Arch rivals square off at Nathan's hot dog-eating weigh-in

BY Zak Failla
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Friday, July 3rd 2009, 4:00 AM

Handschuh/News

Joey Chestnut, left and Takeru Kobayashi square off at the official weigh in for the Nathan's Hotdog eating contest Thursday at Macy's.

The big dogs are in town.

The two main rivals in the annual Coney Island hot dog-eating contest held a dramatic stare-down yesterday as they prepared to battle tomorrow for the biggest prize in competitive eating.

"Hot dogs on the Fourth of July - it doesn't get any better," said Joey Chestnut, 25, of San Jose, Calif.

This year's frank fight is a grudge match between Chestnut and six-time Coney champ Takeru Kobayashi of Japan.

"It's going to be a good battle this year," said Kobayashi, 31, through an interpreter. "I'm going to bring the belt back."

The two men, dubbed "eating legends" by organizers, have split the past four stomach-stuffin' contests on the Boardwalk. Now it's time to pass the mustard and settle the score.

"The first two years, he beat me," Chestnut said. "The next two years, I beat him, so we're even. He's why I push myself so hard."

The two men couldn't look more different. The barrel-chested Chestnut weighed in at 218 pounds and fought back a grin as the pair stood side by side for the boxing-style weigh-in.

Kobayashi is a wiry 132 pounds and kept an angry poker face as he glared up at Chestnut.

Mayor Bloomberg joked that the serial wiener eaters are "the most dedicated athletes in the world."

"July 4 isn't a holiday for these men," the mayor said. "It's going to be a day of reckoning."

Eighteen other competitors won preliminary contests to get a spot in the annual contest, which is sponsored by Nathan's.

Few expect it will be anyone other than Chestnut or Kobayashi who will wind up wearing the prestigious mustard belt that goes to the winner.

No-nonsense retired Correction Officer Charles Hardy will judge the contest.

He vowed to watch carefully for violations like dipping hot dogs in water for too long, but he admitted the job mostly involves keeping track of the dozens of dogs devoured by each contestant.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist," Hardy said.