How Nathan's Hot Dog Contest Became America's Most Gut-Busting 4th of July Tradition

Since officially kicking off in the 1970s, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has become more [...]

By Adam Barnhardt

Since officially kicking off in the 1970s, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has become more American than apple pie. Held every 4th of July for over three decades, a dozen and a half of the world's top-ranked competitive eaters gather on a stage right outside of the original Nathan's Original stand on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island. While competitive eating isn't necessarily something the mainstream, every Independence Day, it's suddenly thrust into the forefront of our collective minds as the likes of Joey Chestnut, Matt Stonie, and Geoffrey Esper gather to duke it out for a prize wallet of over $40,000 and the fabled mustard belt.

Some may find it barbaric, others may find it enthralling but no matter which side of the fence you sit on, the contest is most certainly a part of the fabric that has made the national holiday into what it is. In the lead-up to the event, we spoke with George Shea, the PR mastermind behind both the Coney Island-based contest and Major League Eating, a professional organization that sanctions the event and many others across the world — think of it as at the International Olympic Committee for hungry people.

Shea and his brother Richard took over publicity efforts for Nathan's in the middle of the 1990s and in a swift move of brilliance, the two decided to go all-in on the annual contest. Bringing it all to a national stage, the brothers recognized the opportunity for a business venture and lo, the International Federation of Competitive Eating — and subsequently, Major League Eating — was born.

Though Nathan's is a brand of franks most of us had had at some point in our life, there's not a single day on the calendar more important to the company than Independence Day. When it comes to the contest itself, upwards of 20 eaters participate in the event. This year, the magic number is 18.

In the months leading up to this moment, Major League Eating has hosted qualifying events throughout the country to set the stage for the main event. You take those 16 regional qualifiers and combine them with Chestnut and Stonie and you get this year's field of contestants chasing after the mustard belt. Chestnut and Stonie were grandfathered into the contest since they've won at least one main event previously — luckily for them, they have access to the main stage for as long as they'd like.

"They're unbelievable, right?" Shea tells us of the competitive eaters under contract with Major League Eating. "So you go around the nation and you do all these events. You get about 15 people per contest, but within that group, there are some that are just extraordinary. You know, it's not only Joey Chestnut but using the hot dog metric, we've got Matt Stonie then Geoffrey Esper at 51 [hot dogs eaten], I think he could go higher than that, significantly. You've got Darren Breeden at 47 hot dogs, right? Max Suzuki of Japan is at 42. So, it's not just Joey."

Though Shea was sure Chestnut — someone who's won the title 11 of the last 12 years (he lost to Stonie in 2015) — would walk away with yet another title this year ,he was sure to point out to us that two eaters, in particular, were feeling pretty good about their odds this year.

"Look, if it happens, it would be Stonie, or it would be Geoffrey Esper," Shea says about taking down Chestnut. "And there has been a rumor on the circuit that Stonie's really been pushing to see if he can challenge Joey this year. I don't know if that's true, but that's the talk on the circuit. Geoffrey Esper, I think has beaten Joey twice in the last three weeks, so he's obviously a major contender for that first spot."

Chestnut currently has the world record for most hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes with 74. Though the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is the Super Bowl of Major League Eating, the competitive eating circuit hosts events around the year.

"Right, so there's no question that not only do I look forward most to the Fourth of July contest with Nathan's, it is my favorite day of the year," Shea tells us of his favorite contest. "It is the hardest day of the year for me, but it's just really fun. I love the buffalo chicken wing contest on Labor Day, and I love the sweet corn contest, which begins my season."

"I generally begin my season at the sweet corn contest in West Palm Beach in April," the publicist, who also happens to emcee most of the MLE's main events, reflects. "That's when I pick it up and then I go through Labor Day. Now, I may do a couple here and there, but that's when I focus in. I guess those are the tent posts if that's what you would call them, right?"

As for if he would ever participate in the contest himself, Shea admits to us that's something he'll leave to the pros. The last time he tried, he only managed to eat six hot dogs in the span of ten minutes.

"I was very embarrassed, and I realized I'm a social eater, not a competitive eater, and I think I'm better on the mic, channeling the emotions of the eaters, and sort of the internal monologue that's going on in their mind, rather than trying to eat at the table myself. I didn't have what it takes."

How many hot dogs do you think you could take down in ten minutes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt!

The 2019 outing of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place July 4th starting at 10:30/9:30 a.m. Central. It will be broadcast live on ESPN.

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