tonight on "nightline" -- tracking the monster. as the giant hurricane earl winds up to wallop the eastern seaboard, new details on the latest track from the storm front. could new york or baltimore or boston be in line for a direct hit? man on fire -- rafael nadal, the world's top tennis player, is about as hot as it gets on and off the court. we go head to head with rafah on the eve of the biggest tournament of his life. and trimming the fat -- we live in an era of celebrity chefs. not surprisingly, many of them enjoy eating as much as they do cooking. now, calling for a side thickness with every meal. we have their recipe for health.

good evening, i'm terry moran. and we're going to begin tonight with the major storm gathering for a coastal strike. hurricane earl now a massive category 4 hurricane is pushing a wall of wind and water across puerto rico and towards the mainland with sustained winds of 135 miles per hour. major east coast cities including new york and boston fall squarely within the storm's so-called cone of uncertainty. well, how bad could damage from this hurricane be? sam champion has our report. >> hurricane earl jumped two categories today. a category 2 at breakfast time. by dinner, a powerful category 4. only 15% of all hurricanes will ever be that powerful. its track also shifted slightly to the west, increasing the chances that earl will swipe

east coast from the outer banks all the way up to cape cod as it moves north. and fema is watching it all. monitoring earl's every move. today, urging states from north carolina to new england to prepare for possible evacuations. earl has been lashing the islands in the caribbean as it gains strength. knocking down trees. causing power outages. and creating dangerous surf. this, as the east coast is still feeling the effects of hurricane danielle. over the weekend, at least two people died as a result of powerful rip tides caused in the wake of danielle. >> i wouldn't even go out there. too rough today. very, very rough. >> reporter: under careful supervision, i tested the waters and got a taste for what it's like to be caught in a rip tide. even though i was swimming right to the beach, i was pulled out hundreds of feet from the shore. in less than five minutes. east coast lifeguards, including those in new jersey, were on high alert after more than 100

people were rescued from rough surf over the weekend. >> hurricane danielle was coming up the east coast. as it headed towards us, it pushed a lot of large waves. saturday, the waves were substantial. we had at least 40 -- we think -- a sifts or rescues on saturday and maybe as many as 70 yesterday. >> reporter: tonight, hurricane danielle is far off shore. but still close enough to stir up these waters. >> when we get storm surge, storm waves, like we had, then we can be very busy and it's all-consuming. >> reporter: and, now, earl is on his waif ay and could threat one of the busiest beach weekends of the summer. the lifeguards watch and wait. the too early to tell if earl will make landfall on the east coast. there's a powerful cold front moving in from the northwest which could keep earl out in the atlantic as it makes its way north. >> there will be swells --

>> yeah, the lifeguards are going to be busy regardless. >> reporter: here at the national hurricane center in miami, hurricane trackers are closely monitoring all the incoming data, in order to create the various models that can warn people about the path of this ever changing and, now, very dangerous hurricane. >> now, the computers are reaching the skill of where we can run very sophisticated models to come up with a better forecast of where the hurricane will be. >> reporter: the hurricane center is part of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or noaa and it gathers much of its data using these. >> looks like we got one bump ahead. >> reporter: hurricane hunters. planes that fly right through the storm gathering precise measurements that allow for greater accuracy when it comes to predicting just where a hurricane is headed. the strides that have been made in the last several decades have to do with track forecasting. we get better and better at where the storm is going. only limited progress in how strong it's going to be when it gets there. >> reporter: the good news is, all this technology is making

for better hurricane forecasts. as a result, three-day forecasts are now as accurate as two-day forecasts where during the '90s. but the long-term forecast, four and five days out, is still tricky business. and that's why keeping an eye on earl as it strengthens in the warm waters of the atlantic is so important in the coming days. for those who think a hurricane can't strike new england, think again. these are pictures of hurricane bob. in 1991, bob passed within 35 miles of the carolina coast. clipped new york's long island. and made landfall in rhode island, with 100-mile-an-hour winds. a category 2 hurricane. i'm sam champion in miami beach for "nightline." earl is a dangerous storm for sure and for the latest on the hurricane go to abcnews.com. thanks to sam champion for that report. when we come back, well, he's the star who keeps tennis fans and other admirers enthralled. we're going to sit down for a one on one with rafael nadal. at purina one, we want your dog to be as healthy as possible.

