After a couple of years of being held in different places based on the Coronavirus pandemic the time-honored Nathan’s hot dog eating contest was back on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenue’s in Coney Island. 2020 found the event going virtual and last year it was at the nearby baseball stadium but there is truly nothing like having this out on the street in front of the very first Nathan’s restaurant. As expected there were thousands in attendance and the heat of the day was about 85 degrees but sadly I would not be out there in the mix and instead was tuning in again from the household. Truth be told, despite my going to some concerts and conventions I’m not 100% there yet with a crowd like this one that is heaped on top of each other with barely an inch to breathe. I think the media gets placed in a special area of their own but having never looked into the whole thing I was not certain. The rallying was mostly behind the current and continued men’s champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut but there were a few notable contenders looking to unseat him. For the women, Miki Sudo was returning and looking to claim the belt back from last year’s champion Michelle Lesco. I am happy to report that both Chestnut and Sudo won their side of the competition.
Competitive Eaters from everywhere will vie for the Mustard Belt by eating as many Nathan’s Famous hot dogs as they possibly can. Once again this will be a publicly attended affair and back at the corner of the Nathan’s Famous establishment. As we always say, if you attend please order up a couple for us and then visit the beach and boardwalk.
Slowly but surely the world is returning to a somewhat normalized sense from the choking grip of the Coronavirus Pandemic and while some expos like the International Franchise Expo have decided to press forward and take place in-person, there were a number of cancellations that we’ve already lined out right here on “The Chronicles of Piercing Ken”. For those who’ve fallen behind I am speaking of the New York International Auto Show, The NY Luxury Design Fair and The Summer Fancy Food Show. The IFE would be my second time back in the Javits Center after an 18 month break in doing so when we hit the NY Now event.
Last year, the annual tradition of the hot dog eating content that happens at the Coney Island Nathan’s was held virtually due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. There was an EXTREMELY limited audience of dignitaries and press but for the rest of us it was time to tune into the broadcast on ESPN. Now in 2021, the world is slowly but surely moving towards a better place but instead of being on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues the event would be held at the nearby MCU Park baseball stadium. There were thousands present but you needed an access to enter since it was in the stadium and like many event spaces you needed to show vaccination proof. I had interest in attending but had only just returned from a family vacation so didn’t look into working this out. The odds were high that Joey Chestnut would once again bring home the Mustard Belt but the women’s champion Miki Sudo would be sitting this one out based on being pregnant.
Competitive Eaters from everywhere will vie for the Mustard Belt by eating as many Nathan’s Famous hot dogs as they possibly can. Once again this will be a publicly attended affair as vaccinations continue to happen and the pandemic slowly gets put behind us (we hope at least). If you are there in person be sure to order up a couple for us and then visit the beach.
