The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is set to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday Saturday with its usual mix of spectacle, speed-eating and patriotic pageantry, following a turbulent year for the iconic event and one of its biggest names.
Nathan’s Famous, the contest’s longtime sponsor, was sold in January to packaged meat powerhouse Smithfield Foods.
Months later, defending men’s champion and record holder Joey Chestnut faced legal trouble after being accused of slapping a man at an Indiana bar; in April, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge.
Still, the annual hot dog spectacle is moving ahead, with Chestnut and Miki Sudo returning to defend the men’s and women’s titles they claimed last year.
In the contest, eaters have 10 minutes to down as many hot dogs and buns as they can, often dipping them in water first to make each bite easier to swallow.
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Sudo has won the women’s competition 11 times and owns the division record with 51 hot dogs.
Chestnut has captured the famed Mustard Belt 17 times and holds the men’s all-time mark with 76 hot dogs.
He remains on probation in the battery case, though he is permitted to travel outside Indiana.
His lawyer has said that what happened in the bar was a misunderstanding and that Chestnut accepted responsibility for his actions.
Hot dog contest organizer Major League Eating, which oversees the Nathan’s Famous contest, said the criminal case didn’t affect Chestnut’s eligibility for the competition.
The event, which dates to 1972, is held in front of the original Nathan’s Famous’ restaurant in New York’s Coney Island.
