Kobayashi downs 68-1/2 hot dogs at competition to top Joey Chestnut

Takeru Kobayashi won another Fourth of July hot dog eating competition by downing 68-1/2 of the wieners and buns— even if he was three subway transfer stops from the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest being held on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Kobayashi won the inaugural Crif Dog Classic after downing 68-1/2 hot dogs in ten minutes under  sweltering temperatures.  He ate 68 off the plate but judges awarded the extra half after they saw that he finished a whole hot dog and left only part of a bun giving him the additional half.  Check the rule book folks.

Last Fourth of July, Kobayashi broke the world record by eating 69 hot dogs while competing against a simulcast of the Nathan's contest while on a rooftop bar in mid-town Manhattan.  This year Kobayashi kicked off the new event in Roberta's pizza restaurant garden in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn that attracted about 500 fans.

After word came in that Kobayashi's main rival Joey Chestnut had just won the Nathan's competition two hours earlier— tying Kobayashi's record with six Nathan's titles apiece—by eating 68 hot dogs in ten minutes, the Japanese star set out to top him against what could be considered a lesser bunch of competitors.  Even so, it looked like Kobayashi competed against himself and stole the thunder from Chestnut from an alternate location once again.

Under difficult circumstances— hot temps, a crowded stage and a hotter card flipper who didn't know how to flip (check the full video)— the popular Kobayashi didn't let his fans down.  The 34-year old Kobi may not have broken his own record but he said he was satisfied eating the most hot dogs in ten minutes once again— either here or at Coney Island.

The Crif Dog Classic was created just to give Kobayashi a place to compete after he was banned from the Nathan's contest due to his refusal to sign an exclusive contract to participate.  Kobayashi waddled away with $15,000 at the Crif while Chestnut took home $10,000 at the Nathan's  contest.

Nathan's will not comment on Kobayashi or honor his hot dog eating achievements and records.

The new competition wouldn't have any relevance if it weren't for the presence of Kobayashi and Nathan's loses a lot of credibility without him.

After his overwhelming victory— second place went to a woman who ate 31 Bushwick Barkers— Kobayashi said he had trained for the event by expanding his stomach. "I drank three gallons of water in 10 minutes to stretch it out," he said while lifting his shirt to show off the 18 extra pounds he had just gained.

"I was only expecting to eat 55 hot dogs today, so I'm not disappointed," said Kobi as he pushed out his bloated stomach.

Maybe one of these quirky contests can get both Kobayashi and Chestnut at the same table one day.  Until then, there will always be an * next to their numbers.

SEE FULL 10 MINUTE VIDEO

Kobayashi headed to new Fourth of July hot dog eating competition

Takeru Kobayashi may not be competing in the world-famous Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island, but that doesn't mean he still won't be in Brooklyn trying to top his world record at another tube steak eating competition this Fourth of July.

Kobayashi has formed his own competition this year after contract disputes and restrictions kept him out of the last two Nathan's competitions.  Throw in an arrest for crashing the 2010 event and you have all the makings of a mustard covered rivalry.

On Wednesday, the 34-year old Kobayashi and ten other world-class competitive eaters will challenge the world record at the inaugural 2012 Crif Dog Classic in that newest hipster-enclave Bushwick, Brooklyn— about six subway transfers from the boardwalk.

Last July Fourth, Kobayashi competed independently against only the clock and a simulcast of the Nathan's contest at a rooftop bar in Mid-town Manhattan.  He set a new world record by downing 69 hot dogs in front of two judges and hopes to top that by downing even more Bushwick Barkers this year.

The diminutive Kobayashi held the hot dog eating world record for almost six years before Joey Chestnut became the new champ in 2007.  Chestnut— the five-time champion of the Nathan's competition— still doesn't give credit to Kobayashi for breaking his record of 68 last year and sounded bitter after Kobi claimed the record as his own.

"I think even Kobayashi  would agree that the record still stands at 68," said Chestnut.  "And if he wants to compete with me on the Fourth of July, he knows what he has to do: sign a simple agreement and man up."

It starting to sound like the old AFL upstarts showing up the NFL.

