DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, home of the 4th July hot dog eating competition, seen in 2016. PICTURE: Colin Dewar/Shutterstock
• US hot-dog eating champion Joey Chestnut successfully defended his title this week consuming 62 hotdogs in 10 minutes to win his 16th career win. Proceedings at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest at New York City’s Coney Island were delayed slightly due to a thunderstorm before the 39-year-old from Indiana, who fell short of his 2021 world record of 76 hot dogs – set to eating. Second-place went to Geoff Esper of Oxford, Massachusetts, with 49 hot dogs. Earlier, Miki Sudo, of New York, won the women’s competition for the ninth time by eating 39.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes. She too holds a world record – 48.5 hot dogs set in 2020. The competition was first held in 1980 when the winning dog-eaters tied with nine dogs each.
PICTURE: Screenshots via Reuters TV
• Ever wondered what ketchup ice cream tastes like? It’s one of many unusual flavors on offer at London’s ‘The Ice Cream Project’. Sarah Standing, of The Ice Cream Project, said: “I mean, there are some daredevils that come in here and say, ‘give me sweet chilli and lemon curd’ and you’re [like] ‘Really?’ but they love it.” Other flavours include frozen peas, digestive biscuits and cereal. Customer Lydia Beith, of Delish UK, said she thought it “a great opportunity to try some flavors that you wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to try and also just experiment a bit”. “I’d never go out and buy a pea ice cream but actually it’s one I’ve tried today and it’s really surprised me.” The Ice Cream Project runs from 29th June to 27th August. – Reuters TV
Grandparents race at the Emerald Down racecourse in Auburn, Washington, on 25th June. PICTURE: Reuters TV
• Grandparents replaced horses on the Emerald Down racecourse in Auburn, Washington, on a recent Sunday as it hosted its first “Grandparents Weekend.” About 25 grandparents took part and, although some of the elderly participants took a tumble on the bumpy dirt track, many were able to complete the 37 metre race. Steve Butler, of Everett, Washington, took the winner’s title (later telling reporters he hadn’t run in a foot race since he played high school football in 1973. In a post on social media, organisers said it was, “most likely the first time a sporting event celebrated grandparents.” The event is not the only rather odd running event at Emerald Down – its also held races for bulldogs, corgis, jockeys (without horses) and even a “diaper derby” for babies aged up to a year old. – with Reuters TV
