Seen here at the Krystal Square Off VI, Tim "Eater X" Janus pounded back enough Krystals for a repeat win of the Knoxville Qualifier.
Not even the threat of a torrential downpour put a damper on what was a fierce competition between Tim “Eater X” Janus and Juliet “The Lovely” Lee at the last Krystal Square Off VI qualifying round held at the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville on Sunday, Sept. 20. Clouds may have loomed overhead, but the only things the audience could see falling were the hopes and dreams of Juliet Lee, “Crazy Legs” Conti and the nine other competitors that champ Tim “Eater X” Janus left in the dust by chomping down a winning 30 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for a total of 55 Krystal Burger Points.
If you’re bummed you opted to stay in last weekend, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with all the action via video. And chin up, tiger: you still have one last chance to see Janus kill some Krystal burgers this Sunday, Sept. 27 as the sixth annual Krystal Square Off World Championship goes down in Chattanooga starting at 2 p.m.
See photos below from the Knoxville Qualifier. Full photo gallery here.
KSO VI Nashville Qualifying champ Tim "Gravy" Brown shows a little love to the second place winner Erik "The Red" Denmark.
This past Saturday, the most colorful of characters came down to Nashville for the second-to-last Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying round. A gold-clad Tim “Gravy” Brown and fan favorite Erik “The Red” Denmark were neck and neck throughout the entire competition, but Brown stepped up his game at the very end to pull out the win with 54 Krystal Burger Points. Denmark finished in second with a count of 51, which didn’t match his first qualifying tally but ensured that he’d be a definite for the Wild Card picks.
Be sure to catch both of these guys in action once again this Sunday, Sept. 27 at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship at Ross’ Landing in Chattanooga. And in the mean time, check out the video footage below of one of the most nail-biting qualifying rounds to take place on this year’s circuit.
A selection of photos from the Nashville Qualifier is below. Full photo gallery here.
Knoxville's "Fairest of the Fair" pageant winner Tori Martin congratulates Tim "Eater X" Janus on his Krystal Square Off Qualifying win.
The rain stopped and clouds began to part just as eaters took the stage yesterday afternoon at the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville for the last eight-minute eating contest of the Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Tour. The man behind the mask, Tim “Eater X” Janus, took home the trophy with 30 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for a total of 55 Krystal Burger Points.
After receiving a deduction of 2 Krystal Burgers, Juliet “The Lovely” Lee finished in second place with a controversial 49 Krystal Burger Points. Eaters were required to swallow all food in their mouths within 30 seconds after the time stopped, but Lee was not able to get the last few Krystals down. Therefore, judges decided that the 2 burger deduction was fair. However, Lee was not in agreement, especially since her original 51 Krystal Burger count would have put her in second for a Wild Card spot, which has now been secured by Jim “Buffalo” Reeves.
Janus’ win earns him a seat at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga this Sunday, Sept. 27, where he will compete against the great Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi and more for a piece of the $50,000 cash purse. Stay tuned for more updates about the KSO VI finals and the 11 finalists who will make their way down for the main event.
Knoxville Qualifier results below:
Tim “Eater X” Janus – 30 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 55 Krystal Burger Points
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee – 26-2 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 49 Krystal Burger Points
Seen here at the KSO V Knoxville Qualifier last year, Tim Janus (middle) and Crazy Legs Conti (right) finished in first and second place. Can they do it again this year to earn seats at the KSO VI finals?
On Sunday, Sept. 20, The Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit will head to Knoxville for it’s very last stop on the World Hamburger Eating Championship tour. The Knoxville Qualifier will be the final chance for Wild Card hopefuls to give it their all for one last shot at a coveted spot at the live televised main eating event in Chattanooga on Sept. 27, where the Knoxville winner will compete against eleven other masters of mastication. Below are some quick bites of info for you to chew on between now and then.
Contest Bites:
The Knoxville Qualifier will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 at the Tennessee Valley Fair.
For any out-of-towners traveling to the event, there are four hotels in the Knoxville area offering special discounts for Fairgoers. Click here for more information.
