Kobayashi Continues His Hot Dog Domination

Little did Nathan's Famous know 90 years ago when starting its International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest that a slight (well, less slight than five years ago) Japanese man would smash recods and win year after year after year in the new millennium. Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi won his sixth straight Mustard Belt, after chowing down 53.75 hot dogs. The NY Post called Kobayashi the "Bun-Zai" Warrior while the Daily News reports that second place hot dog scarfer, American Joey Chestnut who ate 52 hot dogs, blamed the Coney Island humidity on falling back (which is exactly what we predicted!).

We liveblogged yesterday's event and have to say that Chestnut's shimmying-gyrating method for competitive hot dog eating may have slowed him down - that takes a lot of energy - while Kobayashi's steadiness was impressive and seemed to bring him the victory. At any rate, it was an amazing performance from Chestnut, as he ate 20 more hot dogs this year than last - we challenge any of you to eat 20 more hot dogs in 12 minutes this time next year.

Kobayashi not only won the Mustard Belt and a big trophy, but also $25,000! That's a lot of antacid! And here are some very cool Flickr sets from Liz is Working and namida21. Plus, sunset parker met up with Kobayashi and got to try on the Mustard Belt - our jealousy knows no bounds!

Photograph by Seth Wenig/AP

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By Jen Chung in Food on July 5, 2006 9:11 AM

Comments [rss]

that dude

"feel the hungry", eh? That sounds like fun.

surfer

ABC Girl,

Nathan's actually donated a bunch of dogs(10000)to feel the hungry as a result of this event. Heard it from NY1.

ABC Girl

:)

vd

Geez, woman, don't know if you're serious or just trollin' ,get a life and have some fun.

ABC Girl

... you seem to be an expert in all things related to a**holes....

ABC Girl

VD,

Pull it out for me....

toy

if you watched the contest

you woulda seen that

chestnutt looked like he was gonna barf any moment

vd

ABC Girl, please pull that metal rod out of your ass and chill!

ABC Girl

Why is this news every year? Why does anyone care that these people can eat that many hot dogs? All the starving people in third world countries and right here in NYC and we care to watch these people revel in gluttony? Truly, I need someone to explain to me WHY eating nearly 54 hotdogs is such a big freakin' deal...

ABC Girl

Why is this news every year? Why does anyone care that these people can eat that many hot dogs? All the starving people in third world countries and right here in NYC and we care to watch these people revel in gluttony? Truly, I need someone to explain to me WHY eating nearly 54 hotdogs is such a big freakin' deal...

ABC GIrl

Why is this news every year? Why does anyone care that these people can eat that many hot dogs? All the starving people in third world countries and right here in NYC and we care to watch these people revel in gluttony? Truly, I need someone to explain to me WHY eating nearly 54 hotdogs is such a big freakin' deal...

billy

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/05/SPEEDEATER.TMP

Gersh Kuntzman, the judge who ruled in Kobayashi's favor, saw it differently.

"The effluvia never touched the table," Kuntzman said, a distinction he claimed was part of the International Federation of Competitive Eating's official rules.

Neil Epstein

just thinking about 54 hot dogs makes me sick.

Bayporter

In that photo, Chestnut (and I guess someone in the first row) is pointing at Kobayashi because they've seen him "regurgitate" (eww) back in his cup and then try and drink it (Eww!). All that's supposed to be against the rules and Kobayashi ought to have been disqualified.

In Sfgate today:

Controversy dogs eating contest