Association of Independent Competitive Eaters
The Association of Independent Competitive Eaters (AICE) is a competitive eating organization in the United States. It is run by competitive eaters for the benefit and profit of the sport of competitive eating and its participants. It was founded 2004 by competitive eaters Arnold Chapman and former IFOCE member Coondog O'Karma. The association's slogan is "a competitive eating organization with a heart ... as big as its stomach!"
One feature of the AICE's contests is its "picnic-style" rules, which require the food that's being eaten, to be eaten as normally presented. No separating, mashing, dunking, or other mutilation of the contest food, humorously termed "picnic profanities" by the association, are allowed.
On July 4, 2004 AICE sponsored the first Independence Day Hamburger Eating Contest at Peggy O'Neill's restaurant (across the street from Nathan's Famous Hotdogs), to reclaim America's presence and pride in an Independence Day eating contest.
On January 12007, AICE announced the opening of its Canadian chapter, the Canadian Competitive Eaters Association.