Five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at 1:00 p.m.
The 8-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Tim “Eater X” Janus, the 4th-ranked eater in the world, is no doubt the favorite to win on Sunday. Janus placed fifth at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship last year with 64 Krystals. His personal best is 74 Krystals.
The race for second should be a close one between 14th-ranked eater in world, “Crazy Legs” Conti and 2nd-ranked female eater in the world, Juliet “The Lovely” Lee. The two will be battling it out for a shot at one of the two Wild Card Spots.
Four of the eaters confirmed for the Knoxville Qualifier are in the Top 30 of Major League Eating’s world rankings.
The current list of confirmed eaters includes:
Tim “Eater X” Janus, New York, NY – ranked 4
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, MD – ranked 8
“Crazy Legs” Conti, New York, NY – ranked 14
Russell Keeler, Kingston, PA – ranked 28
“Nasty” Nathan Biller, Briarwood, NY – unranked
Historical Bites:
The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship has held a Qualifying event in Knoxville since the competition started in 2004.
“Crazy Legs” Conti competed in the Knoxville Qualifier last year, where he put up his biggest number to date – 50 Krystals.
Tim “Eater X” Janus participated in the closest Krystal Square Off event in history with just half a Krystal separating him and Chip “The Phenom” Simpson (53 Krystals) and Eater X (52.5) at the 2006 Atlanta Qualifier.
Fourth-ranked eater in the world, Tim “Eater X” Janus dominated the KSO V Knoxville Qualifier last year with 63 Krystals in eight minutes. Janus’ mark shattered the previous Knoxville Qualifier record of 49 hamburgers set in 2007 by Chip Simpson.
The 14th-ranked eater in the world "Crazy Legs" Conti hopes to put up a big enough number at the Nashville Qualifier to stroll into the Krystal Square Off VI Finals with confidence.
The seven-city Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit will make its way to Nashville this Saturday, Sept. 19 for the last weekend of qualifying events before the main event in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27. The Nashville Qualifier will be one of the most thrilling competitions yet, as five “Top 30 Competitive Eaters” compete for first place and a possible coveted Wild Card spot for a seat at the final table and a chance at the $50,000 cash purse. It will be a battle down to the very last second (and Krystal Burger) that you won’t want to miss. In the meantime, below are a few quick bites to help you gear up for the competition.
Contest Bites:
The Nashville Qualifier is free to attend and takes place on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Tennessee State Fair.
Registration is now closed for the Nashville, however five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at 1:00 p.m.
The eight-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Top IFOCE Competitive Eater “Crazy Legs” Conti started as one of the sport’s biggest fans and is now ranked 14th in the world. Known for his unique look, fun personality and knowledge of the sport, Conti has established himself as perhaps the most entertaining eater in Major League Eating.
The following five eaters are confirmed for Saturday, all of which rank in the list of top 30 competitive eaters in the world.
Rumored to also make an appearance at the Nashville Qualifier are:
Pete Davekos, Boston, MA
Nathan Biller, Briarwood, NY
Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, TN
Historical Bites:
Nashville has been home to a Krystal Square Off Qualifier for all six years of its World Hambuger Eating Competitions since 2004.
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee won last year’s Nashville Qualifier with 51 Krystals, after beating out Eric “Badlands” Booker and Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama in an eat-off for the first time in Krystal Square Off history.
The controversy surrounding the infamous “Nashville Eat-Off” led to the creation of a new rule by Major League Eating – The “Mustard Yellow Card” rule – which allows judges to disqualify competitors for “messy eating” during a contest. For more info on the rule, click here.
One of the Nashville Qualifier headline eaters for KSO VI, Crazy Legs Conti competed in two Qualifiers last year in Memphis and Knoxville to earn a seat at the KSO V Finals in Chattanooga. There, he finished in 8th place with 49 Krystals.
An excited Humble Bob Shoudt gracially accepts his trophy as the KSO VI Atlanta Qualifier first place winner after chomping down 41 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for the title.
