On July 4, I want to take a moment to shout out one of the most innovative competitors of our generation. Kobayashi of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. While Joey Chestnut may be the reigning champion of the past decade, Kobayashi brought the competition to new heights with his innovative approach. When Kobayashi debuted in 2001, the most hot dogs eaten by a competitor was 25+. After Kobayashi’s 12 minutes, he consumed exactly 50 hot dogs. He had doubled the previous all-time world record, and it was all thanks to him thinking outside the box. This story was first told to me in the book “Think Like a Freak” and has stuck with me ever since. Kobayashi, instead of simply trying to beat other competitors at their own game, chose to innovate the sport entirely in how he consumed the hot dogs. There were no rules on the method of consumption, so one could just as easily change their method of “delivery” instead of simply training their ability to eat quickly. This kind of thinking revolutionized the competition, and we’ve continued to see competitors try different strategies and tactics to increase their hot dog consumption outside of simply “eating them faster”. While many established sports in the United States don’t have quite the open rulebook as Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, I think Kobayashi is a fantastic example of blazing your own trail in how you approach anything.If everyone around you has told you that athletics are the only way you’re going to go to college, why not challenge yourself to attract a school for more than just athletics? For many sports, a combination of scholarships both in and out of athletics will give you a much friendlier financial aid package, so it would be worth your while to explore more opportunities both on and off the field.When in doubt, think like Kobayashi.
The Legend of Kobayashi
07.04.22 12:00 PM
