Stop Just Watching And Finally Host Your Own Hot Dog Eating Contest This Year

Fans of the All-American hot dog have likely heard of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Perhaps even the name Joey Chestnut, 15-time champion of the event, has graced dinner table conversations at some point. Certainly, a few minutes of discussing competitive eating contests can be enough to inspire you to hold your own. Like any other sport or competition, there are inherent risks involved in devouring as much of one food as possible within a very short time limit. Thankfully, once you've set a date and gathered some like-minded friends, there are ways to participate safely (with some slight deviation from the traditional rules).

Going by the official rules, competitors must eat as many hot dogs as possible within five to 10 minutes. Some regulations have limitations on how long a hot dog can remain in the gurgitators' (a fancy word for competitive eaters) mouths before swallowing, as well as what actually counts as a whole hot dog. All of these rules emphasize a speediness to participation. In the spirit of doing this safely at home while respecting the art of the game, the time limit is a major point of deviation from the rules. Here, it's recommended to switch from a time-limited event to simply a hot dog-eating party. As the event goes on, the host or judge can keep a tally of how many hot dogs have been consumed by participants and who tapped out at what time.

Of course, some precaution is warranted when hosting a hot dog-eating party. For example, former competitor and champion, Takeru Kobayashi, had to retire from competitive eating due to the longterm effects it had on his body. Additionally, since the gurgitators in an official competition are typically consuming at such a fast pace, the food itself is a potential hazard. Here, another deviation or two can come into play in terms of role designations: In addition to judges, there can be hot dog "pacers" or "gofers" who retrieve hot dogs as needed (rather than use a central tower of hot dogs). Hand in hand with this role, the organizers can delegate someone certified in first aid as a safety relief who can assist when needed.

It's agreed that a competitive eating contest can be a fun, high-energy event that brings people together. It's a great idea for a community event or a fun party at home if proper precautions are taken. As with anything else, organizing an event like this responsibly and safely is of the utmost importance; don't be afraid to alter the official rules for the sake of making everyone comfortable. During the event, its important for the audience to cheer everyone on and that participants don't feel any actual pressure. After all, the focus is more on having a good time with friends — even if there's a little competition involved.