Did I hear the words Super Bowl of Hot Dog Eating.

Kobayashi Downs Record 69 Hot Dogs To Win Simulcast Eating Competition

Article and photos by Tony Mangia

On a rooftop bar in mid-town Manhattan, six-time champ Takeru Kobayashi downed a record 69 hot dogs to become the unofficial winner of this year's annual Nathan's hot dog eating competition—only problem was, he was seven miles west of the actual boardwalk event on Coney Island.

With the Empire State Building as a backdrop and a ten-foot high TV screen showing the actual sanctioned Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Competition in real-time on ESPN, Kobayashi went up against the broadcasted competitors on the big screen and demolished the field via the air waves.

You know the new saying: If you're not allowed to join 'em face-to-face, beat 'em via television simulcast. 

Four-time defending champ, Joey Chestnut, ate 62 hot dogs today and won the authentic competition from the Nathan's at Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Brooklyn, but it was Kobayashi who broke Chestnut's two-year old record of 68 and technically ate more hot dogs on this Fourth of July during the same time span.

On this steamy hot morning, about 500 Kobayashi supporters crowded the 230 Fifth Avenue rooftop bar and braved overcast skies and dehydration as they cheered for their exiled competitive eating champion.

Kobayashi says he is banned from the Nathan's event due to a two year old contract dispute with Major League Eating which oversees the Nathan's annual event.  A clause in the contract stipulates Kobayashi cannot appear in certain eating competitions and the league would control his endorsements.

Last year in protest, Kobayashi was arrested at the Nathan's event after he climbed over a barrier and stormed the stage of the Nathan's contest. He spent time in a New York City jail.

230 Fifth's owner, Steven Greenberg, said he approached Kobayashi with the simulcast idea after seeing Kobayashi's arrest last year.

"He [Kobayashi] is a cross between an athlete and a performer," said Greenberg.  "It's entertainment."

Greenberg said Kobayashi was paid for his hot dog eating appearance, but said it wasn't an endorsement or promotional fee and wouldn't disclose the amount.

Today, Kobayashi stood alone on a stage with a table, which was measured to the exact competition height, and two members of the New York State Athletic Commission—former-boxers Tyrone "The Harlem Butcher" Jackson and Brian Adams—who acted as judges.

A timer rested on the table along with five large cups of water and a person to count the hot dogs devoured and flip a tally card. The huge TV screen to Kobayashi's right dwarfed the smallish eater with a huge appetite.  He never looked at the screen even once.

The pro-Kobayashi crowd cheered loudly as he jumped to any early lead over Chestnut.  It was 36-27 at about the half-way mark and the Japanese eater never slowed down before crushing Chestnut.  Sixty-nine barkers later, Kobayshi held the unofficial title once again.

There was some concern at the end of the contest when some credentialed "spies" for Nathan's said there was confusion and a miscount.  The discretion was cleared up when the flipper/counter explained that they didn't only count hot dogs individually eaten, but also by the tray.  Each tray held five hot dogs and there was four left.  It was a two-step counting system.

After sixty-nine hot dogs and 18 pounds of additional weight, Kobayashi, sporting a blond-streaked mane, leaped to the table after the record was announced.  He shook his fist in triumph and pulled up his tee-shirt, which read "Kobi Unleashed" and puffed out his belly.

"I'm so happy to break the record in front of everyone," he beamed.

Asked if it was harder to compete with no one standing next to him Kobayashi said through a translator, "I compete for myself, I was battling myself today."

In the past, MLE president Richard Shea said the league wouldn't recognize Kobayashi's achievement if he wins.  "It's a farce," said Shea.  "He's not banned, he's just mad he lost three years in a row."

Kobayashi claims he has no hard feelings for the MLE.  He just doesn't want to sign a contract that restricts him.

Kobayashi may not lay claim to Nathan's "Mustard Yellow Belt" like  Chestnut, but he did break his record in public.

I don't know if simulcasting competitions from different venues to the same event is feasible in most sports or a wave of the future, but it's too bad it couldn't set up the one-on-one match-up everyone wants — Pacquaio vs. Mayweather.

For now though, we'll settle for Kobayashi vs. Chestnut.