Hot dog eating champs will chomp it out July 4. Contestants hail from 17 states
FILE - Five-time reigning champion Joey Chestnut competes in the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating World Championship, July 4, 2012, at Coney Island, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest is Friday. The yearly bun fight, which dates back to 1972, sees large crowds of fans in foam hot-dog hats gather in front of the original Nathan’s Famous’ restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, to cheer on the competitors as they chow down. The contestants are allowed to dunk the dogs in cups of water to soften them up, creating a stomach-churning spectacle.
This year the hot dog eating world record-holder Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, is back at the competition after he skipped last year’s event over a contract dispute.
Chestnut is expected to dominate the men’s competition in what will be his twentieth appearance. He’s won 16 titles and holds the world record of eating 76 hot dogs.
Last year, Patrick Bertoletti, of Chicago gobbled up a gut-wrenching 58 at the competition in Coney Island, in 10 minutes, earning the men’s title. Defending champion Miki Sudo won her 10th title in the women’s division, downing a record 51 links.
That same day Chestnut ate 57 dogs — in only five minutes — in an exhibition with soldiers, in El Paso, Texas.
