bees
• A mixture of milk and Red Bull from a 3-liter beer glass
• Two liters of Sprite and a cluster of bananas
• A gallon of Tabasco sauce
• Approximately 3 pounds of Sriracha
• An entire bottle of Cristal Champagne
• 24,000 calories worth of olive oil from a 3-liter beer glass

Other Stunts

• Inserting his hand into a jar full of hot ice
• Placing his hands inside gloves filled with bullet ants for 10 minutes
• Solving a Rubik's Cube blindfolded while walking barefoot over a large pile of Lego bricks

See also

• List of YouTubers
• List of competitive eaters

References

1. ^ "Skippy62able's Youtube Stats, Channel Statistics". Social Blade. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
2. ^ "About skippy62able". YouTube.
3. ^ "FORDHAM RAMS HOST ALBANY IN SEASON FINALE ON SATURDAY" (PDF). CBS Sports Network. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
4. "Kevin "LA Beast" Strahle Major League Eating Eater Profile". Retrieved March 6, 2015.
5. ^ "Draw My Life - L.A. Beast". YouTube. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
6. ^ "Sriracha, despite its legal woes, is a cultural icon that bites". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
7. "Tonight Show Meal Or No Meal: Drinking 18 Raw Eggs & Golf Ball Trick". Recapo. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
8. "NBC TV Tonight Show Video: Jay Leno Skit – "Man Chugs 18 Raw Eggs" (March 21, 2013)". WritingShares.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
9. "TODAY: America's Vegemite man joins Today". MSN Video Australia. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
10. "Butter Challenge - Video Clip - Tosh.0 - Comedy Central". Comedy Central. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
11. "Video Breakdown - Buttered Floor - Tosh.0 - Comedy Central". Comedy Central. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
12. "Kevin Strahle Stats, News, Videos, Pictures, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
13. #62 Kevin Strahle: Fordham Roster, Scout.com. Accessed May 19, 2015.
14. "Playoff victory little consolation for Ridgewood". North Jersey Sports. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
15. "Ridgewood - Bergen Passaic Football". Bergen Passaic Football. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
16. "FORDHAM RAMS CLOSE OUT 2004 SEASON BY HOSTING COLGATE ON SATURDAY" (PDF). CBS Sports Network. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
17. ^ "'Crystal Pepsi' could return in response to online #BringBackCrystalPEPSI campaign". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
18. ^ "Crystal Pepsi Might Be Making A Comeback Thanks To One Man's Excitement". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
19. "Guy Smashes Gallon Milk Challenge in 20 Min". YouTube. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
20. "SMOKING BOXED WINE? COMPETITIVE EATER KEVIN STRAHLE (A.K.A. L.A. BEAST) DOES IT". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
21. "BEAST INHALES 3 DINNER ENTREES IN 20 MIN". YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
22. "Kobayashi -- Tries to Reverse Curse ... Cubs Bars Run for Cover". TMZ. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
23. "Competitive eaters devour a goat in order to lift Cubs' curse". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
24. "Q & A With The L.A. BEAST". YouTube. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
25. "Wild Turkey 81 Eating World Championship". Major League Eating. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
26. "On The Scene: The Thanksgiving Turkey Eating Contest In New York". Mediaite. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
27. "Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier - men - 2012 Jun 7 - Cleveland, OH - Tower City Center - EatFeats". EatFeats. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
28. "2012 Cleveland Nathan's Hot Dog Qualifier- Conti vs L.A. Beast". YouTube. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
29. "Pepsi Needs To Bring Back Crystal Pepsi - ft. L.A. BEAST (Warning: Extreme Rainbow Vomit)". YouTube. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
30. ^ "You Can Thank This Guy If Popular '90s Drink Crystal Pepsi Returns". ABC News. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
31. "This popular drink from the '90s will be making a comeback". Business Insider. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
32. "Crystal Pepsi Is Poised for a Comeback". Ad Age. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
33. "Crystal Pepsi is Ready for a Comeback". NBC News. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
34. "iTunes - The Crystal Pepsi Song (feat. That's Classic) - Single by La Beast". Apple. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
35. "The Crystal Pepsi Song (Feat. That's Classic)". YouTube. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
36. "Here's an 8-Minute Video of a Man Eating Not One, but Two Whole Cacti". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
37. "How To Eat 26 Ghost Peppers in 6 min or Less Like an Absolute Boss (sort of) - vomit alert". YouTube. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
38. "Watch this guy eat every Burger King burger in one sitting, and survive". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
39. "In Whopper of a Challenge, Watch a Guy Eat Every Burger on the Burger King Menu in 24 Minutes". TIME. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
40. "Man Gets Sick After Eating 5 lb Bag of Sugarless Gummy Bears". KLAQ 95.5FM El Paso. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
41. "Kev's review of "Haribo Gummi Candy Gold-Bears, 5-Pound Bag"". Amazon.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
42. "Vegemite eating YouTube challenge goes viral after man eats two Vegemite jars in three minutes". News.com.au. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
43. "Watch A Guy Called The L.A. Beast Eat An Entire Watermelon, Skin And All". Food Republic. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
44. "The Upside Down Human Omelette Challenge (Ft. L.A. BEAST)". YouTube. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
45. "Man Has an Extreme Reaction After Eating Two Insanely Hot Chocolate Bhutlah Peppers". Laughing Squid. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
46. "L.A. Beast Rushed to the ER After Eating 21 Dimes". Yahoo!. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
47. "THE BIG TEXAN STEAK RANCH HALL OF FAME" (PDF). Big Texan Steak Ranch. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
48. ^ "Competitive Eater L.A. Beast Takes On The Banana And Sprite Challenge". Mediaite. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
49. "Do Not Drink A 20-Year-Old Crystal Pepsi. Here's Why". Uproxx. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
50. "Watch What Happens When This Dude Pounds A 20-Year-Old Crystal Pepsi". CinemaBlend. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
51. "SEE IT: Competitive eater L.A. Beast drinks gallon of honey while covered in bees". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
52. "Man Covers His Face In Bees And Tries To Down A Gallon Of Honey". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
53. "Redbull and Milk Challenge Becomes The Latest Vomit-Inducing YouTube Trend". NewMediaRockStars.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
54. "This Video of a Guy Chugging Hot Sauce Shows Exactly Why You Should Never Chug Hot Sauce". TIME. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
55. "A Special Hell Awaits The Guy Who Attempts To Drink A Gallon Of Tabasco Sauce". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
56. "Dumb Jock Chugs Bottle of Cristal to Protest Occupy Wall Street". Gawker. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
57. "The Top Young, Up-And-Coming Eaters". CBS Local Media. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
58. "This may well be one of the most idiotic things we've ever seen". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
59. "L.A. BEAST vs The Worst Pain Known To Man (Ft. LA FENIX)". YouTube. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
60. "Blindfolded Dude Solves Rubik's Cube in 3 Min (While Walking Barefoot Over LEGOS)". YouTube. Retrieved November 7, 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Official YouTube channel
• Psychology Today article, "Understanding the LA Beast"

Template:Persondata

• 1977 births
• Living people
• American competitive eaters
• American YouTubers
• Fullscreen (company) channels
• People from Ridgewood, New Jersey
• Fordham Rams football players