Joey Chestnut Wins Hot Dog eating contest For 6th Straight Year

[The Baconator]

[IMG]http://i1.cdnds.net/12/27/300x225/odd_hot_dog_eating_contest_2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/236832/slide_236832_1184600_free.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE]NEW YORK — Joey Chestnut won his sixth straight Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest at Coney Island, downing 68 dogs and buns on Wednesday to tie his personal best in a sweaty, gag-inducing spectacle.

Last year, the 28-year-old San Jose, Calif., man nicknamed "Jaws" won with 62 hot dogs. He bested his main rival this year by 16 dogs, scarfing down all 68 in 10 minutes in the sweltering summer heat to take home $10,000 and the mustard yellow belt.

"I feel good, it was a great win," Chestnut said after the contest, adding he wished he could have eaten a record number of hot dogs for the audience. "I tried my best. I'm looking forward to next year already."

Second place went to Tim Janus of New York with 52 hot dogs, who received $5,000. Third place went to Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago with 51, who won $2,500.

Chestnut was neck-and-neck with competitors during the first half of the contest, but he pulled ahead in the remaining minutes, choking down dog after dog, while other competitors slowed as the clock wound down.

"I'm happy to come out with the win," he said.

Sonya Thomas, of Alexandria, Va., downed 45 hot dogs to win the women's competition. She reached her goal of eating 45 in the time limit – her age – and took home her own pink champion's belt and $10,000.

Thomas, known as the "Black Widow" of competitive eating, won last year as well, the first time a separate contest was held for women. Juliet Lee, of Germantown, Md., took second place with 33 and won $5,000. Lee also won second place last year. Third place went to Michelle Lesco, of Tuscon, Ariz., who received $2,500 for downing 25 1/2.

Thomas said she started to feel sick while eating but kept pushing so she could win the title.

"There is a limit so I have to fight," she said.

Thomas said next year she's going to beat her record again and eat 46.

"Because I'm going to be 46 next year," she said.

The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has been a city tradition for 97 years. Tens of thousands of spectators gather to gawk as contestants shimmy, slither and bounce as they dip hot dogs in water and cram them down their throats.

For some, it's a painful reminder of excess – especially as the U.S. battles a growing obesity problem. The American Medical Association opposes competitive eating, saying it's harmful to the human body. But the competitive eaters are quite trim. Chestnut is more than 6 feet tall and a muscly 210 pounds, and Thomas, who is 5-foot-5, weighed in at barely 100 pounds.

Hot dogs, though, aren't the healthiest of choices. In addition to beef, they include salt and various food additives. Chestnut's total dog count was equal to more than 20,000 calories. This year, the animal rights group Mercy For Animals staged a protest against eating meat, with signs that read "Choose Vegetarian."

Chestnut is now tied with his former rival, Takeru Kobayashi, for consecutive wins. The slim Japanese champ held the record for hot dog eating from 2001 to 2007, when he was unseated by Chestnut.

But two years ago, after refusing to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating, the food equivalent of the NFL, he was banned from competition. He showed up anyway, wearing a T-shirt that said "Free Kobi," rushed the stage and was arrested, but charges were later dropped.

Last year, the Japanese native nicknamed the "Tsunami" held an unofficial contest from a rooftop on ritzy Fifth Avenue, eating near a giant plasma TV airing the official competition live.

Kobayashi competed in a different eating contest on Wednesday.

___

Associated Press videographer Bonny Ghosh contributed to this report.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/04/nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest-2012-joey-chestunut-wins_n_1649345.html?ref=topbar#slide=1184611[/url]

More pics in source

[xpod1]

the storm threw out my dish as soon as the contest started

i bet it was intensely stomach wrenching

[Nikota]

What brand made the hotdogs?

[Scrimp]

[QUOTE=Nikota;36638117]What brand made the hotdogs?[/QUOTE]

It was nathan's famous.

[POLOPOZOZO]

steroids its the only answer

[T.F.W.O.]

How does one realize "Hey, I'm really good at eating!"?

[zingo]

Nice going, Joey Chestnut

[POLOPOZOZO]

[QUOTE=UberMunchkin;36638281]Bloody hell the amount of guys he could please in 10 minutes...[/QUOTE]

So you're into getting your entire penis engulfed and swallowed in one bite. Good to know.

