NEW YORK—The Super Bowl of eating competitions, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Contest, will take place on Coney Island Wednesday, July 4. Competitors lined up for a weigh in and to discuss their strategies at City Hall Park Tuesday.
“Tomorrow tens of thousands of people will line the Coney Island boardwalk to see the big event. They will come to find out if Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut will swallow the competition and take home a sixth straight title,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a pun-filled speech that had him questioning his speech writer.
Chestnut, the defending men’s champion who weighed in at 210 pounds, looked focused and ready to break his record of 68 hot dogs set in 2009. The defending champ said he has been prepping for six weeks, including practice contests before fasting and going on a liquid diet.
The mental preparation has been just as key, “It’s mostly convincing my body it is alright to accept that much food and getting my body used to digesting that ridiculous amount,” Chestnut said.
He said by fasting days before he knows his stomach is empty, a strategy he uses to push himself. “I practice ignoring feelings. Hunger is a feeling … so is full. I know I am empty,” Chestnut said. “When I am slowing down I say I still have room in me, I can push a little harder.”
Defending woman’s champion, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas weighed in at 100 pounds.
“I feel great. I am going to try to break my own record of 41, but my goal is 45,” Thomas said.
Thomas is also fasting, having no food the day of the weigh in and only a little salad the day before.
Without Takeru Kobayashi, who will not compete for the third year in a row because of a contract dispute with Major League Eating, Chestnut looks set to run away with the event. There are, however, some competitors who come out simply for the fun of it all.
“We are all just a bunch of everyday guys. I am a subway conductor. This is our escape from the everyday, mundane stuff,” Eric “Badlands” Booker said.
Booker’s biggest accomplishment this year has not been on the competitive eating circuit, but at home. Booker lost an impressive 110 pounds since the start of the year; a feat that he hopes—ironically—will help him eat more.
“I know that once my stamina is increased and I have a little less fat around the belly, my stomach can expand more and I can shove more in,” Booker said.
“Notorious B.O.B.,” aka Bob Shoudt, said he would feel lucky to beat Chestnut, but is looking for what he calls the most prestigious feat, “Sonya and I are both 45 so we are each trying to eat our age.”
“If you can eat your age in hot dogs that is something. So that is my goal,” “Notorious B.O.B.” said.
Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest will take place at Nathan’s Famous Flagship Restaurant at 1310 Surf Ave., (corner of Stillwell Avenue) on Coney Island. The pre-show begins at 10 a.m. The women’s championship starts at 11:30 a.m. and the men’s championship starts at noon.
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