Takeru Kobayashi

Takeru Kobayashi
Born	March 15 1978 (1978--) (age 29) Nagano, Japan
Other names	The Tsunami
Known for	Competitive eating
Height	68 in (173 cm, 5 ft 8 in)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Website	Takeru-Kobayashi.com

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 the number three ranked eater in the world according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating.

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, he triumphed again by eating 53.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes, beating his old record. There was a small conflict over this result, as some fellow competitors accused him of regurgitating during the 12-minute competition. Regurgitation is not prohibited per se, however, 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 "Jaws" 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 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^[6] in 2002.^[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, the Tsunami 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, MA 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 Joey Chestnut.^[10]

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.^[11]

In order to train for events, Kobayashi must practice sticking larger and larger amounts of food into his mouth. This is primary done by his method of "sausage stretching" his mouth, in which he opens as wide as he can and sticks as many as 6 or 7 thick hot dogs into his mouth, then slides them back and forth between his teeth to simulate engorging himself.^{[citation needed]}

Physically Kobayashi has undergone drastic change from his earlier appearances on the competitive eating circuit, weighing in at a mere 110 lb (50 kg) in his beginning competitions and then 144 lb (65 kg) in later events. This is due in large part to his more recent endeavors in weight training. By training with weights and working out, Kobayashi has increased his metabolism, which in turn has helped him to burn more calories. This training is used by Kobayashi to maintain his overall health as well as helping him to elude excess calories from being stored as fat. Kobayashi's official Web site gives his height as 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) and his weight as 75 kg (165 lb), but in a June 29, 2006, entry on his blog, he says that his weight grew to over 89 kg (196 lbs) during 2006, still being under 10 percent body fat. Kobayashi has said in recent years that he consumes an average of 6,000 calories per day.

Kobayashi is also known for his trademark body wiggle, affectionately known as the Kobayashi Shake, which he uses to force food down his esophagus and settle more compactly in his stomach,^[12] (Although, he claims this is just him "getting into the rhythm of the music"). 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.^[13]

Records

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Kobayashi's win record on Nathans Wall of Fame, 2007

Kobayashi was the 12-minute 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.

• 2007: Second place (63 hot dogs)
• 2006: First place (53.75 hot dogs)
• 2005: First place (49 hot dogs)
• 2004: First place (53.5 hot dogs)
• 2003: First place (44.5 hot dogs)
• 2002: First place (50.5 hot dogs)
• 2001: First place (50 hot dogs)

Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship

Kobayashi is also the reigning champion of the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship:

• 2006: First place (97 hamburgers)^[14]
• 2005: First place (67 hamburgers)^[15]
• 2004: First place (69 hamburgers)^[16]

See also

• List of Competitive Eaters

References

External links

• Takeru Kobayashi official website
• Takeru Kobayashi official blog
• Takeru Kobayashi at the International Federation of Competitive Eating
• Sports Illustrated feature on 2006 contest

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