Qualifier for July 4 hot dog-eating contest coming to Santa Cruz

The biggest hot dog eating contest in the world is coming to Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will host a qualifying round for Nathan’s 4th

Of July hot dog eating contest. “We are going to have 13-14 people eating however many hotdogs they can, in 10 minutes,” says director of sales Karlie Pope.

On Wednesday night, at 8:30 p.m. the boardwalk will be hosting a qualifying round for the biggest hotdog eating contest in the world.

“It’s a qualifier for the annual Coney Island Nathan’s hot dog competition. And we think it’s a really unique fit. This is the first year we are hosting it here,” says Pope.

Both men and women will push their hot dog eating skills to the max. The top finishers of this event will qualify for the final round. These events aren’t about luck. Their about pushing the limit. Last year, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., set the all-time record, eating 74 hotdogs in ten minutes. It was certainly a jaw-dropping feat, for sure.

This contest is only for those who have qualified and are registered, but the boardwalk will have plenty of hot dog stands in case you get hungry.

The 14 challengers in the contest will be coming from all over the world, but there will be some local faces, including one from just up the road in Scotts Valley.