2008 Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion

The 2008 Nathans Hot Dog Eating Championship was held Friday, July 4, 2008 at Coney Island in New York.

Fans of the event expected a showdown between Takeru Kobayashi, 6-time winner of the contest, and Joey Chestnut, last year’s champ, and they were not disappointed. Many were surprised by the outcome, however.

This year, three eaters consumed 59 hot dogs apiece in the regulation 10 minutes, throwing the competition into an eat-off situation. Reigning champ Joey Chestnut held off rivals Patrick Bertoletti and Takeru Kobayashi to maintain his crown.

No one broke the world record, as the duration of the competition was shorter by 2 minutes this year.

So it be? Maybe . . .