Hundreds gathered at Lenox Square Mall on Sunday, Sept. 13 to see one of the top gustatory greats, “Humble Bob” Shoudt eat his heart out as he consumed an awe-inspiring 41 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for a total of 66 Krystal Burger Points – beating the next closest contender by 24 points.
However, second place winner Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston still put up a count of 42, which seems to be the lucky number at the moment because it was enough to tie the Birmingham-local amateur Erik Unger for a KSO VI Wild Card spot.
Shoudt’s performance qualifies him for a seat at the the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 27 in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he will face defending KSO winner Joey “Jaws” Chestnut and three-time KSO Champion Takeru Kobayashi for a shot at the title. With $50,000 in cash prizes on the line, we’re guessing Shoudt is prepared to step up his game. After all, his Qualifying score is only one point away from 2nd-ranked eater in the world Patrick Bertoletti’s total from the Chattanooga Qualifier.
To check out Shoudt’s eating strategy and see him in action, watch the video below.
Krystal Square Off VI Atlanta Qualifier Photo Gallery:
All fingers were pointed to Eric "Badlands" Booker as he took the trophy in Birmingham with 51 Krystal Burger Points for the win.
Eric “Badlands” Bookercompeted in the Krystal Square Off VI Birmingham Qualifier this past Saturday, where he ate just enough Big Angus Burgers and Krystals to put him in the running for the Championship in Chattanooga on Sept. 27 – a total of 51 Krystal Burger Points to be exact. Almost stealing the spotlight was unranked up-and-comer Erik Unger who came in a close second with 42 Krystal Burger Points, a score that has earned him a tie for second in the Wild Card race.
Check out the photo gallery and video below of Booker, Unger and the ten additional eaters who ate their way through eight-minutes of Krystal Burger bliss. It’s kind of like seven minutes in heaven, except it’s eight minutes and more like Krystal heaven on earth. You get the picture…
Seen here being as "Humble" as ever by sporting his own personalized hat, Shoudt had much to celebrate with his win at the KSO VI Atlanta Qualifier at Lenox Square this past Sunday.
The cool and comfortable temperatures inside Lenox Square Mall proved to be very advantageous for competitive eater “Humble” Bob Shoudt on Sunday as he put away 41 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for a total of 66 Krystal Burger Points to take first place.
Shoudt is the first headline eater in the Krystal Square Off VI qualifying tour thus far to start with the Famous Krystal Burger and end with the Big Angus Burger. A risky strategy, but one that clearly paid off as he came in at only one point less than 2nd-ranked eater in the world Patrick Bertoletti’s 67 Krystal Burger count done at the Chattanooga Qualifier. It’s no doubt that Shoudt is in it to win this year’s Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship.
The win in Atlanta guarantees Shoudt a seat at the final table in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27 next to fellow competitive eaters Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi and the KSO VI Qualifying winners to date: Patrick Bertoletti, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, Hall “Hoover” Hunt and Eric “Badlands” Booker.
Finishing in second place with 42 Krystal Burger Points was Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston and not far behind was up-and-comer Jon Bello who actually beat out his previous score at the KSO VI Jacksonville Qualifier with 39 Krystal Burger Points.
Full results below:
“Humble” Bob Shoudt – 41 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 66 Krystal Burger Points
Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston – 17 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 42 Krystal Burger Points
Jon Bello – 14 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 39 Krystal Burger Points
Mike Landrich – 10 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 35 Krystal Burger Points
Richard Foley – 9 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 34 Krystal Burger Points
Steve Martin – 7 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 32 Krystal Burger Points
Steve Ramirez - 5 Krystals, 5 Big Angus = 30 Krystal Burger Points
The next Krystal Square Off VI Qualifier takes place in Nashville, Tenn. on September 19 at the Tennessee State Fair. For more details, follow the Krystal Square Off on Twitter @ksquareoff.
Eric "Badlands" Booker battled through the Alabama heat to eat 26 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for the win. And he still wanted more!
