The Reason Nathan's Started Its Hot Dog Eating Competition

Nathan's Famous is known for making some of the best hot dogs, but the chain, which opened its first location on Coney Island in 1916, is famous for starting a tradition that has become quite the phenomenon. The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a tradition that occurs every year on the Fourth of July, paying homage to the patriotism that helped it get started in the first place.

Nathan's Famous held its first rendition of the event in 1972, but the contest's origins go back much further. Rumor has it that on Independence Day in 1916 four immigrants held a hot dog eating contest at the flagship location of Nathan's Famous on Coney Island to settle the debate about which one of them was the most patriotic. As the story goes, the winner was an Irishman who managed to put down 13 of the stand's legendary hot dogs.

Whether you believe the origin story or not, the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is among the most famous competitive eating events in the world. Eating contests are held for a variety of reasons, from bragging rights and spectacle to trophies and cash prizes. Some people simply host their own for fun, while some contests, like Nathan's Famous competition, attract world-famous competitors like Joey Chestnut, who has won this particular contest 17 times.  Chestnut currently holds the official Guinness World Record for the most hot dogs eaten by a man. At the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2021, he put away an astonishing 76 hot dogs in just 10 minutes.

Eating contests date back to ancient times and have even made an appearance in Norse mythology with the god Loki challenging his servant to an eating contest (and losing). Over the centuries, this odd pastime eventually turned into a competitive "sport" of sorts, even getting an official governing body: Major League Eating.  

Throughout the years of competitive eating, all sorts of competitors have been drawn to the action. There is even a legend about a man squaring up against an ostrich in a pasta-eating competition in Florida. You've probably heard about common foods that are popular in eating contests, like pies at the county fair, but some pretty unusual foods have made their way into competition. In 2017, for example, competitive eaters started turning heads in a race to see who could finish an entire head of lettuce. 

Competitive eating has a low barrier to entry. If you can eat it, you can compete, so there's no reason you can't hold your own eating contest if you feel so inclined. This year alone will feature competitions where people put down as many tamales, chicken wings, and pancakes as possible, along with the annual event that started it all: the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.