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Who is Geoffrey Esper? Meet the new frontrunner in the Joey Chestnut-less hot dog eating contest

Posted on by angelo

Joey Chestnut will not be competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest due to a sponsorship conflict. His absence opens the door for another eater to take center stage and steal the mustard belt from “Jaws.”

The most likely heir? Geoffrey Esper.

Esper has long played second fiddle to Chestnut in the competition. He started out as a little-known competitor in 2015 but worked his way up to become the second-best eater in the competition — and the world.

Who exactly is Geoffrey Esper? Here’s what you need to know about the 47-year-old who is looking to win the title for the first time in his career.

MORE: A look back at Matt Stonie’s upset win over Joey Chestnut in 2015

Who is Geoffrey Esper?

Esper is the #2 ranked competitive eater in Major League Eating and has been Chestnut’s rival in recent years. While he never reached the level of Takeru Kobayashi at the height of his rivalry with Chestnut, Esper appears to be the leading contender for the Mustard Belt in the 2024 Hot Dog Eating Contest.

However, he does not take victory in the flagship event of the culinary competition for granted.

“I have a chance now to win the belt. It’s not going to be easy,” he told the Boston Herald. “There are three other guys that are all very close, so it should be very close.”

Esper finished second to Chestnut in the 2023 event after eating 49 hot dogs, two more than third-place James Webb and four more than fourth-place Nick Wehry, but 13 fewer than Chestnut. Prior to the 2024 event, Esper ate 49.5 hot dogs to easily win a qualifying event.

If Esper can reach 50 dogs by July 4, he should have a good chance of winning the title, although he thinks there will be “a huge asterisk” next to his victory with Chestnut not eating in New York.

“A couple of years ago, I was like, ‘Well, even if I win because Joey’s not here, there’s going to be an asterisk,'” Esper told TMZ. “I’ll admit that to everybody.”

Chestnut announced a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods earlier this summer. Shortly after, Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, banned competitors from promoting competing products, effectively banning Chestnut from the competition.

Still, Esper believes the 2024 edition will be an exciting competition because of the comparable numbers he, Webb, Wehry and others have posted in recent seasons.

“I think it’s going to be even more exciting this year because all four of us are very close to the winning number,” he told TMZ. “The winning number won’t be in the 70s, but it could come down to the last second.”

MORE: Why Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Participants Dip Hot Dogs in Water

Geoffrey Esper’s Hot Dog Statistics

Below is a look at Esper’s stats and results at the hot dog eating contest since he started at the event in 2015:

Year Hot dogs eaten Finishing
2023 49 2nd
2022 47.5 2nd
2021 50 2nd
2020* — —
2019 47 3rd
2018 41 4th
2017 44 4th
2016 37 5th
2015 29.5 7th

*Esper did not participate in the hot dog eating contest in 2020.

MORE: Here’s What Happens Inside the Body After Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Geoffrey Esper’s Recordings

Esper has never eaten as many hot dogs in competition as about 50. He has yet to win the Mustard Belt in the Fourth of July competition, but he has a chance to do so in 2024.

In addition to his hot dog-eating prowess, Esper is a four-time reigning strawberry shortcake-eating champion, having consumed 23.75 pounds as of June 15. Below are some of his other notable milestones, according to his Major League Eating profile.

  • Spam: 9.75 pounds in eight minutes
  • Chicken wings: 281 Buffalo Chicken Wings in 12 Minutes
  • Pogo:11 5.6 oz Corn Dogs in three minutes
  • Banana pudding:15.5 pounds of Apple Lane Farms banana pudding in eight minutes
  • 9 inch personal pizzas:19.25 Pies in 10 minutes
  • Hooters Wings: 281 Hooters wings in 10 minutes
  • Spring rolls: 32.25 4 oz Outlaw Egg Rolls in Eight Minutes
  • Cream Cheese Bagel:17.75 bagels in eight minutes

Next, Esper will look to add a personal record for hot dogs eaten – and a mustard belt – to that list of accomplishments.