Takeru Kobayashi
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| Takeru Kobayashi | |
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| Born | March 15, 1978 Nagano, Japan |
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| Other names | "The Tsunami" |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 128 lb (58 kg)-165 lb (75 kg) |
| Website Takeru-Kobayashi.com |
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Takeru Kobayashi (小林尊 Kobayashi Takeru) (b. March 15, 1978) is a Japanese competitive eater and a member of the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, and is ranked third in the world for competitive eating according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating.[2]
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[edit] Competition and records
Born in Nagano, Japan, Kobayashi set his first record at his rookie appearance on July 4, 2001, when he ate 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the Nathan's Coney Island hot dog-eating contest, doubling the previous record of 25. The record was so unexpected that when Kobayashi got to the later numbers, the organizers ran out of signs indicating how many dogs Kobayashi had eaten and had to resort to handwritten signs. In 2002, he broke his own record by eating 50.5. In 2003, he won again by eating 44.5. In 2004, and again by eating 53.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes, beating his old record. There was a controversy over this result, as some fellow competitors accused him of regurgitating during the 12-minute competition. Though regurgitation is not explicitly prohibited, once food enters the mouth of the contestant, it is not permitted to exit. In 2005, he managed to eat 49 hot dogs and win his fifth straight contest. In 2006, he ate 53.75 hot dogs for his sixth consecutive win and a new world record.
On June 2, 2007, Joey Chestnut broke Kobayashi's record with 59.5 hot dogs and buns in a qualifying round for the annual Nathan's contest.[1][2]
In the 2006 Krystal Square Off, Kobayashi's mark of 97 hamburgers was 30 better than his winning total in 2005 and 28 better than the World Record he set in 2004.
At a speed-eating contest in Hong Kong on August 13, 2005, Kobayashi consumed 83 vegetarian jiaozi dumplings in 8 minutes.[3] The next day, he ate 100 roasted pork buns in 12 minutes.[4] Kobayashi also won the 2005 Alka-Seltzer US Open of Competitive Eating, a three-hour IFOCE elimination tournament on ESPN,[5] as well as the Glutton Bowl, a two-hour IFOCE eating special that aired on the Fox Network in 2002.[6][7] However, on Fox's 2003 show Man vs. Beast, Kobayashi lost in an eating competition against a 1089-pound Kodiak bear, when he ate 31 bunless hot dogs in 2 minutes and 36 seconds to the bear's 50.[8]
On August 5, 2006, Kobayashi set yet another world record at the Johnsonville World Bratwurst Eating Championship in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by downing 58 bratwurst sausages in 10 minutes, shattering the previous record of 35 set the previous year by Sonya Thomas.[9]
On September 23, 2006, Takeru Kobayashi set the world record at the Phantom Food Festival in Boston, Massachusetts, for eating 41 Summer Shack lobster rolls in 10 minutes, replacing the previous record of 22 rolls.
Other world-eating records held by Kobayashi include 17.7 pounds of cow brains in 15 minutes and 20 pounds (9 kg) of rice balls in 30 minutes.
On June 25, 2007 Kobayashi announced on his blog that he seriously injured his jaw during training. He stated that he can only open his jaw about the width of a fingertip. Kobayashi's participation in the July 4, 2007, Nathan's contest continued as scheduled. He was able to eat a personal record 63 hot dogs, though his mark was bettered by Chestnut's 66.[10]
On July 4, 2008, Kobayashi once again competed in the Nathan's contest. He and Chestnut reached a tie of 59 hot dogs and buns each, but came in second to Chestnut in a 5-dog tiebreaker eatoff.[11]
Kobayashi went on to defeat Chestnut, May 31, 2009, in a Pizza Hut P'Zone competition at Sony Studios in Culver City, California. The competition is to be aired on Spike TV on June 21st.[12]
On July 4, 2009, he competed again in the Nathan's contest. While he reached 64.5 hot dogs and buns, Chestnut beat him by 3.5 with 68 hot dogs and buns.[13]
[edit] Training and techniques
Kobayashi expands his stomach for a competition by eating larger and larger amounts of food, and then exercises to ensure that fat will not impede expansion of his stomach during a competition.[14]
Kobayashi's official web site gives his height as 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) and his weight as 75 kg (165 lb). However he's weighed as much as 87 kg (191.8 lb) according to a June 29, 2006 blog entry, and as little as 58 kg (128 lb) for the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition in 2008[15]. As of July 4, 2009, Kobayashi weighed in at 60 kg (132 lb) for the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating competition on Coney Island.[16]
Kobayashi is also known for his trademark body wiggle, referred to by some as the "Kobayashi Shake", to force food down his esophagus and settle more compactly in his stomach.[17] He eats the hot dogs by splitting the frankfurter in half, swallowing both parts at once, and then dipping the buns in water, Sprite, or 7-Up and stuffing it in his mouth. He calls this the Solomon method.[18]
[edit] Records
[edit] Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Kobayashi was the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner for an unprecedented six years in a row. He was the world champion in that competition until 2007, when he finished in second place behind winner Joey Chestnut.
