Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier Returns to Lake Compounce

They call it a competition, but honestly, it’s just a full-contact battle between men and women's bellies, and the inevitable regret of eating a small farm’s worth of Snappy Dogs. Yes, boys and girls, I'm talking about the 2025 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest's qualifying event! And if you’ve never seen a group of adults voluntarily stuff 50+ Meat Torpedoes down their gullets in under ten minutes, you’re missing out on a uniquely American art form, and quite honestly, it's mildly horrifying

This year, the Stamford Advocate delivered the tasty news that the Nathan's qualifying event will begin at 1 pm on Saturday, May 10th, at Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park. Last year, Geoffrey Esper of Oxford, Massachusetts, dominated the Lake Compounce qualifier by consuming 49.5 hot dogs—18.5 more than the runner-up. He went on to place second at the main event, finishing behind Patrick Bertoletti, who downed 58 hot dogs. 
 Joey Chestnut, the reigning champion with a record 76 hot dogs, was notably absent last year due to a previous commitment. It’s still up in the air if he’ll return to Coney Island this year, but if he does, you can bet he’s bringing his industrial-strength esophagus with him.

Connecticut native Nick Wehry, ranked No. 6 by Major League Eating, is another contender to watch. Born in Hartford and a graduate of Wamogo Regional High School, Wehry has a history of competitive eating success. A wise man recently told me that, "This is the only sport where your main piece of equipment is your esophagus and your greatest enemy is your own dignity."

According to Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan's Famous contest, the Connecticut qualifier is kicking things off for this year's competition. The top male and female eaters at Lake Compounce will lock in their spots for the July 4 event. I'll leave you with a couple of horrible hot dog jokes:

** What did the angry hot dog say to the ketchup and mustard?
"You're really pushing my buns today!"

** How do you make a hot dog stand?
You take away its chair. (Classic dad joke action.)

How do you like your weiners?