The annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest returns Friday, and legendary competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is back in the lineup, seeking his 17th championship.

The 41-year-old from Westfield, Indiana, missed last year’s event due to a contractual dispute with plant‑based meat maker Impossible Foods. Chestnut says he and Nathan’s have since resolved their differences, clearing the way for his comeback.

Chicago’s Patrick Bertoletti, who claimed the men’s crown in Chestnut’s absence, enters as the defending champion on Coney Island’s famed Riegelmann Boardwalk.

On the women’s side, Tampa’s 39‑year‑old Miki Sudo is favored to defend her title and chase an 11th win after setting a women’s record of 51 hot dogs last year.

First held in 1972, the contest stages competitors in front of Nathan’s original Coney Island restaurant, drawing crowds—many sporting foam hot dog hats—to watch eaters consume as many buns and wieners as possible in 10 minutes. Dunking hot dogs in water to soften them is encouraged, adding to the spectacle.

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Fifteen men from the U.S., Australia, the Czech Republic, Canada, England and Brazil will compete, while the women’s field of 13 features all American entrants.

Chestnut holds the event record of 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, set in 2021, and has amassed 16 Mustard Belts. Last July 4, rather than compete, he ate 57 hot dogs in five minutes during an exhibition with U.S. troops in El Paso, Texas.

“I’m thrilled to be back at Coney Island,” Chestnut told The Associated Press last month. He noted he never endorsed Impossible Foods’ vegan products in commercials and that Nathan’s is the only hot dog company he’s partnered with—an oversight he said he should have clarified sooner.

Source: Agency