Dining superstar Joey “Jaws” Chestnut weathered the rain of delays and gobbles to claim another win at Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, knocking down 62 cakes and pies bag for 10 minutes.
Chestnut out decimated runner-up Geoffrey Esper and the rest of the 15-man international arena competed by double digits for their eighth consecutive Mustard Belt and 16th overall. Esper, of Oxford, Massachusetts, ate 49 hot dogs and dumplings.
In the women’s section, defending champion Miki Sudo knocked out 39½ hot dogs and dumplings to win her Ninth Mustard Belt. But before the men could compete, stormy weather swept over New York City’s Coney Island and delayed the competition for two hours.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride, emotionally,” Chestnut said after weathering the rain and wondering if the popularity contest would continue. The 39-year-old from Westfield, Indiana, first competed for Nathan’s title in 2005 and hasn’t lost since 2015.
He ate 63 hot dogs and dumplings last year to win the title, but he took a hiatus. A protester dressed in a Darth Vader costume stepped onto the stage and Chestnut overpowered him before security forces took over.
His best is in 2021, when he counts 76 hot dogs, but Tuesday’s weather disruption made that impossible to repeat.
“Everybody’s messed up,” Chestnut said.
Sudo beat Mayoi Ebihara’s 33½ sausages in 10 minutes in a women’s event that seemed much closer until the final count was announced. The unofficial real-timer shows the two leaders tied for most of the competition. The final plate count determines the score.
Sudo, 37, was disappointed in her win total, nine sausages below her all-time high. She says competition from 27-year-old Ebihara has let her down.
“For the first few minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never wanted to do. I never wanted to be distracted by other competitors,” said Sudo, of Port Richey, Florida. after the contest. “Looking at me, my hand is clumsy. I had a big burp early on but it can be fixed.”
The annual Coney Island competition has drawn competitors from the UK, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Australia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
