FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
Photo Tetsuhiro Koyanagi
JAPANESE HOT DOG EATING CHAMPION KOBAYASHI TO CHALLENGE NATHAN’S CONTESTANTS FROM 230 FIFTH ON JULY 4th
Six-time Winner of Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest To Take On World Famous Competition Via Satellite TV
NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 – Today, 230 FIFTH, New York City’s largest Rooftop Garden Bar and Penthouse Lounge announced it will be the site of Takeru Kobayashi competing, via satellite TV, against the contestants of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. At noon on July 4, Kobayashi, the internationally renowned competitive eating champion, will take on the annual Nathan’s Famous frankfurter face off - the contest which from he was banned last year and his name subsequently removed from the Coney Island Wall of Fame, despite the six consecutive Nathan’s world championships he won. Next to a giant outdoor plasma screen showing the live ESPN broadcast of the Coney Island wiener chow-down, Kobayashi, will ingest hot dogs in sync with the contestants at the Nathan’s event seven miles away.
Indeed, the only place competitive eating fans can witness “Kobi” in a feeding frenzy and watch the International Hot Dog Eating Contest, traditionally one of the two events considered emblematic of the 4the of July worldwide (the other being the Macy’s fireworks display), will be at 230 FIFTH – from which there is also a terrific view of the Macy’s fireworks spectacular at 8 p.m. The sky high food and beverage emporium will open its doors to the public at 10:30 a.m. for free access the first 400 fans to the Japanese jawbreaker’s Nathan’s Famous throw down.
Kobayashi made headlines globally last July 4th when he showed up at the competition after having been barred from participating by Major League Eating (MLE), the governing body of stomach-centric sports, when he refused to sign a contract with the organization. Wearing a black t-shirt proclaiming “Free Kobi” as a reference to his charge that MLE sought to imprison his career by not allowing him to compete in eating contests not sanctioned by MLE, Kobayashi was arrested after the 10 minute competition, when he jumped on the stage during the awards ceremony. He was charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, consequently spending the rest of the 4th of July in jail.
“Takeru Kobayashi is truly one of the world’s greatest sports personalities, a gastro-athlete if you will, who has set more world records than any other competitive eater. In fact, to many, Kobayashi is THE sport of competitive eating. He certainly helped make it so famous and popular,” declares Steven Greenberg, the owner of 230 FIFTH. “Since the Major League Eating won’t let him participate in the Nathan’s Famous contest, we’re giving him an opportunity to compete anyway, so he can prove he still has what it takes to eat his way to the top of the sport.”
Located at 230 Fifth Avenue at the corner of 27th Street, 230 FIFTH will present Takeru Kobayashi’s challenge to the July 4th Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Contest Challenge at noon on its expansive 15,000 the expansive roof deck, where a barbecue menu will be available so fans can do some eating of their own. (While Kobayashi will be eating Nathan’s hot dogs, 230 FIFTH will be serving Hebrew National’s frankfurters to the public.) The event will be free and open to the public, with admittance available at 10:30 to the first 400 fans. For more information about 230 FIFTH, visit www.230-fifth.com.
