How many American hotdogs could you force down your throat in ten minutes?
That was the question being asked of competitors on Coney Island, as Americans indulged in the great traditions of their annual Independence Day.
In Washington, they marched to the beat of the drums, in California they paraded the 'stars and stripes' through the streets, but in Coney Island, New York they chowed down the dogs!
"This is my grandma here, and she has never been to New York City, so we just came for the weiners," one woman told Newshub.
Eating weiners in America is a Fourth of July tradition, drawing tens of thousands of spectators, and potentially millions of viewers across the world.
"We don't have a lot of traditions here, this is a young country, but this is a hundred-year-old competition, since 1916," one man said.
"The thing is Americans are really good at making something out of jokes".
During the competition on Coney Island contestants have ten minutes to down as many hot dogs as they can.
Last year, the winner downed 63 American hot dogs within that time.
And it's no easy task, athletes aren't even allowed condiments or utensils.
They can dunk the dogs in water, and while that sounds gross, it helps them down the dogs faster, apparently.
Fifteen competitors take the stage, but as we found out most fans only came to see one.
"We're talking an athlete in the echelon of Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Jordan, this is one of the best athletes in the world"
That athlete is known as the hot dog eating machine, "Joey Chesnut", a competitor who has won 15 times before.
A thunderstorm threatened to ruin his shot while downing his sixteenth hot dog, but eventually Joey did, what Joey does best, and he did it 62 times.
"I give you the number one ranked eater in the world, Joey Chestnut," the competition's announcer yelled.
A win leaving these Americans, in complete awe of this symbol of American greatness.
