Source from: NBCSports
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs should be glad that Takeru Kobayashi is around causing trouble for their hot dog eating contest, because he provided the only drama to be had on Monday. Joey Chestnut won the official Coney Island event, downing 62 weiners in 10 minutes, one short of his record. No one else came close except for Kobayashi, who competed several miles away on the rooftop of a Manhattan bar. Kobayashi polished off 69 hot dogs in the same time, as the official Nathan’s event was broadcast on a big screen next to him. That not only bested Chestnut, but broke the world record by one weenie.
Kobayashi, a former Nathan’s champion, has been banned from that event for the past two years for refusing to sign a contract with the governing body, Major League Eating. So this year he decided to have his own contest on the roof of the bar 230 FIFTH, a few miles from Coney Island. The Wall Street Journal, which live-blogged both events, reports that Kobayashi downed 69 hot dogs, although MLE will likely not recognize the feat. In a bit of corporate myopia, ESPN, which broadcast Chestnut’s win, did not mention Kobayashi at all.
Also, Korean American Sonya Thomas has chowed her way to victory, eating 40 hot dogs to win the first-ever women’s July Fourth hot dog competition on New York’s Coney Island.
Thomas easily swept eight other competitors Monday to win the Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Second-place finisher Juliet Lee, a Chinese American, consumed 29 1/2 hot dogs in the 10-minute race.
So, guess one can say Asians can’t eat when it come to eating hot dogs on the 4th of July!
(Special thanks to Mr. Corky Lee to share this amazing news with us!)