Joseph "Joey" Christian Chestnut (born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater. He is currently ranked first in the world by Major League Eating. He is a Vallejo, California, native and resides in San Jose, California. Chestnut's height is 6-feet-one-inch (1.9 m); his weight is 230 pounds (104 kg).
On July 4, 2007, Chestnut won the 92nd Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, beating six-time defending champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi by consuming 66 hot dogs and buns (HDB) in 12 minutes, which set a new world record. The following year, he successfully defended his title by winning a 5 hot dog eat-off after tying Kobayashi in consuming 59 HDB in 10 minutes. On July 4, 2009, Chestnut beat Kobayashi again, by consuming a new world record of 68 HDB and winning his third consecutive title. On July 4, 2010, Chestnut took home his 4th consecutive Mustard Belt eating 54 HDB. The 2010 contest was a runaway victory, as Kobayashi did not compete due to a contract dispute with Major League Eating. On July 4, 2011, he won his fifth-consecutive championship with 62 HDB. 2012 marked his sixth consecutive win, when Chestnut tied his own world record from 2009 by devouring 68 HDB. In 2013, Chestnut captured his seventh straight title, eating a total of 69 HDB, breaking his previous world record. In 2014, Chestnut captured his eighth straight title eating a total of 61 HDB.
Chestnut proposed to his longtime girlfriend Neslie Ricasa just before defending his title in the 2014 Nathan's competition. The couple split up in early 2015, prior to their scheduled wedding date.
Chestnut lost the 2015 Hot Dog eating contest to Matt Stonie. On July 4, 2016, Chestnut regained the championship belt from Stonie by eating 70 hot dogs; 3.5 hot dogs short of his record-setting qualifying round. A year later on July 4, 2017, he raised the bar again by raising his record to 72 hot dogs.
History
2005
Chestnut, a San Jose State University student, entered the competitive eating scene in 2005 with a break-out performance in the deep-fried asparagus eating championship, in which he beat high-ranked eater Rich LeFevre by eating 6.3 pounds of asparagus in 11.5 minutes. That same year, during Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, he downed 32 dogs, placing third behind Takeru Kobayashi and Sonya Thomas.
On October 22, 2005, Chestnut set a new world record for downing 32.5 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes at the Arizona State Fair, as part of the GoldenPalace.net World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship circuit.
Chestnut defeated Thomas in the Waffle House World Waffle Eating Championship and placed second to her in a Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship qualifier, downing 56 Krystal Burgers in eight minutes to her 57. He later beat her by eating 91 hamburgers in the finals, finishing second to the 97 hamburgers consumed by Kobayashi.
2006
Chestnut qualified for the 2006 Nathan's Contest by eating 50 hot dogs with buns (HDB). As July 4 approached, there was speculation that 2006 might be the year when Kobayashi would be beaten. It was not to be, however. Although Chestnut turned in a great performance, leading Takeru Kobayashi through most of the contest, the final tally put Chestnut at 52 and Kobayashi at  53 3â„4 (a new world record). Chestnut lost to Kobayashi in the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He ate 41 bratwurst sausages in 10 minutes. Kobayashi ate 58.
2007
In 2007, Chestnut won the Wing Bowl XV, an annual Philadelphia event at the Wachovia Center. In this competition, he ate 182 chicken wings in 30 minutes, becoming a Wing Bowl champion and record holder.
Chestnut was seen on a YouTube video drinking a gallon of milk in 41 seconds.
On July 4, 2007, Chestnut and Kobayashi battled the field in a record-setting hot dog eating battle in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, at Nathan's Contest. Chestnut knocked off Kobayashi 66â€"63, leading to the latter's first defeat in the contest in six years.
On October 28, 2007, between 2:33 and 2:41, Chestnut ate 103 Krystal burgers in the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was Chestnut's personal best, and is the new world record.
2008
Chestnut started off 2008 very well by setting two new world records: (1) he devoured 241 wings in 30 minutes at the Wing Bowl XVI in Philadelphia on February 1(The record was broken by Takeru Kobayashi at the Wing Bowl XX in 2011. Kobayashi ate 337 wings), and (2) he ate 78 matzo balls during Kenny & Ziggy's World Matzoh Ball Eating Championship in Houston, Texas on March 2.
