Hot-dog champ Joey Chestnut explains how he got into competitive eating
“Training for competitive eating… you’re always self taught. There’s no books on it. It’s not always pretty, but I love it. I love making my body work for me in this weird way.”
“It was love at first bite”
Growing up in California after being born in Kentucky, Chestnut opted for an engineering and construction management degree at San Jose State, where he studied his extreme eating talents in the dining halls. Eventually encouraged by his friends to join an eating contest, he quickly realized that he felt quite the connection to the rush of the sport.
“It was love at first bite on stage… I was addicted.”
In 2007, he defeated reigning six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi in his third entry of the annual hot dog contest, starting a eight-year run as the event’s champion, and starting a lore as one of the most unique stars in world sports.
One thing that Chestnut didn’t have to make up is a stage name: his real name really is Joseph Chestnut.
“I don’t know that I was made for (being a star) because I grew up with ‘Chestnut’. Kids are evil. ‘Chestnut’ was hard growing up with,” he said with a laugh. “It’s funny now that as an adult it works. I’m really lucky that it works now.”
Crushing hot dogs at a Blue Jays game
Outside of several visits to Toronto, Chestnut has also competed in events in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Regina. And despite being known as an icon in America, he’s still got some love for his neighbours up north.
“Every time I come to Canada, it’s awesome,” Chestnut said.
In 2023, Chestnut came to Toronto for a loonie dog night at the Rogers Centre during a Blue Jays game, helping to set a then-record 51,629 hot dogs, though it’s since been eclipsed by a total of 96,633 earlier this season.
“I stayed in the hotel that you can see the view of the stadium like you’re in the ballpark. That was rad,” Chestnut shared of his time in the Marriott City Centre Hotel.
As for Chestnut himself, he said his own output would be considerably lower over the course of nine innings than it’d be on stage, but still far the output of the average person.
“In a contest, it’d be 70-80 dogs. During the game, for fun… I’d want to get one for every out. So, 27 dogs, pretty comfortable,” he said.
Chesnut describes his best experience in Canada, however, happened when he had a chance encounter with actor Kiefer Sutherland at a bar in downtown Toronto.
While he won’t be eating hot dogs on Saturday, Chestnut will have the target of 28 pounds of poutine to beat his own record in the Toronto event.
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