Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. It is held each year on July 4 at Nathan's Famous' original, and best-known, restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest
Active
Hot dog competitive eating competition
July 4
Annually
Nathan's Famous Corporation
Brooklyn, New York City
United States
July 4, 1972
The contest has gained public attention since the mid-2000s due to the stardom of Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. The defending men's champion is Chestnut, who ate 62 hot dogs in the 2023 contest. The defending women's champion is Miki Sudo, who ate 39.5 hot dogs in 2023.[1]
Major League Eating (MLE), sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE), has sanctioned the event since 1997. Today, only entrants currently under contract by MLE can compete in the contest.
The field of about 20 contestants typically includes the following:
The competitors stand on a raised platform behind a long table with drinks and Nathan's Famous hot dogs in buns. Most contestants have water on hand, but other kinds of drinks can and have been used. Condiments are allowed, but usually are not used. The hot dogs are allowed to cool slightly after grilling to prevent possible mouth burns. The contestant who consumes (and keeps down) the most hot dogs and buns (HDB) in ten minutes is declared the winner. The length of the contest has changed over the years, previously 12 minutes, and in some years, only three and a half minutes; since 2008, 10 minutes.
Spectators watch and cheer on the eaters from close proximity. A designated scorekeeper is paired with each contestant, flipping a number board counting each hot dog consumed. Partially eaten hot dogs count and the granularity of measurement is eighths of a length. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of regulation count if they are subsequently swallowed. Yellow penalty cards can be issued for "messy eating",[2] and red penalty cards can be issued for "reversal of fortune", which results in disqualification.[2] If there is a tie, the contestants go to a 5-hot-dog eat-off to see who can eat that many the quickest. Further ties will result in a sudden-death eat-off of eating one more hot dog in the fastest time.
After the winner is declared, a plate showing the number of hot dogs eaten by the winner is brought out for photo opportunities.
Awards[edit]
The winner of the men's competition is of the coveted international "bejeweled" mustard-yellow belt. The belt is of "unknown age and value" according to IFOCE co-founder George Shea and rests in the country of its owner. In 2011, Sonya Thomas won the inaugural women's competition and its "bejeweled" pink belt.
Various other prizes have been awarded over the years. For example, in 2004 Orbitz donated a travel package to the winner. Starting in 2007, cash prizes have been awarded to the top finishers.
Media coverage[edit]
Live TV[edit]
In 2003, ESPN aired the contest for the first time on a tape-delayed basis. Starting in 2004, ESPN began airing the contest live. From 2005 to 2017, Paul Page was ESPN's play-by-play announcer for the event, accompanied by color commentator Richard Shea. In 2011, the women's competition was carried live on ESPN3, followed by the men's competition on ESPN. In 2012, ESPN signed an extension to carry the event through 2017.[93] In 2014, ESPN signed an agreement to carry the competition on its networks for 10 years until 2024.[94]
In 2021, Miki Sudo did not compete, as she was 37 weeks pregnant with her first child with fellow professional eater, Nick Wehry. Sudo instead served as an announcer, alongside Mike Golic Jr., Richard Shea, and Jason Fitz.
Tactics and training[edit]
Each contestant has his or her own eating method. Takeru Kobayashi pioneered the "Solomon Method" at his first competition in 2001. The Solomon method consists of breaking each hot dog in half, eating the two halves at once, and then eating the bun.
"Dunking" is the most prominent method used today. Because buns absorb water, many contestants dunk the buns in water and squeeze them to make them easier to swallow, and slide down the throat more efficiently.[2]
Other methods used include the "Carlene Pop," where the competitor jumps up and down while eating, to force the food down to the stomach.[2] "Buns & Roses" is a similar trick, but the eater sways from side to side instead.[2] "Juliet-ing" is a cheating method in which players simply throw the hot dog buns over their shoulders.[2]
Contestants train and prepare for the event in different ways. Some fast, others prefer liquid-only diets before the event. Takeru Kobayashi meditates, drinks water and eats cabbage, then fasts before the event. Several contestants, such as Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, aim to be "hungry, but not too hungry" and have a light breakfast the morning of the event.