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>> reporter: what does it take to get a hero's welcome in new york? what does it take to win eight grand slam titles? ♪ what does it take to land a role like this in a shakira video? what does it take to be rafael nadal? we went looking for answers. when you're going out there to serve the first point of the match, the ball's in the air, what are you thinking about? >> nothing besides put the ball inside. >> reporter: no, really, with that relentless focus, just what is he thinking? how important is your head for tennis? >> that's a lot. the important thing is the shot. it's easier to be a great champion with a lot of shots and nothing of head and a lot of head and nothing of shots. >> reporter: he sounds like a shy 24-year-old but plays like a bull. this spanish con keys door of

the court known around the world adoringly as just rafa. >> i feel very lucky to work on one of my hobbies. especially because things are going much better than i ever thought. >> reporter: things are going okay, right? definitely okay. he can hardly go anywhere without hearing this -- his biceps are practically spanish national treasures. there's no other way to put it but you're kind of a sex symbol. >> i don't think so. i don't know. >> reporter: you may not think so but a lot of other people do. the woman who said she loved you. i just know what the people say. i just read it in the research. >> no, i don't know, no, i really never stop to think this thing. >> reporter: in case you're wondering, he has a girlfriend back home in spain. he comes to the u.s. open as the number one ranked tennis player in the world. but takes nothing for granted.

he was grunting through two full practice sessions in one day when we saw him at a u.s. open series warm-up event near cincinnati. you practice and practice and cincinnati. practice and practice. how much better can you get? >> well, i can improve a lot of things for sure. >> reporter: in fact, the most things for sure. recent criticism of nadal is that he plays and practices too hard, running owe poe nopponent and himself into the ground. whenever people ask you, can you keep it up, can you keep playing? >> i try my best every moment. 20 years. i'll be here 20 years. if i can be here 15, 15. if i can be here eight, eight. with the body and the mental part says finish, i'm going to go home and enjoy a different part of life. >> reporter: he has the work ethic. he also has good genes. his uncle was a spanish world cup soccer star known as the beast of barcelona.

but beyond his look and cannon forehand, rafa is known for his quirks like arranging his water bottles again and again. the ticks and the picks. here at a u.s. open series warm-up event. >> it's just for nothing, i don't know. the -- just like concentration thing. >> reporter: there are other quirks too. take his choice in music. sure, he's a star in a steamy shakira video. but what does he like to listen to? ♪ >> i love the music. i was there in new york watching that i think six times. >> reporter: you've seen "phantom" six times? >> yeah. >> reporter: what do you like most about it? >> the music i like. i listen to "phantom of the opera" to relax. >> reporter: can you sing a little bit for me? maybe "think of me?"

>> i don't think so. >> reporter: nadal is also known for his famous rivalry with roger federer and their epic matches like the wimbledon final in 2008. would you be where you are today without roger fedderer? >> maybe, yes. i don't know. i don't know. have roger there, it was always a reference to inprove and big motivation to be better player because you always see a better player than you. >> reporter: you still think he's better than you? >> i don't think. i am sure. >> reporter: you're sure he's still better? >> the results say that and everything say that, yes. >> reporter: federer has 16 grand slam tights to nadal's 8. but nadal is the man who made roger federer cry after beating him at the australian open in 2009. rafa knows the feeling. have you ever cried after you've lost? >> a few times, yes. >> reporter: you have cried after you lost? >> yeah, few times. >> reporter: why? >> emotions.

impossible to control. when i lose a match and i tried my best. sometimes, difficult to accept and to see that -- positive thing. >> reporter: nadal is a very private 24-year-old. he likes to spend as much time as he can back home on the pristine spanish island of mallorca with his friends and family whom he still lives with. do you still really live at home? >> yeah, yes, i live at home for sure. >> reporter: you're 24 years old. you've made pretty good money. think it's time to move out soon? >> not in my case. >> reporter: does your mom still make you clean your room? >> oh, yeah, sure. yeah. that's one of the parts i really have to improve there. >> reporter: you ever say, mom, i've won five french opens and two wimbledons, maybe my room can be messy? >> no, my mom wants to have the house very good. and sometimes i make that very

difficult. >> reporter: so in this world of big money, big ego, athletes, what does it take to beat nadal? apparently, incredible amounts of hard work. incredible biceps. >> how are you? >> reporter: and incredible humility. when you walk on the court, do you always think you're going to win? >> i never think i'm going to win. i always think i can win and i can lose so the only thing that i can think is i got to do everything right to try to win. >> reporter: most of the time it ends up okay? >> a lot of times, works well. i know a lot of times didn't work like this. >> reporter: i'm john berman for "nightline" in mason, ohio. >> and nadal plays his first round match tomorrow evening. thanks to john berman. up next, to the kitchen.

