Chestnut, Sudo reclaim Nathan’s crowns in scorching Fourth of July frank-fest • Brooklyn Paper
Joey Chestnut celebrates after winning the men’s division of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship with 66 hot dogs and buns on Saturday, July 4.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
On a scorching Fourth of July in Coney Island, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo once again relished the spotlight, devouring the competition and reclaiming their Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship titles before a packed crowd outside the Surf and Stillwell flagship.
With mustard belts on the line, Chestnut powered through 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to secure his 18th Nathan’s title, while Sudo devoured 38.75 to earn her 12th women’s crown. The defending champions entered the annual frank-fest with targets on their backs, but by the final buzzer, they’d once again proven they were the undisputed top dogs of Coney Island’s most famous Independence Day tradition.
The pair entered this year’s contest as defending champions, with Chestnut looking to surpass his world record of 76 hot dogs and buns, and Sudo chasing her own record of 51.
Though they both fell short of their personal records, they out-ate the competition in front of a sprawling, sweaty crowd.
Thousands packed the People’s Playground early Saturday morning for Brooklyn’s most recognizable July 4 tradition, waving foam hot dogs, sporting Nathan’s hats and patriotic attire and cheering on competitors from across the United States and around the world.
Held every July 4 since 1972 in its modern competitive eating form — and tracing its origins back to Nathan’s 1916 hot dog holiday promotion — the contest has grown from a quirky neighborhood tradition into a global spectacle. Fans travel each year from around the world to witness the uniquely American event, packing the boardwalk hours before the opening introductions (which include theatrical weigh-ins from hot dog heavyweights and newcomers alike).
Festivities began at 10 a.m. with live music and dance performances before the women’s championship kicked off at 11 a.m. The men’s contest followed at 12:30 p.m., with longtime announcer George Shea hyping up the crowd.
On the sidelines, Nathan’s Famous continued its annual charitable tradition by donating 100,000 hot dogs to Food Bank For New York City.
