Quick Bites: The Birmingham Krystal Square Off V Qualifier

Takeru Kobayashi will be joined by the likes of Eric "Badlands" Booker at this Saturday's Krystal Square Off qualifier in Birmingham.

The seven-city qualifying circuit for the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship heads to Birmingham this Saturday to decide who will compete for an unprecedented $50,000 cash purse at this year’s World Championship in Chattanooga on September 28, which will be televised live on FSN South. Below we have some quick bites of info for you to chew on between now and then. Enjoy.

Contest Bites:

• The Birmingham Qualifier will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Blazer Village/Legion Field.
• The 8-minute contest will start at 1:30 p.m.
• Registration is now closed for Birmingham, however five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at Noon.
• Former world champion Takeru Kobayashi is making his much-anticipated return to the Krystal Square Off by competing in the Birmingham qualifier. He has not competed in a Krystal eating contest since the 2006 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga.
• After eating 51 Krystals in Nashville last Saturday, Eric “Badlands” Booker will be back at it on the Krystal qualifying circuit, this time hoping to better his number in Birmingham. He’s currently among the top three in the wild card race, but with this weekend’s two qualifiers loaded with top eaters, all gunning for those wild card spots, Badlands knows it may take a bigger number to make it to the finals on Sept. 28.
• Below is a list of eaters confirmed as of today for Birmingham:

Takeru Kobayashi
Eric Booker
Paul Barlow
Andrew Lane
James Hawkins
Kip Phillips

Historical Bites:

• Takeru Kobayashi’s only previous appearance at a Krystal Square Off Qualifier was in Jacksonville in 2004 when he ate 50 Krystals in eight minutes.
• Kobayashi’s personal best is 97 Krystals in eight minutes, set at Krystal Square Off III.
• Birmingham has hosted two Krystal Square Off qualifiers prior to this year.
• In 2004, the Birmingham qualifier was held at Sloss Fright Furnace on Halloween. Bill “Pit” Pendleton won with 26. Moose Abercrombie finished in a close second with 25.
• In 2005, the qualifier took place at the Greater Alabama Fall Fair where Chip “The Phenom” Simpson was victorious with 32 Krystals. Loren “Bubba” Yarbrough was the runner-up with 30.
• The state of Alabama did not host a Krystal qualifier in 2006.
• In 2007, the qualifier was held in Tuscaloosa before the Alabama football game. Joey Chestnut set a qualifier record that day by downing 87 Krystals in eight minutes. Tim “Gravy” Brown earned a wild card birth in the finals by eating 43 Krystals.

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