Takeru Kobayashi
Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林尊 Kobayashi Takeru, b. 1978) is a Japanese competitive eater and a member of the International Federation of Competitive Eating who holds the world record for hot dog eating. The record of 53 1/2 hot dogs was set by Kobayashi on July 4, 2004.
Records
Kobayashi has won Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for 5 years in a row. A * denotes a victory that broke the previous world record.
- 2001: 50 hot dogs*
- 2002: 50 1/2 hot dogs*
- 2003: 44 1/2 hot dogs
- 2004: 53 1/2 hot dogs*
- 2005: 49 hot dogs
He set his first record on July 4, 2001, when he ate 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the Nathan's Coney Island hot dog eating contest, shattering the previous record of 25 1/8. In 2002, he broke his own record by eating 50 1/2. In 2003, he won again by eating 44 1/2. In 2004, he triumphed again by eating 53 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes, beating his old record. There was a small conflict over this result, as some fellow competitors accused him of expelling vomit during the 12-minute competition. Vomiting is not prohibited per se, but the vomit is not allowed to leave the mouth of a contestant. His latest feat was in 2005 when he managed to eat 49 hot dogs and win his fifth straight contest.
At a speed-eating contest in Hong Kong in August, 2005, Kobayashi consumed 83 vegetarian dumplings in 8 minutes; on the next day, he ate 100 steamed pork buns in 12 minutes. Kobayashi also won the 2005 Alka-Seltzer US Open of Competitive eating, a three-hour IFOCE elimination tournament on ESPN and the Glutton Bowl,a two-hour IFOCE eating special that aired on Fox Network in 2002.
Kobayashi also holds the record for eating Krystal Hamburgers (the 2.5" square burgers popular in the US Southeast). During the 2004 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship he consumed 69 burgers in 8 minutes.
Other world eating records held by Kobayashi include 17.7 pounds (8.0 kg) of cow brains in 15 minutes and 20 pounds (9 kg) of rice balls in 30 minutes.
Training and techniques
Kobayashi's technique relies on avoiding chewing (if possible) and using a series of stomach-expanding binges on soda and water. The volume of water and gas in the seltzer expands the stomach.
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[1]. According to a 2006 documentary on MTV's "True Life," Kobayashi has a condition called gastroptosis, an abnormal downward displacement of the stomach. It is unclear whether this condition plays a factor in his eating ability.
Physically Kobayashi has undergone drastic change from his earlier appearances on the competitive eating circuit (weighing in at a mere 110lbs in his beginning competitions and then 144lbs 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. Takeru Kobayashi in current events up to the 2005 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship has tipped the scales at a lean 172 pounds.
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. He eats the hot dogs by splitting the frankfurter in half, swallowing both parts at once, and then eating the bun. He calls this the Solomon method.
See also
External links
- International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE)
- News story of the 87th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest (2002)
- Two Dozen Hot Dogs Please, and No, They're Not to Go by Anthony Ramirez
- Man swallows 100 pork buns in 12 minutes
References
- ^ "Pigout champion Kobayashi limbers up for hot dog gold", Eric Talmadge, Japan Times, 06-25-2004.