The women's 2016 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest
Every Fourth of July the best eaters in the world congregate at Coney Island and go head to head in the world’s greatest hot dog eating contest.
Half of those eaters are women.
You might not know that from the media coverage of the contest. After all, the men’s eating contest gets broadcast on ESPN while the women’s is only ever available online. The women’s contest is lucky to get a thirty second spot on the televised broadcast. And Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie, ranked the number one and two eaters in the world, dominate the press, become trending topics on Facebook, Twitter. The men’s eating contest gets the most attention.
I admit that even I place emphasis on the men’s contest when reporting back afterwards. I mean, it’s been a month and I haven’t even posted these photos until now.
But, every year, women compete in a hot dog eating contest of their own, on the same day, on the same stage, fighting for the same prizes and glory. And the female eaters are equally as talented, equally as amazing, and provide an equally thrilling contest.
Fourteen of the top fifty Major League competitive eaters are women. Four of the top eleven-ranked eaters are women: Miki Sudo (3), Sonya Thomas (6), Michelle Lesco (10), and Juliet Lee (11). And, this Fourth of July, Miki Sudo ate 38.5 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes to win the women’s division of the contest. Miki ate more than 13 of the 16 men who competed. Sonya Thomas, more than 10. And Michelle Lesco and Juliet Lee both equal to or more than 6. Even the lowest placing female eater ate three more than the lowest placed man… (OK OK, maybe not a fair assessment, but still…)
Hopefully, some Fourth of July very soon, the women will be given their hot dog equality and their contest will be given equal air time. Because 31 eaters ate on the Fourth of July. 15 women ate on the Fourth of July. And there were two hot dog eating champions crowned.
Miki Sudo wins the women's competition at the 2016 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo wins the women's competition at the 2016 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Mary Bowers eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Meredith Boxberger eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Kassie Zapata eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Larelle Marie Mele eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Juliet Lee eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Mary Bowers eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Juliet Lee eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Meredith Boxberger eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Larelle Marie Mele eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Juliet Lee eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
The women’s contest at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Sonya Thomas eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Mary Bowers eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo and Sonya Thomas compete at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo and Sonya Thomas compete at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Michelle Lesco eats at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Michelle Lesco and Miki Sudo at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Juliet Lee comes in third at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
Sonya Thomas comes in second at the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Miki Sudo wins the 2016 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Women eat too, you know. The women’s 2016 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Bucket List Idea: Watch the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest. | Women eat too, you know. The women’s 2016 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Hi, I'm Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the kitten. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job, bought a one-way ticket to Europe, and traveled for three years. Now I'm back in Chicago, decorating my apartment in all the teal, petting my cats, and planning my next adventure.
