Wiener-takes-all dogfight Saturday in Bryant Park
Inaugural hot dog eating contest kicks off a bun-forgettable Fourth of July evening in downtown Lake Worth Beach
FRANKLY SPEAKING, it didn’t take much for David Kalashnikov to mustard up the courage to enter Lake Worth Beach’s inaugural Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
The buns-out battle at Bryant Park will feature six wannabe Joey Chestnuts and Miki Sudos chewing for gluttonous wiener-take-all glory by being the first to down 20 hot dogs in five minutes.
And, hot diggity dog, the “steaks” couldn’t be higher: A trophy for the first place winner and a medal for second place, along with a tasty bonus for those two top-dog downers: gift certificates to Benny’s on the Beach and Lilo’s Street Food.
“I would never turn down free food on top of free food with a prize of more free food,’’ said Kalashnikov, 19, who’s relishing the chance to be L-Dub’s first sausage sultan.
Teeing up the city’s Independence Day festivities, the dog-eat-dog scrum starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in front of the Bryant Park bandshell — 1,222 miles south of Coney Island, home of the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, the inspiration for the Lake Worth Beach event.
While the Nathan’s Famous competition is known for attracting professional eaters, L-Dub’s version will feature amateur chowhounds.
“We’re going to have fun with it,’’ said Stuart Sword, the city’s interim director of Leisure Services, who will hot dog it as master of ceremonies with a pre-fight press conference and walk-up music for each of the six participants.
They’ll be sitting at three tables, each with two contestants, in front of trays piled with 120 wieners (20 per tray) and lots of bottled water.
“We’ll say,’ Go,’ and they have five minutes to consume as many hot dogs as they can, including the bun,’’ Sword said. “If at any point someone finishes all 20, the clock will keep going.’’
And if the clock is still ticking, the first to eat 20 must keep the consumed contents in his or her stomach until the judges declare a winner.
Contestants signed up to compete via an online portal and were chosen first come, first served. Fourteen others are on a waiting list, in case anyone backs out.
Morgan Anderson of Lake Worth Beach can’t stomach the thought of not competing.
“I love community events like this because it brings people together. And I thought it would be a fun thing to do to challenge myself,’’ she said.
Anderson, 33, works two jobs, as a yoga instructor and at an art gallery. This is her first food-eating contest.
“I had the feeling that I was probably going to be different from the rest of the pack,’’ she said with a laugh. “Maybe they’ll put me in between two big guys.’’
To prepare, Anderson said she has been studying videos of professional hot-dog eating ringers, including Chestnut and Sudo, “just to see how they do it and also the pacing.’’
Justin Guido of Greenacres, another contestant, has been adhering to a more intense training regimen.
“I’ve been eating a lot of sandwiches, just getting my stomach used to feeling full,’’ he said. “I’m not a big guy. I’m skinny.’’
Guido, 22, said he signed up “spur of the moment’’ after “a friend sent me an online post as a joke. He knows I really like hot dogs.’’
But this being his first eating competition, he sometimes wonders if he might be biting off more than he can chew.
He was considering one final preparation strategy on Thursday or Friday.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to fast,’’ he said.
The six gluttons for gastronomical punishment won’t be the only attraction Saturday in downtown Lake Worth Beach.
The Great American Raft Race on the Lake Worth Lagoon will start at noon at the Bryant Park boat ramps, following a 10 a.m. parade on Lake Avenue. Those events are hosted by the Neighborhood Association Presidents’ Council.
The city’s festivities continue at 6 p.m. with remarks, live music, a parachute drop (including Vice Mayor Mimi May tandem jumping with a professional skydiver) and a drone and fireworks display.
The park will feature a Kids Zone with games, face painting, a car show and an “Exploratorium” science tent hosted by City Commissioner Chris McVoy.
A prime spot for watching the raft race, drones and fireworks will be the refurbished Bryant Park jetty just south of the boat ramps. It opened earlier this week for the first time in eight months after a $49,000 repair job.
On the north end of Lake Worth Beach, American Legion Post 47 will host a car and motorcycle show, and offer $12 barbecue meals, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2315 N. Dixie Highway.
FOURTH OF JULY IN BRYANT PARK
10 a.m. Raft race parade starts on Lake Avenue, ends at boat ramps
Noon Great American Raft Race
5:30 p.m. Hot Dog Eating Contest
6 p.m. Welcoming remarks and music
7:30 p.m. Parachute Team Demonstration
7:35 p.m. Sekond Nature
8:30 p.m. Elton & The Jets
9:00 p.m. Drone Show
9:15 p.m. Fireworks
9:30 p.m. Elton & the Jets
What a pun-derful article!