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[ female announcer ] now clip double box tops for education. from totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas. and make their school a better place. we live in an era of celebrity chefs. many of them enjoy eating. all that extra kitchen time can lead to extra large chef whites. in an encore presentation here, lead to extra large chef whites. in an encore presentation here, jeremy hubbard finds that skinny chefs are a "sign of the times." >> reporter: those face-stuffing celebrity gourmets. they hold a special place in our cholesterol-filled hearts. >> delicious. >> reporter: we like them jolly, like acclaimed italian chef. >> all the fat in the meat -- >> reporter: it's 9:00 a.m. in his new york city shop. a place filled with meats and more meats. and for breakfast, he's carving slices of a 400-pound pig. you talk about fat like it's a really good thing. >> fat is a fantastic thing. it will make you happy. >> reporter: hap? >> yeah. >> reporter: his customers expect him to be fat and happy. they equate it with a good meal. but lately that chef's coat has been fitting a little too tight. >> this is xxx. >> reporter: doesn't get any bigger. so he's starting weight watchers. if you look around at your famous foodies, it seems he's not alone. lately, the celebrity gourmets aren't quite so large. bobby flay and mario are noticeably thinner. alten brown has lost 50 pounds. food personality rocco lost 40 pounds. celebrity chocolatier jacques, 30. bon appetit's 2008's chief of the year lost 80 pounds. >> come on out, art. >> reporter: and oprah revealed the new art smith, her former personal chef, 85 pounds lighter. >> i just felt that, hey, i have to do something. i was faced with diabetes 2. i was like, okay, art, you've got to do something. >> reporter: it's about being responsible. you have responsible drinking. hello, responsible eating. >> we're going to let this cook. >> reporter: over a pot of low-calorie jambalaya instead of the fried chicken his restaurant is famous for, we asked if he and his celebrity chef friends might bear some blame for the supersizing of america. is our fat their fault? with tv shows and best selling books, they are the culinary equivalent of rock stars. >> that's what i'm talking about. >> reporter: they now wield significant cultural influence. >> i like that. >> reporter: you guys have gotten the message that america is ready to get healthier. >> most definitely. >> but i also believe that america has spoken and they're saying, hey, we really need help. in the beginning, when i started out, i really didn't think i could do it. to be honest, there were people in my life that said, i don't know if you can do it. i did it. >> reporter: vanity does play some role. these chefs are on tv. that cliche about the camera adding ten pound, art says it's true. >> you know, one time i did the at pra winfrey show and they said be why don't you change the color of your jacket? and i wore a purple one. i thought welches was going to come and squeeze me because i looked like a big grape. >> my family is made up of great southern cooks. >> reporter: he looks fit on the next "iron chef" but this is what he looked like a couple of years ago. >> at my heaviest, i was 240 pounds, i had a 40 inch waist. i was big. i'd always been big since i was a child. and just something clicked when i had a son. i thought, you know, i want to be around for him. i want to be able to have the energy to not make excuses to go to the play ground. you know, i want to be that dad who is willing to do whatever it takes to make my son happy. >> we're just going to add oatmeal. >> reporter: now 70 pounds lighter, he opened a restaurant in new york with some healthy options. >> now add the banana. >> it's sad to say but the old adage of, you know, never trust a skinny chef, is -- that's thrown out the window, but i will say there's, you know, it's -- in the industry, you don't get a lot of respect, i would say, if you're a bigger guy. >> reporter: really? >> i know, it's kind of contrary to, you know, what you'd believe, but it is actually true. >> reporter: for us, he whipped up his new daily breakfast. >> it's not pretty but it taste goods. i haven't had a doughnut in 2 1/2 years. >> reporter: really? good for us, yes. but don't we turn to celebrity chefs for a gastronomic escape? >> the fat, it's a part, much more flavor. >> reporter: this chef believes so. in fact, he's only starting weight watchers to lose a few pounds so he can gain them right back. he wants to make room for even more meat. >> okay, the -- i lose 20 pounds. >> reporter: you're going to lose 20 pounds in a month? >> yep. >> reporter: no more pig cheek? >> for one month. >> reporter: after all he only carries weight with his

got to do something.

>> reporter: you guys have gotten the message that america

color of your jacket? what he looked like a couple of >> reporter: now 70 pounds

it's -- in the industry, you i haven't had a doughnut in >> reporter: really? more flavor. >> reporter: this chef believes in fact, he's only starting >> reporter: you're going to customers when he carries a lot of weight. i'm jeremy hubbard for "nightline" in new york. >> and our thanks to jeremy for

that report. while some celebrity chefs are fighting the battle of the bulge there, we want to introduce you to some lesser known kitchen wizards locked in another kind of competition. our people's plate list contest. to find the best local chef in the country, we sent out a call, for viewers to write in and tell us who out there is serving up the best. now, i want you to pick the best of the best. go to abc news.com/nightline. it will be the subject a national plate list feature right here. when we come back, we'll tell you about two terror arrests in amsterdam tonight. first, jimmy kimmel. >> tonight, matthew fox, josh hutcherson, music from the swell season, jake byrd, lindsay lohan and "the jersey shore." "jimmy kimmel live" is next. [ male announcer ] nature is unique...

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