PORT RICHEY, Fla. — The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is the Super Bowl of competitive eating. Two of the best eaters in the world, Port Richey residents Nick Wehry and his wife Miki Sudo, will head to New York City this weekend in search of their respective championships.
"The closest thing I can relate it to is like when you're a kid, and you watch the WWE entrances," Wehry joked. "You can feel the thousands of people on the other side of that wall."
"I think in more recent years, I’ve forced myself to really slow down, almost stop, walk in slow-motion, and really take in the moment and appreciate everything around me," Sudo added "Nathan’s week was an entire blur. So I’m forcing myself to stop, say a little thank you, and appreciate everything I have going on in my life."
Sudo has won eight straight Nathan's contests in which she has entered. She skipped 2021 because she was pregnant with their son, Max. She's the top-ranked female competitor in the world, but she wants to do more than just win another title. She wants to reach a personal best.
"I wanna hit my 50. I very much dislike that my personal record stands at 48.5," Sudo laughed. "It’s just a very unpleasant, dissatisfying number. A nice, round 50 would put me in a different tier."
Wehry is ranked third on the men's side and fourth overall—one spot behind his wife. That's something he's reminded of every day.
"When I come to my dining room and see these—none of which are mine—there’s definitely that pressure to… it’s not in me not to try to win whatever I do," Wehry explained after referencing his wife's Nathan's belts hanging on the wall. "Whether it’s the hot dog eating contest, a bodybuilding contest or mini golf with my kids. I am there to win."
To win, he'll have to outlast one of the greatest eaters of all time: 15-time Nathan's champ Joey Chestnut.
"He’s just a guy," Wehry said confidently. "Everybody can have a bad day. If we do 100 hot dog eating contests, Joey may beat me 99 times. All it takes is one."
Wehry and Sudo both agree that if Wehry pulls off the upset, he won't let anyone forget about it anytime soon.
"If I get a belt, we can do another Zoom, and I will hang it horizontally across all of these. I will staple it," Wehry said. "I will shower with that thing on."
"It’s not even going to go on the wall for a month. He’s going to wear that thing around. To Publix, to Walmart, the gym," Sudo added.
The contest is held on the Fourth of July in Coney Island, NY. Eaters will have ten minutes to consume as many hot dogs and buns as possible.
Nathan's will make a donation of 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank of New York City.