On 24 March 2008, Chestnut set a new record at The Big Texan Steak Ranch restaurant in Amarillo, Texas by eating a meal of 72-ounce ribeye steak, salad, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, and roll in just 8 minutes 52 seconds. Shortly after, on his show on KKLA, Frank Pastore, the previous record holder, congratulated Chestnut. (The overall human record is 4 minutes 18 seconds, done by Molly Schuyler on 19 April 2015, on her first of three meals. She subsequently had two more meals, and completed them all after 20 minutes elapsed.)
On 21 June 2008, Chestnut lost to Takeru Kobayashi in a Pizza Hut P'Zone competition at Sony Studios in Culver City, California. The competition aired on Spike TV on June 21.
On 4 July 2008, Chestnut tied Takeru Kobayashi in the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Contest after eating 59 HDB in 10 minutes. The tie resulted in a 5-hotdog eat-off, which Chestnut won by consuming all 5 hot dogs before Kobayashi. The 59 is a new record in the competition based on the reduction from 12 minutes to 10 minutes. Chestnut weighed in at 102 kilograms (225 pounds).
On 28 July 2008, Chestnut lost to Takeru Kobayashi in Chicken Satay eating in the MLE Asia inaugural event. He consumed just over 4 kilograms to Kobayashi's almost 5.5.
On 23 August 2008, Chestnut defeated #2 IFOCE ranked competitive eater Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti in the 2nd Gyoza Eating Championship in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California. He devoured 231 gyoza, setting a new world record; he beat his previous record of 212, set in the inaugural event in 2006 when he narrowly defeated Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas (210). Thomas did not attend the 2008 event due to budgetary and travel costs.
On 12 October 2008, he consumed 45 slices of pizza, winning the "Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship", which was held in New York's Times Square. This would be a brief record until Bertoletti would consume 47 slices a few weeks later.
2009
On February 21, 2009, he consumed 10 and a half pounds of macaroni and cheese in seven minutes during halftime at the San Jose Stealth lacrosse game, beating out his contestants and adding another world record to his name.
On July 4, 2009, Chestnut topped his previous record of 59 hot dogs and buns by consuming 68 HDB in the 2009 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
On September 27, 2009, Chestnut lost to Takeru Kobayashi in Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship. He ate 81 hamburgers. Kobayashi ate 93.
On Man v. Food, San Jose, Chestnut ate Iguana's Burritozilla: a 5-pound, 17-inch burrito in 3 minutes, 10 seconds.
2010
On May 9, 2010, Chestnut won Shrimp Wontons eating in Singapore. Chestnut ate 380 wontons in 8 minutes to set a new world record.
On July 4, 2010, Chestnut secured his fourth straight Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest, by consuming 54 HDB in what he himself describes as a disappointing performance.
On September 18, 2010, Chestnut ate his way to a First-Ever Pepto Bismol Bratwurst Eating Championship at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chestnut devoured 42 Queen City Sausage brats in 12 minutes.
On September 25, 2010, at the Phantom Gourmet Food Fest in Boston, Massachusetts, Chestnut won the Upper Crust Pizza Eating competition by taking down 37 slices in 10 minutes. He beat the Notorious BOB Shoudt by 1 slice.
2011
On July 4, 2011, Chestnut secured his fifth straight Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest, by consuming 62 HDB. Kobayashi, who could not participate in the contest because of his refusal to sign the required contract, ate 69 HDB at an off-site event with independent judges to establish a new world record.
2012
Joe graduated from San Jose State in 2012.
On March 17, 2012 (St. Patrick's Day) Chestnut set a new world record by eating 20 half pound Corned Beef sandwiches in 10 minutes at the annual Toojay's Corned Beef eating competition in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti finished in second place.
On July 4, 2012, Chestnut successfully defended his title at Nathan's 97th Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. He tied his own world record by swallowing 68 HDB in 10 minutes, which earned him his 6th "mustard belt" for this competition.
On August 27, 2012, Chestnut cursed at Hofmann Hot dog and Kobayashi, stating in a Twitter post, "Congrats to @FReeKobio704 for eating a bunch of nasty Hoffman crap dogs. He needed an ego boost after 3 years of dodging competition."
On September 2, 2012, Chestnut consumed 191 wings (7.61 pounds) in 12 minutes to win the 1st place competitive-eating trophy at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York. He defeated the previous five-year champion Sonya Thomas.
