Prompt: "A non-holiday song for your favorite holiday"
Selected by Maeve
"Cyclone"
Baby Bash ft. T-Pain
Cyclone, 2007
Every year on the Fourth of July, my friends and I attend Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Back in 2013, my best friend Kate's husband took her to the contest. They were just spectators and had an amazing time. The next year they went back, knew where to go and the whole setup. I remember sleeping over Crimson's (nickname for Mike) apartment later that summer as he was telling us about starting a podcast with his best friend about competitive eating. He was fascinated by these people they'd seen at Nathan's every year. It's such a weird world that no one really gives two shits about, except the people in it, it's amazing. They started researching and recording the podcast. As it grew, they became friends with some of the lesser known eaters. Crazy Legs Conti became their "competitive eating guide," coming over and explaining to them years of history. He shouts me out in several podcasts, which is silly. They became good friends with Badlands Booker, who drives one of the subways in NYC, is a rapper on the side and shockingly has made a career out of chugging on YouTube, under the name "Badlands Chugs." Sidenote: but at a later date, Kate and I were in the car with Badlands as he drove us from the Pork Roll Eating Contest at the Trenton Thunder stadium to a dive bar, and it was truly one of the wildest car rides of my life.
But I digress... in 2015, my sister and I went on a road trip that took us to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dollywood, Nashville, and DC, ending with the final day looping back up north and arriving in NYC bright and early. By 8 AM, we were on the subway with the crew. This whole experience was the time of our lives—you get to Coney Island bright and early, and immediately start the day by eating a hot dog (I always opt for chicken tenders) and a giant beer. That year, the boys had media passes, but Bridget, Kate, and I finagled our way to the front. We went to Ruby's Bar after, which has now become a staple in my life and my favorite part of the day every year. After day-drinking for hours, you ride the Cyclone. It's one of those old rickety wooden rollercoasters that hurts your body in a fun way. A few years later, we added swimming into our routine. And now when our time at Ruby's has passed and you're full of drinks and fried clams, you hop right in the Atlantic and float. The water is full of literal trash and you might pull out soda cups and whatnot, but there's nothing more idyllic.
Things have changed over the years, our group size has evolved—some years there were 20 of us, and this year we were back to the core group. We now get VIP status with Friends and Family passes. Now Crimson fills the water cups for Joey Chestnut. Now we hug Oliver, the stage manager, and catch up on life after the production. This year, one of the female eaters, Michelle Lesco, ran up to Kate, Bridget, and I during the boys contest and told us she was so excited for us to meet her boyfriend, that she'd told him all about us. She also came in third this year (normally second place) and instead of bringing a third place trophy back to Tucson with her, she gifted it to me. That trophy now lives behind the bar at Bardot and I gave explicit instructions that whenever anyone asks what it's for, I get a dollar off of my drink.
Coney Island is a magical place, and on the Fourth of July it's even more so. Some of my favorite memories of the past ten years have happened on the Fourth in the sun, while having the time of my life. I cannot recommend it enough, even if you just go once. Have a 9 AM hot dog and beer, ride the Cyclone—hell, sing "Cyclone" while you ride it—swim in the trash water, drink a Long Island Iced Tea at Ruby's. There's no way to not have fun.
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