COURIER LIFE, JULY 10-16, 2020 17
OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
BY TODD MAISEL
No crowd? No problem.
The defending Nathan’s Famous
Hot Dog Eating Contest winners Joey
Chestnut and Miki Sudo satisfi ed their
hunger for success on July 4 with record
breaking wins in an isolated and
socially distant 2020 renewal of the Independence
Day tradition.
On the men’s side, Chestnut broke
his all-time record by eating 75 hot
dogs in one sitting to remain the reigning
champion. Chestnut, 36, has won
13 times in the last 14 years – breaking
his record in the 10-minute eating
event.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo
again claimed her title, eating 48.5
dogs and bun in 10 minutes making
this her seventh straight victory. She
also broke the record for most hot dogs
eaten during the women’s event.
The Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog
Eating Contest in Coney Island went
on indoors and out of public view to
avoid social gathering because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Chestnut did say
the air conditioned indoor temperatures
of the second fl oor of the Coney
Island Nathan’s building on Stillwell
Avenue might possibly allow him to
break his record, and he was right.
The contest featured a wide 30-footlong
table with only fi ve competitors
compared to the usual 15. Each contestant
was separated by plexiglass
and that same glass separated members
of the media nearby. In addition,
all of the contenders were quarantined
prior to the event to prevent any possible
spread of the coronavirus.
Some of the contenders including
fan-favorites such as big Eric “Badlands”
Booker on the men’s side and
Larell Marie Mele, from Long Pond,
Pensylvania, on the women’s side.
Nathan’s donated 100,000 hot dogs
to the Food Bank for New York City,
and additional efforts were made this
year to raise money and bring awareness
to the needs of food banks worldwide.
George Shea, the event’s emcee,
was determined to put on the annual
hot dog contest, but was forced indoors
to comply with social distancing and
gathering guidelines. Even much of
the media were unable to attend, and
the event was kept secret until the last
possible moment to keep crowds from
gathering outside.
The event is typically attended by
thousands.
“Hopefully next year, we will be
back outdoors and bring back the contest
to the Coney Island community,”
Shea said.
STILL
HOT!
Reigning champs
break records
at reimagined
Nathan’s Hot Dog
Eating Contest
PRIVATE DINING: Reigning champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo held onto their titles. Shea Communications