- 2009: Second place (64.5 hot dogs)
- 2008: Second place (59 hot dogs) (lost tie-breaker)
- 2007: Second place (63 hot dogs - new record)
- 2006: First place (53.75 hot dogs - new record)
- 2005: First place (49 hot dogs)
- 2004: First place (53.5 hot dogs - new record)
- 2003: First place (44.5 hot dogs)
- 2002: First place (50.5 hot dogs)
- 2001: First place (50 hot dogs)
Matches from 2008 and on were 10 minutes instead of 12 minutes.
[edit] Glutton Bowl
Kobayashi ate 31 hot-dogs in the hot dog eating round, putting him into the finals. For the final round of the Glutton Bowl, the contestants had to eat a bowl of brains. Kobayashi won with a finished plate, of 55 brains.
- 2001: Glutton Bowl Hot Dog Champion (31 Hot Dogs)
- 2001: Glutton Bowl Main Event Champion (55 Brains)
[edit] Krystal Square Off
Kobayashi was also the reigning champion of the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship until 2007, when he could not compete due to a recent wisdom tooth extraction. The 2007 winner was Joey Chestnut, who ate 103 hamburgers.
- 2006: First place (97 hamburgers)[19]
- 2005: First place (67 hamburgers)[20]
- 2004: First place (69 hamburgers)[21]
[edit] References
- ^ Allan Chernoff; Adam Reiss; Shannon Troetel (4 July 2005). "Champ a top dog again with 49 weiners". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/04/hotdog.contest. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ The Associated Press (2 June 2007). "California man tops Kobayashi's hot dog record". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19004354/. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ "Japan speed-eater in dumpling win". BBC News. 2005-08-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4149974.stm. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Monday Ng (2005-08-15). "Japan speed eater wolfs down 100 pork buns in 12 minutes". The Standard. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/GH15Ak02.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ "Kobayashi Takes Alka-Seltzer US Open of Competitive Eating". International Federation of Competitive Eating. 2005-07-31. http://www.ifoce.com/news.php?action=detail&sn=275. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Tama Miyake. "Feature: Fast food". Metropolis Japan. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/431/feature.asp. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Amy Moon (2005-05-26). "Asian Pop: Superchomp Korean-born Sonya Thomas is the No. 1 ranked competitive eater in the USA.". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2005/05/26/eat.DTL. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ Larry Getlen (19 May 2005). "The Miracle That Is Kobayashi". The Black Table. http://www.blacktable.com/getlen050519.htm. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
- ^ The Associated Press (2006-08-05). "Kobayashi eats record 58 brats in Sheboygan". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-08-05-brat-record_x.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
- ^ Agence France-Presse. "Jaw arthritis for hot-dog champ." The Daily Telegraph. June 25, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
- ^ journalgazette.net, 3RF contest could be a wiener
- ^ Associated Press. "[1]." The Associated Press . May 31, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
- ^ nationnaledger.com, Joey Chestnut Beats Takeru Kobayashi
- ^ Talmadge, Eric. "Pigout champion Kobayashi limbers up for hot dog gold." Japan Times. June 25, 2004. Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
- ^ "Contenders get ready for Nathan's hot dog eating contest". Associated Press. 2008-07-03. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/07/03/2008-07-03_contenders_get_ready_for_nathans_hot_dog.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-04.
- ^ "Arch rivals square off at Nathan's hot dog-eating weigh-in". New York Daily News. 2009-07-03. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/07/03/2009-07-03_man_bites_dog__with_one_winner.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-04.
- ^ Farley, David. "Curious Gorge." Time Out. January 15, 2004. Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
- ^ Poon, William. "Nathan’s Famous Hotdog Eating Contest." ThinkQuest. Retrieved on June 25, 2006.
- ^ Mike O'Neal (28 October 2006). "Kobayashi Remains Krystal King". Chattanooga Times Free Press. http://www.tfponline.com/absolutenm/templates/breaking.aspx?articleid=6573. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ "2005 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger-Eating Championship results". IFOCE. http://www.ifoce.com/contests.php?action=detail&eventID=41. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ "2004 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger-Eating Championship results". IFOCE. http://www.ifoce.com/contests.php?action=detail&eventID=4. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
