Spectators lined Coney Island Tuesday shoulder-to-shoulder, many sporting headgear that captured the essence of the day: Nathan’s foam hot dog hats or blue caps provided by the Antacid Company.
Then it rained.
Minutes before the start of the men’s division of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, rain and lightning hit the area, sending fans scrambling for cover or higher ground. Some news reports said the event was canceled; Around 1:30 p.m., security guards broke up the stage and ordered the rest of the audience to leave.
However, the promoters of the event said that no decision had been taken on canceling the event and once the rain subsided and some quick logistical adjustments were made, the match resumed just after 2pm.
“We will never surrender,” event host and promoter George Shea announced to the remaining fans.
The men’s event began at 2:20 p.m., and order was quickly restored, with defending champion and favorite Joey Chestnut eating 62 hot dogs to easily defend his title.
The women’s event was expected to be a runaway victory for defending champion Miki Suto. She won, eating 39.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes, just six more than her closest competitor, Mayoi Ebihara, in a closer-than-expected finish.
Then the elements intervened, Creates confusing scenes Thousands of spectators ran for their safety. Some sought refuge in a nearby subway station; Others simply went home.
Three blocks from the match, emergency crews responded to a report of at least one person electrocuted, according to the fire department. Two people were taken to Lutheran Medical Center; It is not clear if they were struck by lightning and their conditions are unknown.
The lightning prompted city and police officials to evacuate the competition area, according to Dan Tolson, executive director of the city’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management.
Legend has it that the Nathan’s Tournament has been held every year since 1916. However, the legend doesn’t match the truth: In 2010, one of the tournament’s original promoters, Mortimer Mattes, admitted that he was “coney island pitchman-style.” They created the origin story.
The event actually began in the early 1970s, and its current incarnation is fueled by a supercharged dose and patriotism from Mr. Shea, who oversees the event with his brother, Rich Shea.
Over the years, the Shia’s Rudolph W. Giuliani, Michael R. Mayors including Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio presided over weighty ceremonies filled with a line of grunts. (In 2012, after Mr. Bloomberg issued one such rant famously noted Aloud, “Who wrote this [expletive]?”)
They’ve expanded the Coney Island event into a national showcase for competitive eating hosted by Major League Eating, which describes itself as “the governing body of all stomach-centric sports.” The men’s match was broadcast live on ESPN2; The women’s match was shown live on the ESPN app and delayed on ESPN2.
In most of America, the Fourth of July conjures up thoughts of fireworks, family, and cooking. But hours before any of those things begin in earnest, many Americans turn their attention to a curious spectacle that has become another holiday tradition: Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The 4th of July event usually draws thousands of spectators to watch them eat as many hot dogs as humanly possible in 10 minutes, braving the heat and the effects of indescribable excitement.
The definition of humanly possible has meaning for much of the meat-eating world; It has another for most competitors. Returning to expand the concept of what is humanly possible, Mr. Chestnut and Mrs. This is especially true for pseudos.
Mr. Chestnut holds the men’s world record for eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021, while Ms. Sudo holds the women’s world record of 48.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Both are favorites to win.
Mr. Chestnut, known as Jazz, won the men’s competition for the 15th time last year after eating 63 hot dogs. Mrs. Sudo won for the eighth time after eating 40 hot dogs.
Each won $10,000 for winning their divisions this year.
For those of you curious, scientists (scientists!) have determined that the human body is capable of eating – at most – 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes, according to a study published in 2020, which is 39 years’ worth. Data from the competition.
According to that paper, the world’s most elite human competition eaters can go toe-to-toe with a grizzly bear in terms of the amount of food eaten per unit time.
Bears can eat eight hot dogs per minute, and Mr. Chestnut can eat 7.5 hot dogs per minute. But the Bears usually knock off about six minutes, while Mr. Chestnut hot dogs can be scarfed down for a solid 10 minutes.
Chelsea Rose Marcius Contributed report.
