Joey Chestnut chomped his way to his 16th consecutive win at the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Championship, even after the extravaganza was postponed by two hours due to heavy rainfall and lightning strikes.
Photo by Dean Moses
Joey Chestnut chomped his way to his 16th consecutive win at the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Championship, even after the extravaganza was postponed by two hours due to heavy rainfall and lightning strikes.
Hundreds of frank-fest enthusiasts were ready to relish the annual Independence Day rite at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island on Tuesday afternoon, only to be sent running for cover after a summer storm rolled in.
The dark sky opened up and unleashed a deluge that left spectators soggy and even host George Shea soaked to the bone.
With the NYPD evacuating the area due to lightning concerns, fears arose that the stone-stomached spectacle would be called off completely.
However, Shea told amNewYork Metro that he was determined to put on the show no matter what, even if he had to put it on the Coney Island boardwalk.
“We are doing the contest. It cannot be done right now, but we are doing the contest,” a determined Shea said, as he dripped with water.
Staff scrambled to come up with a solution while the crowds dissipated into the nearby subway station and storefronts in order to take cover from the unrelenting rainfall.
Competitors huddled together as whispers began to indicate that the hot dog eating challenge would be moved inside of the Nathan’s building where the competitors could gouge under the cover of a roof.
These concerns proved to be unfounded though, as two hours after the show was scheduled to air, the storm let up, allowing fan-favorite Chestnut to take the stage in order to defend his title.
Although fans were not permitted in the area due to overarching safety regulations, hundreds still hung around in…
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