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=T.F.W.O.;36638202]How does one realize "Hey, I'm really good at eating!"?[/QUOTE]

If I remember correctly these people tend to be relatively special in that when their stomachs stretch their brain doesn't send them messages telling them to stop eating. So they probably just noticed that they can eat a lot without feeling like throwing up.

[Terminutter]

[QUOTE=UberMunchkin;36638281]Bloody hell the amount of guys he could please in 10 minutes...[/QUOTE]

It's not as simple as chucking it down your throat.
Some finesse is required.

[xpod1]

[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;36638357]If I remember correctly these people tend to be relatively special in that when they're stomachs stretch their brain doesn't send them messages telling them to stop eating. So they probably just noticed that they can eat a lot without feeling like throwing up.[/QUOTE]

option b eat watermelons

[editline]5th July 2012[/editline]

hundreds of melons

[ArchimedesAgain]

I'm kinda fascinated by this. Not trying to start some bullshit "Oh blah blah starving African kids look at us eating all this food" debate, but I've always found it interesting that people have turned eating into a competitive sport.

[yerer]

Anyone else notice the guy on the far right's choice of legwear?

[SinjinOmega]

And I can barely eat four...

[duck]

[quote]But two years ago, after refusing to sign an exclusive contract with [b]Major League Eating[/b], the food equivalent of the NFL[/quote]

Why does this exist

[NoDachi]

[QUOTE=leach139;36639386]Why does this exist[/QUOTE]

because grotesque post-modern pastiche of excess

and lols

[Hullu V3]

True american heroes.

[img]http://www.tedhickman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/crying-eagle-98.gif[/img]

[bobsynergy]

[QUOTE=leach139;36639386]Why does this exist[/QUOTE]

~MLE~ Pro, look at that 360 bite

[Wafflemonstr]

[QUOTE=leach139;36639386]Why does this exist[/QUOTE]

Because America.

[Sgt. Napalm]

[QUOTE=Wafflemonstr;36639914]Because America.[/QUOTE]

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/15/wigan-world-pie-eating-contest]And the UK.[/url]
[url=http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/krosell/2/1333567874/tpod.html]And Sweden.[/url]
[url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MyNOaWQ9MjgzMTY=]And Germany.[/url]
[url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120321f3.html[/url]And Japan.[/url]
[url=http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/31/takeru-kobayashi-wins-eating-contest-in-china/]And China.[/url]

Actually there are a few hundred more nations but I'm too lazy to list them all.

[Dysgalt]

I was expecting some giant fat guy.

[Blackizzle]

Free Kobi

[Mr. Someguy]

[QUOTE=Dysgalt;36640384]I was expecting some giant fat guy.[/QUOTE]

Contrary to what people usually belief, skinnier people often perform better at these sort of things.

[Dr. Fishtastic]

this wouldve been a better headline

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/A13is.png[/IMG]

[Zillamaster55]

[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;36640098][url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/15/wigan-world-pie-eating-contest]And the UK.[/url]
[url=http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/krosell/2/1333567874/tpod.html]And Sweden.[/url]
[url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MyNOaWQ9MjgzMTY=]And Germany.[/url]
[url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120321f3.html[/url]And Japan.[/url]
[url=http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/31/takeru-kobayashi-wins-eating-contest-in-china/]And China.[/url]

Actually there are a few hundred more nations but I'm too lazy to list them all.[/QUOTE]

Hell, the skinny asian women tend to eat more then the fat american men :v:

[Wafflemonstr]

[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;36640098][URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/15/wigan-world-pie-eating-contest"]And the UK.[/URL]
[URL="http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/krosell/2/1333567874/tpod.html"]And Sweden.[/URL]
[URL="http://dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MyNOaWQ9MjgzMTY="]And Germany.[/URL]
[URL="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120321f3.html[/url"]And Japan.[/URL]
[URL="http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/31/takeru-kobayashi-wins-eating-contest-in-china/"]And China.[/URL]

Actually there are a few hundred more nations but I'm too lazy to list them all.[/QUOTE]

I will have to correct myself then.

Because first world.

[No_Excuses]

"This year, the animal rights group Mercy For Animals staged a protest against eating meat, with signs that read "Choose Vegetarian.""

Meat...hot dogs.

[shian]

*Something about africans*

[SquidsEye]

What happens afterwards? Do they shit for a week or just vomit it out?

[Bobie]

[QUOTE=squids_eye;36675996]What happens afterwards? Do they shit for a week or just vomit it out?[/QUOTE]

both, at the same time