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
Rapping isn't the only thing that Eric "Badlands" Booker will be doing at this year's Krystal Square Off.
The seven-city qualifying circuit for the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship heads to Birmingham this Saturday to decide who will compete for the largest cash purse prize in competitive eating history – a whopping $50,000 – at this year’s live, SportSouth-televised World Championship in Chattanooga on September 27. Below are a few fun facts to ponder and soak in before the big event. Enjoy.
Contest Bites:
The Birmingham Qualifier will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Blazer Village/Legion Field.
Legion Field was named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans.
The 8-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m. CDT prior to the UAB football game.
UAB won last year’s game against Alabama State on Sept. 20 – the same day of the KSO V Birmingham Qualifier.
Five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site at Blazer Village starting at 1:00 p.m.
Competitive Eating’s favorite rapper Eric “Badlands”Booker hopes to put up a big number with the new “No-Dunking” rule working in his favor and take first place at the Birmingham Qualifier.
Badlands will be making a special appearance on Good Day Alabama tomorrow, Sept. 11. Be sure to tune in from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. to watch.
As of today, these additional eaters are confirmed to compete in the Birmingham Qualifier: Kevin Ross, Micah Collins, Eric Livingston, Super Paul Barlow, Steve Ramirez and Damien Boykin.
Historical Bites:
Eric “Badlands” Booker backed out of last year’s Birmingham Qualifier, but still managed to grab a seat at the KSO V final table with his Nashville Qualifying score of 51 Krystals, which was enough to secure one of the three Wild Card Spots.
Birmingham has hosted three 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.
His first time competing in a Krystal Square Off event since he won the championship in 2006, Takeru Kobayashi downed 89 Krystals at the 2008 Birmingham Qualifier, beating out Chestnut’s qualifier record set the year before in Birmingham.
Eric "Badlands" Booker certainly is a Krystal Lover.
We caught up with one of our favorite eaters (and rappers), Eric “Badlands” Booker, to get his thoughts on the new Krystal Square Off rules, eating techniques and a possible new Krystal-themed rap. As he points out below, all this talk of “new” might just yield a “new” winner – Badlands himself! Check out what he had to say…
We’re obviously huge fans of your Krystal Square Off rap. Are there any new Krystal-themed raps in the works? Perhaps one about the Big Angus Burgers? Or the Krystal Blitz Energy Drink?
Hey, thanks! I’m really glad you like it. I love the Krystal product and the “Square Off” is one of the highlights for me on the competitive eating circuit, so penning the rap was the least I can do. I’ve turned my laptop into a mobile recording studio, so while I’m in Birmingham, I look forward to recording a new song and video so stay tuned!
That was filmed about a month ago at the Krystal in Clarksville, TN. on Wilma Rudolph Blvd. I was visiting family there and thought it would be cool to make a video in time for the Square Off. I ordered 2 steamer packs and shot it on a tiny Flip HD camera. The staff was extremely nice to us and gave us free drinks while we waited for the Krystals!
How has your training been for this year’s Krystal Square Off? Trying out any new techniques?
My preparation for the KSO has been going well. I have the capacity and the focused mind needed, plus, I worked on technique when I was in Clarksville, so all that’s left to do is to increase my stamina by way of cardio in the gym and I should be good to go in Birmingham and ultimately, the Finals!
Are you ready for the new rules this year?
I really think the new rules will work in my favor. I may have a slight edge this year since I was active on the competitive eating circuit before the year 2000, when dunking was few and far between. Who knows?
Going into this year’s KSO what are your goals?
I would love to make it into the finals winning a qualifier and not a wild card this time, and strive to do much better than last year’s disappointing 11th-place finish. If I place in the top 6, that would be awesome!
Do you think Joey Chestnut will repeat as champion this year? Any chances for another eater besides Joey, Kobayashi or Bertoletti?
Joey Chestnut is the best there is hands down, but Bertoletti has fully adapted to the new rules, and looks like he can take it all the way. Sonya looks great too. But hey, with the new rules, you might just see ya boy Badlands win KSO VI! If I come Hungry & Focused, it could happen!
Juliet Lee, the No. 2-ranked female eater in the world, will return for the second year in a row to the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship after a dramatic overtime win at yesterday’s Nashville Qualifier.
In a contest marked by controversy and the hottest and most humid conditions seen on the tour so far, Lee’s victory had some calling foul due to excessive debris during the eight-minute regulation period. After a lengthy conference with judges, Major League Eating made the decision to hold a three person eat-off, the first ever in Krystal Square Off history, between “The Lovely” Lee, Eric “Badlands” Booker and Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama. Each was presented with 10 Krystals, and Lee was first to consume hers, earning her the win.
Juliet Lee maintained a five second dunk throughout regulation but pre-chewed so aggressively the judges had difficulty determining her final count. Many fans and eaters alike questioned the outcome. Judges determined that the eat off should occur.
Major League Eating has announced it will hold an an impromptu conference call this evening to consider the adoption of a new rule to eliminate confusion in future contests. While the Sheas are expected to be on the call, the league is still trying to confirm the participation of Commissioner Hungry Charles Hardy.
Credited with 51 Krystals each, Badlands and Dr. Bigtime now join Sonya Thomas as the top three non-winning numbers so far. If their numbers hold one more week, the three will compete at the finals in Chattanooga on Sept. 28, as the three wild card winners.
Among other competing in Nashville include Erik “the Red” Denmark, Dave “US Male” Goldstein, “Wild” Bill Myers, “Nasty” Nate Miller, “Pretty Boy” Pete Davekos, Andrew Wong and Steve Larson.
Check back here for photos and video from yesterday’s Nashville Qualifier.
UPDATE: Click here for photos from Saturday’s qualifier and OT eat-off in Nashville.
The hook-filled, ready-for-radio song has the acclaimed recording artist and competitive eating legend laying down rhymes about “the burgers that come in the red box, burgers that you can only get in the Deep South.”
Badlands is one of the giants in the sport of eating and is coming off a two year retirement in which he dropped 90 pounds. A finalist at both Krystal Square Off I and II, Badlands will make his first attempt to qualify for this year’s Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship this Saturday at the Nashville qualifier.
Since we started our Krystal Square Off Twitter feed we’ve noticed many of the biggest names in the sport of eating signing up for the free “micro-blog” service that allows you to send brief messages called “tweets” via the Internet or your cell phone to people, aka “followers,” in your network. Eric “Badlands” Booker, “Humble” Bob Shoudt, Hall “Hoover” Hunt, Micah “Wing Kong” Collins and Bruce “The Hangman” Pobanz are just some of the eaters who are on Twitter.
And while some of them still need a “nudge” to start “tweeting” away, guys like Badlands, Hoover and The Hangman have started to send updates to give fans insight into what they’re doing and what’s on their minds.
For example, in his latest tweet, Badlands Booker shares, “Preparing myself to make history at the Krystal Square Off in Nashville on Sep. 13th.”
Hall Hunt, on the other hand, let his followers know just before the Jacksonville Qualifier that he was either “Eating, running, praying or sleeping.” Meanwhile after the contest, The Hangman summed up his performance, saying, “Overall the event was good. I did not deuce like I hoped. The weather was not favorable to most of us leaving all but two with low numbers.”
We’re hoping more eaters will get on Twitter soon, and for those who are signed up already we encourage you to give us, and all of your followers, regular missives about what you’re doing. Want to wax poetic about your upcoming contest? Tweet away. In the midst of a training session? Well, let us in on it. Have some news to share? Give us the scoop. We want to hear.
If you’re still wondering what Twitter is all about, check out our original post about Twitter here, and the below video sums it up rather well in simple terms.
