Happy Independence Day, people! Sorry, that was a day late. 
One of the biggest events on Independence Day is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. It has gotten so popular that ESPN has been showing it live on TV for a couple of years now. Ever since a small Japanese man named Takeru Kobayashi came onto the scene in 2001, interest in the competition has grown dramatically. How did such a small person out eat the big guys? What’s with the “Kobayashi Shake”? Japan held on to the mustard colored belt until last year, when American Joey Chestnut snatched it away. But did the Tsunami have “Jawthritis” last year?
In the show down this year, both Kobayashi and Chestnut were there to compete. Some doubted the competitiveness of Kobayashi since he didn’t even qualify through a qualifier! But, during the competition, he showed he still got it. Both men broke world records for the fastest hot dog eating pace. In the end, it was a tie, but Chestnut prevailed in the death-match eat-off.
Find out about the history of this legendary competition, who the top competitors are, and how you can start to compete. If YOU are a hot dog eating champ, leave me a message on the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest lens. I would love to hear from you!