There's a word for it now: voluntourism: a hybrid activity that harnesses the ability to travel with the ability to leave behind more than footprints. Think: traveling to a city and taking a few hours to help revitalize a playground or clean a stream. And it's becoming the new trend in sports tourism.

For more than a hundred years, Kansas City, Missouri, has been known as the City of Fountains, and it is widely known for serving up some of the world's best barbecue. But in the last few decades, Kansas City has added a new nickname to its list: City of Fanatics - sports fanatics, that is. To the long list of Kansas City accolades, Travel + Leisure Magazine recently added a new title: one of America's Top 10 Cities for Sports-Crazed Fans. After hosting a homerun World Series, Kansas City became widely known as a championship sports host. But if baseball and barbecue are all you know about Kansas City, prepare to have your sports mind blown.

Hot dog-eating contests. Buffalo wing-eating contests. Even traditional Purim cookie-eating contests. Whether held as standalone events or in conjunction with larger sports events or festivals (think chili-eating contests at NASCAR tailgate festivities), competitive eating has moved into the mainstream. Richard Shea of Major League Eating (MLE) which organizes and sanctions competitions, discusses the trends.