Prior to the Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham football game this past Saturday, a group of well-conditioned, if not well-fed, gustatory athletes took to the competitive eating field for the Krystal Square Off VI Birmingham Qualifier. With a hyped crowd gathered in Blazer Village, Eric “Badlands” Booker opened the event with a Krystal favorite – The Krystal Square Off Rap. The excitement continued as Badlands led the competition and finished strong with 26 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers for a total of 51 Krystal Burger Points to secure the win.
Badlands’ victory earns him a seat at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship table on Sept. 27. The 11th-ranked eater in the world will go up against last year’s winner, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, three-time Krystal Square Off Champion Takeru Kobayashi, and nine other top eaters to take home a piece of the $50,000 cash purse prize.
Second and Third place winners, Erik Unger and Anthony Reganato, also finished with respectable totals, coming in with 42 points (17 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers) and 37 points (12 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers), respectively. See full list of eaters and their scores below.
Eric “Badlands” Booker: 26 Krystals, 5 Big Angus Burgers = 51 Krystal Burger Points
Erik Unger: 17 Krystals, 5 Big Angus Burgers = 42 Krystal Burger Points
Anthony Reganato: 12 Krystals, 5 Big Angus Burgers = 37 Krystal Burger Points
Will Davis: 10 Krystals, 5 Big Angus Burgers = 35 Krystal Burger Points
Humble Bob will practice his signature meditating techniques before the Atlanta Qualifier to help better his performance and earn a seat at the final table in Chattanooga on Sept. 27.
The Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit makes its way to Atlanta this Sunday where Humble Bob Shoudt plans to shatter his KSO V qualifying score, all while in the comfort of Lenox Square’s air conditioned shopping mall. Atlanta’s winner will continue on to Chattanooga to compete in the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 27, which will be televised live on SportSouth starting at 2:00 p.m. Below we have some quick bites of info for you to chew on between now and then.
Contest Bites:
The Atlanta Qualifier will take place on Sunday, Sept. 13, inside Lenox Square Mall.
Lenox Square Mall opened in 1959 and was the first major shopping mall in the state of Georgia.
Five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at 1:00 p.m.
The 8-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Bob Shoudt, the 5th-ranked eater in the world, is no doubt the favorite to win on Sunday. Shoudt placed fourth at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship last year with 76 Krystals. His personal best is 95 Krystals, which he did at the 2007 championship.
The race for second should be a close one between 13th-ranked eater in world, Pete Davekos and 17th-ranked eater in the world, Micah “Wing Kong” Collins. The two will be battling it out for a shot at one of the two Wild Card Spots.
Four of the eaters confirmed for the Atlanta Qualifier are in the Top 50 of Major League Eating’s world rankings.
At least 8 different cities and six states will be represented at the table on Saturday.
The current list of confirmed eaters includes: “Humble” Bob Shoudt (Royersford, PA), Pete Davekos (Boston), Juris Shibayama (Murfreesboro, TN), Mike Landrich (Fredonia, NY), Micah “Wing Kong” Collins (Drexel Hill, PA), Steve Martin (Roopville, GA), Brian Subich (Johnstown, PA) and Nicholas Giffen (Raleigh, NC).
Historical Bites:
Charles Hardy won the first Atlanta qualifier held at the North Georgia State Fair in 2004 with 32 Krystals.
The Gwinnett County Fair has hosted the Atlanta qualifier twice; once in 2005 (won by Tim “Eater X” Janus with 39 Krystals) and again in 2007 (won by Bertoletti with 85 Krystals).
Bertoletti’s mark of 85 Krystals at the KSO IV in Atlanta was, at the time, the most ever eaten at a qualifier. Joey Chestnut broke the record several weeks later in Tuscaloosa when he ate 87 at the Birmingham Qualifier. Takeru Kobayashi then broke Chestnut’s Qualifier record last year in Birmingham by consuming 89 Krystals in eight minutes.
This will be the third time Lenox Square Mall has hosted the Atlanta Krystal Square Off Qualifier.
The 2006 Atlanta Qualifier was the closest in Krystal Square Off history with just half a Krystal separating Chip “The Phenom” Simpson (53 Krystals) and Eater X (52.5).
