At 9 a.m. in Coney Island on the Fourth of July, a crowd was already snaking around the block of Nathan’s Famous original restaurant.
They were, of course, waiting for the annual hot dog eating contest — a frenzied, ketchup-stained tradition where competitive eaters from around the world battle it out for glory, the Mustard Belt, and a place in food history.
Although there were 13 women and 15 men competing this year, only one name was shouted repeatedly over and over again: Joey Chestnut.
The now 17-time winner of the men’s contest, and a world-record holder for the most amount of hot dogs eaten within 10 minutes, had returned to the boardwalk with a vengeance after a contract dispute left him ineligible to compete last year.
“I love this event, and I was willing to keep talking, and I’m happy we figured it out,” Chestnut said about his resurgence at the weigh-in on Thursday.
Despite not coming in this year as a reigning champion, Chestnut easily had the crowd on his side with signs that read, “Joey Chestnut, I want to have your baby.” The event made sure to tease his entrance, allowing him to come after last year’s winner, Patrick Bertoletti.
After watching this legendary competitive eater in person, I now know why he’s unbeatable when it comes to competitive eating.
Although Chestnut has his own individual techniques, like making sure the water he dunks his buns in is 116 degrees Fahrenheit, and training with a 16-pound bag attached to a leather strap that hangs from a mouthguard, the biggest asset I saw from Chestnut was his tenacity. As the 10 minutes trickled by, Chestnut was only ahead of Bertoletti by around one or two hot dogs, until the Chicago native struggled to get his buns down and started to take breaks to breathe and drink some of his water.
Chestnut closed his eyes the moment the countdown began, as if entering a trance. With machine-like precision, he lifted hot dog after hot dog, shoveling them down with no hesitation, no wasted motion. I’ve never seen the competitive eater perform in person before, but his level of focus was unmatched. Everyone around him was there to celebrate the Fourth of July and have a good time — Joey was there to win.
It was clear he was back with a point to prove, hoping to break his 2021 world record of 76 hot dogs. Chestnut had a chance at beating that record by the halfway point, where he had eaten 46 hot dogs, but sadly finished with 70.5 down the hatch.
“I was excited. I love being here. I wish I ate a couple more, I’m sorry guys,” Chestnut told the crowd after his win while decked out in the victor’s Mustard Belt and holding a giant plate of hot dogs. “I’ll be back next year.”
The crowd rallied around their champion, though. The cheering never wavered, and groups of people followed him off the stage in an attempt to secure a photo or a last-minute autograph.
X was flooded with comments as fans piled on the admiration. “Joey Chestnut is a National Treasure!” one person raved, while another called him “an American legend.”
“Joey Chestnut is more dominant than any other athlete in any sport ever at any point in time, and we’re lucky enough to be alive at the same time,” added a third.
Fans and viewers made one thing clear: the GOAT of hot dogs is back and coming off another win on the Coney Island boardwalk with no one even close to catching him. Whoever hopes to catch him, they’ll need to want it even more than he does — good luck with that.
