How creative thinking made a champion
And when did 'competitive eater' become a job?
On July 4th, Americans will get together and celebrate Independence Day.
There will be burgers.
There will be lemonade.
And there will be hot dogs.
Is there any food more synonymous with the 4th of July than a hot dog? I hear you saying ‘apple pie’ but nah, I’ve never had apple pie on July 4th (though I’m sure someone has – it’s a big country!).
But it’s not a July 4th barbecue without hot dogs.
While millions of people will eat hot dogs for lunch, in Coney Island, New York a handful of people will eat hot dogs on July 4th for sport.
That’s right. The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship has taken place each July 4th since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened his legendary restaurant. [We’ll save that story for another time.]
The contest has grown significantly over the last two decades – and in a typical year, 30,000 fans make the pilgrimage to Coney Island to watch the event in person.
Even ESPN broadcasts the contest now – and millions of viewers watch men and women stuff their faces to see who can eat the most hot dogs in 10 minutes.
The event may be huge now, but it didn’t start out that way.
It was a light-hearted contest for years, and a bit of fun on the American holiday.
But things really changed in 2001 when a Japanese competitor used his creativity to eat more hot dogs than anyone ever imagined.
Meet Takeru Kobayashi
In 2001, 23-year old Takeru Kobayashi travelled from Japan to enter the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship on the 4th of July.
He had never eaten a hot dog before arriving in New York for the competition.
And at 5’7 and only 131 pounds, Kobayashi didn’t look like the other competitors at the table.
But he had been honing his strategy for months.
He used his creativity to reframe the challenge – and instead of asking:
‘How can I fit more hot dogs in my stomach?’
He asked:
‘How can I make ONE hot dog easier to eat?
His ‘Solomon Method’ involved dunking the buns in hot water, and breaking the hot dogs in half. He would then gyrate his entire body as he funnelled the dogs down his throat in a move that was later dubbed ‘The Kobayashi Shake.’
The record to beat that year was 25 hot dogs.
Kobayashi shattered that record – eating 50 hot dogs in just 12 minutes.
He continued to dominate the competition for the next six years.
When asked how he had accomplished such a feat, he replied:
‘I may be small in size, but I’m more creative than the others.’
Kobayashi’s creative technique was imitated by many competitors, and his ‘Solomon Method’ is still used in hot dog eating competitions (as well as other competitive eating contests).
(Warning: Watching this contest may put you off hot dogs for a long time).
FUN FACT: In 2020, Joey Chestnut set a new world record by eating 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
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How Can I Help?
If you’ve read this far, maybe you already know what I do to help leaders and teams improve their communication, creativity, and leadership skills.
And if not, please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
Keep Smiling!
-Beth
Also wrote about Kobayashi here! A true legend of the sport.
https://hiddenjapan.substack.com/p/japanese-prometheus-and-food