A New Hope

Joey Chestnut, they muttered beneath their breath, Joey Chestnut could be the one.

It may be too soon to talk about it, we may be jinxing the best chance we’ve had in a long time, but the world of competitive eating is a-buzz with Joey Chestnut.

Last Thursday, in the Las Vegas qualifier for the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, Mr. Chestnut set a new American record by eating 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. “This is the greatest thing to happen in the history of American sports. Joey Chestnut’s accomplishment may change the course of a nation” said Richard Shea, President of the International Federation of Competitive Eaters.

Since 1916, Nathan’s Famous has conducted their vaunted hot dog eating contest on Coney Island. For the last four years the title has been held by one Takeru Kobayashi, a slight 144lb. Japanese man who packs away HDBs (hot dogs and buns) like Tic-Tacs. His 2005 title came on the heels of a record 49 HDBs in 12 minutes. Thought by some to be the Greatest Eater in History, Kobayashi and his feats of degustation over the past couple of years have helped to catapult competitive eating into the mainstream. The Nathan’s competition is like the World Series of competitive eating, sanctioned by the IFOCE and given air-time on ESPN.

And while watching diminutive Asian people (the 100lb. Korean-born Sonya Thomas came in second last year with 42 HDBs and is widely considered to be one of the toughest eaters alive) snarf hot dogs is entertaining, you can’t help but think that overeating is clearly an American stong-point, why can’t we hold the coveted Mustard Yellow International Belt?

Enter Joey Chestnut, 22-year-old civil engineering student from California. A striking 6’6″ tall and weighing in at 230lb., Mr. Chestnut seems to fit the conventional ideal of a competitive eater. He slipped into the buzz last year when, as a veritable nobody, he won the Stockton Fried Asparagus Eating Contest. When it came time for Nathan’s, he shocked the veterans by coming in third. He looks hungry, and unlike Kobayashi, we aren’t left to wonder where it all goes.

As of Thursday, the gauntlet has been thrown. Will 2006 play out the classic American Cinderella story? Will the phenom Mr. Chestnut take the title in the name of his brother, a National Guardsman fighting in Iraq? Or will it be a Kobayashi Maru: an imcomprehensible use of will power and esophagial skill to topple a mighty foe?

The Nathan’s circuit has officially begun, the next qualifying competition in Philly on Memorial Day. After that eaters in Tempe, Norfolk, New Jersey and Atlanta will have a shot at winning a place on Coney Island for The Fourth.

We will be watching, Mr. Chestnut, oh yes we will.