“Hungry” Charles Hardy and rembering 9/11
On September 11, 2001, “Hungry” Charles Hardy, runner up in the 1998 and 1999 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contests, was working as a corrections officer in New York City. The 2006 book, “Eat This Book” documents Hardy’s recovery efforts at the disaster site over the next several weeks. The carcinogenic chemicals at Ground Zero resulted in cancer which claimed Hardy’s life in 2023.
“Eat This Book” pages 254-257 (There is also coverage of the 2004 Wing Bowl won by Sonya Thomas in this excerpt)
Ironically, Hardy’s competitive eating career began at the World Trade Center in 1998 when a Nathan’s qualifier for civil servants was held at “Windows on the World” restaurant. The hot dog documentary “Footlong” has a brief clip of the qualifier.
Charles Hardy is not the only 9/11 first responder fatality associated with competitive eating. In 2017, Caitlin Nelson passed away after choking at a pancake eating contest held at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Her father was a Port Authority policeman helping with evacuations on the 27th floor when the buildings collapsed.
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Anonymous said
September 12, 2026 @ 1:43 am
Not going to post my real name because it will only fuel the fire from less than a handful of remaining anonymous pussies who insist I am a liar and a very unlikable individual Four years after 911 Charles Hardy was a guest on my podcast where Dale Boone called in from India Boone managed to get Hardy blood boiling and Hardy reaction was like he wanted to put his fist through the speaker phone I still have the podcast but not in its entirety I lost a good portion of the podcast where he discuss in detail what he went through working at ground zero but never mentioned a word about it affecting his health During the podcast I commended him for his work and he replied “ it wasn’t mandatory I did what every red blooded American would have done and I think you would have done the same” For th record I completed with him in the Nsthans qualifier in June 2001 on the observation deck on 107 fl The kids who worked in the Nathans restaurant were the nicest bunch you ever met They never made it out of the building alive Last time I saw Hardy was at a Nathan’s qualfier at citifield in 2017 or 2019 We were reminiscing about the old days and the Boone podcast He laughed about it “good times”
anomymous said
September 12, 2026 @ 5:15 am
i am glad you mentioned the fact that hardy lost his life because of the ground zero exposure I thought i was the only one who thought it might have contributed to his death because there was never any mention that i was made aware of. . I hope his 4 children collected big time as far as victim compensation or a lump sum in the 6 figure range
anomymous said
September 12, 2026 @ 5:18 am
the IFOCE press release according to your link says he died of cancer with no mention of 911
anomymous said
September 12, 2026 @ 5:57 am
Hardy lost a very controversial decision to steve (ralph) kiner in 99 by 1/4 dog. Hardy claimed he jumped the gun and started eating before the countdown. Hardy demanded a rematch on Labor day and it almost happened but never happened
Anonymous said
September 12, 2026 @ 7:58 am
George Shea car broke down or had a flat tire before or shortly after the planes hit the twin towers One of the major tv networks interviewed him the very same day If you google it i the entire interview is out there I listened to it a few months ago