On October 13, 2012, Chestnut won the Third Annual Smoke's Poutinerie World Poutine Eating Championships in Toronto, Ontario by consuming 19 boxes (9.5 pounds) of poutine in 10 minutes.
2013
On July 4, 2013, Chestnut successfully defended his title at Nathan's 98th Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. He beat his own world record of 68 by consuming 69 HDB in 10 minutes, which earned him his 7th Mustard Belt for this competition.
On July 25, 2013, Chestnut ate 179 wings in 10 minutes taking the title for the second year in a row at the Hooters World Wing-Eating Championship held in Clearwater, Florida.
On September 22, 2013, Chestnut ate 70 bratwursts to set the world record and take his fourth straight title, at the Hillshire Farm Bratwurst Eating World Championship held at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati, OH.
Chestnut has said upon many occasions that his favorite food is prime rib, not hot dogs.
2014
On July 4, 2014, Chestnut ate more hot dogs than any of his opponents, narrowly defeating competitor Matt Stonie. He successfully ate 61 hot dogs to Stonie's 56, making this his 8th consecutive win. Prior to the event, Chestnut proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Neslie Ricasa.
2015
On July 4, 2015, Chestnut was defeated by Stonie. He successfully ate 60 hot dogs, but Stonie improved since 2014 and consumed 62 hot dogs, ending Chestnut's eight-year run as champion.
2016
On July 4, 2016, Chestnut redeemed himself with 70 hot dogs and buns with Stonie behind with 53 hot dogs and buns. On September 4, 2016, he won his third consecutive title at the United States Chicken Wing Eating Championships in Buffalo, New York by eating 188 wings in 12 minutes.
2017
On July 4, 2017, Chestnut defended his title and ate 72 hot dogs and buns. This was his 10th title and once again set a new Coney Island record. Carmen Cincotti was the closest competitor with 68.
Training
Chestnut trains by fasting and by stretching his stomach with milk, water and protein supplements. Since the start of his competitive eating career, his competition weight has varied from 225â€"240 pounds (102â€"109 kg). After winning his sixth consecutive hot dog eating contest in 2012 by eating 68 hot dogs, he stated, ″I will not stop until I reach 70. This 'sport' isn't about eating. It's about drive and dedication, and at the end of the day hot dog eating challenges both my body and my mind.″
World records held
- St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail: 15 pounds in 8 minutes at the St. Elmo Steak House Shrimp Cocktail Eating Championship in Indianapolis, IN on December 3, 2016.
- Deep Fried Asparagus Eating Championship in Stockton, California, May 2014: 12.8 lbs. deep fried asparagus in 10 minutes.
- Pork ribs: 13.76 pounds pork rib meat in 12 minutes at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort during the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off in Sparks, Nevada on August 28, 2013.
- Steak: 4.5 pounds of steak, plus sides, in 8 minutes, 52 seconds at Big Texan Steak Ranch on March 24, 2008. Chestnut's record was broken on Monday May 26, 2014 by competitive eater Molly Schuyler, who finished in 4 minutes, 58 seconds; by the next year she bested her own record, currently at 4 minutes, 18 seconds.
- (Hot Dogs) Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs and buns (HDB): 72 HDB in 10 minutes during the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier in Coney Island, New York on July 4, 2013. This record is backed by MLE and shared with Takeru Kobayashi. This beat by 1 the record he set in the Nathan's event in 2009, and tied in 2012.
- Matzoh Balls: 78 matzoh balls in 8 minutes at Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant in Houston, Texas on March 2, 2008
- Bratwurst: 70 bratwursts in 10 minutes at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati, OH on September 22, 2013.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: 141 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes at the Radcliff Fall Festival in Radcliff, KY on October 5, 2013.
- Pork Roll: 32 quarter-pound pork roll sandwiches in 10 minutes at the Trenton Thunder World Famous Case's Pork Roll Eating Championship in Trenton, NJ on September 26, 2015.
- Mutton Sandwich: 55 of 4oz mutton sandwiches in 10 minutes at 2017 International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky
See also
- List of competitive eaters
References
External links
- Official Joey "Jaws" Chestnut Website
- International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) profile
- Sports Illustrated feature on 2006 contest
- The Wave Magazine profile and interview
- Photos from the TripRewards 2007 Ultimate Hotwing Eating Contest
- Eat Feats Profile
