We all know the Fourth of July as the USA’s political Independence Day but it also marks a huge holiday in US culture. Besides fireworks and BBQs, one of the most well-known events on July 4 every year is the famed International Hot Dog Eating Contest 美国吃热狗大赛 on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, sponsored by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.
Legend says, the first one was held in 1916 by a group of four immigrants who wanted to find out who was the most “patriotic”… It is said to have been won by Jim Mullen, who ate 13 hot dogs in ten minutes.
这项比赛源于1916年7月4日。这天,4个移民在康尼岛的Nathan’s Famous热狗店比赛吃热狗,他们商定,谁在规定的时间里吃的热狗数量最多,谁就最爱国。最后,一名叫Jim Mullen的参赛者在规定的10分钟内吃掉了13个热狗,赢得胜利。从此以后,在每年美国独立日都会有吃热狗比赛,参赛的人越来越多,实力越来越强,让吃热狗比赛也越来越有看头。
This year’s contest is the 100th anniversary, so we can be sure it will be a huge event! The current world record is held by Joey Chestnut who ate a whopping 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes and last year’s world champion is Matt Stonie who just ate 62.
The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) has sanctioned the event since 1997. Today, only entrants currently under contract by the IFOCE can compete in the contest. The world of competitive eating is no joke.
The competitors stand on a raised platform behind a long table with drinks and Nathan’s Famous hot dogs in buns. Most contestants have water on hand, but other kinds of drinks can and have been used. Condiments are allowed, but are usually not used. The hot dogs are allowed to cool slightly after grilling to prevent possible mouth burns. The contestant that consumes (and keeps down) the most hot dogs and buns (HDB) in ten minutes is declared the winner.
Spectators watch and cheer the eaters on from close proximity. A designated scorekeeper is paired with each contestant, flipping a number board counting each hot dog consumed. Partially eaten hot dogs count and the granularity of measurement is eighths of a length. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of regulation count if they are subsequently swallowed. Yellow penalty cards can be issued for “messy eating,” and red penalty cards can be issued for “reversal of fortune”, which results in disqualification. If there’s a tie the contestants go to a 5-hot-dog eat-off to see who can eat that many quickly. Further ties will result in a sudden-death eat-off of eating 1 more hot dog the fastest.
After the winner is declared, a plate showing the number of hot dogs eaten by the winner is brought out for photo opportunities.
ESPN has long enjoyed solid ratings from its broadcast of the Hot Dog Eating Contest on July Fourth, and on July 1, 2014 the network announced it had extended its agreement with Major League Eating and will broadcast the contest through 2024. The event continues to be recognized for its power as a marketing tool. So if you have ESPN, be sure to watch this year’s contest!
They’ve got referees, color commentators, even cheerleaders! Have a look below:
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Somehow, I still feel hungry for a hot dog… how many do you think I could eat?