This country loves hot dogs, and in the eyes of many citizens, there is no greater American than the man who can eat the most hot dogs.And with that goal in mind the Nathan's Famous Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place every year on July 4th at the site of "Nathan's Famous" in Coney Island, NY. This year's event was a contest worthy of all the hype.I was on location for this momentous occasion, and although I was not garnered with some fancy press pass, I hoped to bring to you the very 'innards' (to use some hot dog parlance) of what has become the marquee event for our country's Hot Dog business. (Pictures and Video after the jump): As legend has it - On July 4th, 1916 four immigrants took part in a hot dog eating contest to prove who was the most 'patriotic'. And in that same spirit of competition and love of country, competitors have gathered to shove sausages and buns in their mouths. In recent years, ESPN has begun covering the event and heralding it as the Superbowl of competitive eating competitions. There is even a video game inspired by event for the Nintento Wii system.Some numbers to munch on:During National Hot Dog Month (July) Americans consume over 2.3 billion hot dogs (that equals about 8 per person in the country).July 18th is officially known as 'National Hot Dog Day'.Last year Joey Chestnut won the Nathan's contest by eating 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes.This year Joey held his title after eating 59 hot dogs in the shortened contest time of 10 minutes. He was tied at the end of regulation time and was forced into a 5 dog sudden-death playoff in which he prevailed.Each year the winner receives $10,000 and the illustrious 'Mustard Belt'.The estimated value Nathan's received from all the publicity and TV coverage of the event is over $39 million.North America's #1 retailer of cooked hot dogs is 7-Eleven, which sells 100 million each year.Annually, Americans spend over $1.9 billion purchasing hot dogs.New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than any other city.Chicago's O'Hare airport consumes more than 6 times more hot dogs than NY's Laguardia and Los Angeles LAX combined.However, those impressive numbers do not do justice to the zeal and passion exhibited each year at Nathan's.(here we see the location of the big event. The corner of Surf and Stillwell Ave. at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.)(They have this giant sign up year round. An homage to the winners of yesteryear along with a giant countdown. Also note the famous and inactive 'Parachute Jump' in the background bottom left.)(As you can see from this photo prior to the contest, lines to buy Nathan's dogs are relatively short. With only a 5 minute wait you were able to place your order and enjoy your meat filled bounty.)(The basic menu. Some may say $2.95 for a hot dog is overpriced, but I was surprised at the afford-ability of most of the items. Also notice the number of calories per item posted on the menu as per NYC's new law. )(Fully staffed and ready to go - Nathan's was looking clean, organized and primed for the ensuing action.)(Nathan's Famous original Frankfurters have that snap/crunch when you first bite into them. Not something you'll find in those water-logged NYC pushcarts.)(That large 'Big Gulp'-sized cup is filled with Killian's Irish Red beer. Costs only $5.50 and was totally worth it. Each one was better than the last.)(This excitable little man was the 'warm up' act for the contest. He kept running around clapping and acting like mini-Uncle Sam - however he's supposed to act. Those paper signs say the name of each competitor noting their standing point. Also check out ESPN all ready to go. But wait! A primo advertising opportunity went undetected, someone really should call 966-4986 for next year. Maybe a well-placed WSF banner?)(Eric 'Badlands' Booker, a former record holder in the Burrito, Pumpkin Pie, and Hot Dog eating contests, gives a TV interview and impromptu freestyle rap demonstation while confused and uninterested kids look on.)(Heinz Ketchup gets in on the cross-promotional sponsorship deal in a big way.)(Former champ, Takeru Kobayashi, who hoped to unseat Joey Chestnut and regain his title had both friends and enemies in the eclectic crowd.)(The guy bent down on one knee has just proposed to his girlfriend on stage. She said yes, and the emcee for the event actually married them right then and there. The emcee said he had become an ordained minister through an online website. It was absolutely beautiful, I'm sure at least a few people cried during the 10 second ceremony.)(In the spirit of Minor League Baseball promotional events, this costumed hot dog named Frankster participated in a dance contest with another mascot. I'm not sure who was the better dancer, but I'm pretty confident everyone involved lost some of their dignity during it.)(Snipers and emergency personnel on the roof overlooking the crowd. Why? "Just in case.")(In a moment that embodies good sportsmanship, Kobayashi and his opponent Joey Chestnut share water from the same Starbucks labeled container for their bun-dunking water cups.)(The event is well underway at this point. With Joey leading by one dog. I have like almost 100 pictures very similar to this one, and I will spare you from scrolling through them all. But be advised it was very exciting.)(An ESPN personality and 'Bun-ette' scorekeeper share a moment during the chaos.)(At the end of the regulation 10 minutes, both Kobayashi and Chestnut were tied with 59 dogs consumed. Chestnut was ahead for most of the contest, with Kobayashi catching up and the All-American chestnut pulling even at the last moment. For the first time ever the contest was settled with a First to finish 5 dogs sudden death playoff.)Here's a crappy 1 minute video I took of the playoff. Sorry for the quality - it was very loud, hot, sweaty, and my hands were trembling with excitement:Hot Dog Contest Overtime Playoff - Watch more free videos(Joey Chestnut retains the champion's Mustard Belt for another year.)(After the contest, we rushed the stage and ate these hot dogs. They were kind of gross from sitting in the sun for a while. But you can't beat a free hot dog.)(Surprisingly the lines at Nathan's after the contest were huge. They announced that 45,000 people attended the event and it seemed like each one of them lined up to buy a hot dog afterwards. You would have thought seeing those guys wolf down 64 in a very unappetizing fashion would deter buyers, but that was definitely not the case.)(The Coney Island amusement park located right down the street and home of the famous Cyclone wooden roller coaster was packed for the rest of the day. It looks like they successfully price-gouged all the out-of-town day visitors too with the increased admission price of $8.)(Did anyone else notice the typo in the official contest t-shirt?)All in all, a great event. I would highly recommend anyone in the NY area to attend next year. But more impressive than that, I would say this is a brilliant example of a successful marketing campaign. Nathan's has revolutionized the sport of competitive eating with this contest and has garnered an enormous boost in reputation and revenues as a result.Fast Company: Hot Dog Numerology, July 2008National Hot Dog and Sausage Council: Vital Hot Dog Statistics, July 2008

Genre: Entertainment

by: Stephen