Erik Denmark stands next to a very happy Sonya Thomas, who basks in the glory of winning first place at the Krystal Square Off VI San Antonio Qualifier.
At the Krystal Square Off VI San Antonio Qualifier this past Saturday, the number-one ranked female eater in the world Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas lived up to her nickname, easily disposing of her male competition by devouring five Big Angus Burgers and 39 Krystal Burgers in eight minutes for a total of 64 Krystal Burger Points. Watch the video below to see Thomas dominate over the field of contestants, including a host of local San Antonio amateurs and eating pro Erik “The Red” Denmark, who took second place with 55 Krystal Burger Points.
Thomas is one of the few eaters to compete in all six years of the Krystal Square Off, and her win in San Antonio secured her a seat at the finals in Chattanooga on Sept. 27, where she’ll battle it out for a piece of the $50,000 cash prize.
Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas beat out Erik "The Red" Denmark for first place at the KSO VI San Antonio Qualifier
It was a stifling 98 degrees at Six Flags Fiesta Texas during the first San Antonio Krystal Square Off Qualifier in history, but by the size and excitement of the crowd, you would think locals have been coming to this summertime Krystal Square Off event for each of its six years.
Weighing in at a mere 105 pounds, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas proved that she’s all stomach (and smiles) after downing 5 Big Angus Burgers and 39 Krystal Burgers for a total of 64 Krystal Burger Points. Thomas’ win secures her place at the championship table, where she will battle it out on live television against two of this year’s already confirmed eaters, second-ranked in the world Patrick Bertoletti, who took first place at the Chattanooga Qualifier this past weekend, and number-one ranked in the world Joey Chestnut, the KSO V winner.
Thomas, the number-one ranked female in the world, was no doubt the favorite to win. And, it looks like the new Big Angus Burger Points and “No-Dunking” rule only worked to her advantage. Not only did Thomas’ 64 Krystal Burger count win her the San Antonio Qualifier trophy, but it also broke her long standing record of 62 Krystals, which she ate at the 2007 Krystal Square Off Chattanooga Qualifier.
Finishing in a close second was 15th-ranked eater in the world, Erik “The Red” Denmark, who also shattered his personal best of 50 Krystals with a new Krystal Burger Point total of 55 – a great finish, but not quite good enough to pull out the much talked about upset over Thomas.
Check out who took the remaining 10 slots at today’s Qualifier:
Sonya Thomas – 64 Krystal Burger Points (39 Krystals, 5 Big Angus)
Erik Denmark – 55 Krystal Burger Points (30 Krystals, 5 Big Angus)
Homer Flores – 32 Krystal Burger Points (7 Krystals, 5 Big Angus)
Tie: T.J. Henderson/ Nick Bauer – 31 Krystal Burger Points (6 Krystals, 5 Big Angus)
John Baird – 22 Krystal Burger Points (2 Krystals, 4 Big Angus)
Nicholas Konecny – 21 Krystal Burger Points (1 Krystals, 4 Big Angus)
The next qualifier for Krystal Square Off VI takes place in Jacksonville on Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 7, where hometown hero and professional eater Hall “Hoover” Hunt will compete for a seat at the final table in Chattanooga on Sept. 27.
Stay tuned for more coverage from today’s event. As always, follow the Krystal Square Off VI on Twitter @KSquareOff for the most up-to-date news and announcements.
Erik "The Red" Denmark will attempt to beat last year's Krystal count and steal the favored spot from Sonya Thomas for a seat at the KSO VI finals.
The Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit continues this weekend with the Texas state qualifier in San Antonio, where Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, Erik “The Red” Denmark and others compete for a seat at the live-televised championship event on Sept. 27 along the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. Below are some quick bites of info for you to chew on between now and then.
Contest Bites:
This is the first time in the Krystal Square Off six-year history that a Qualifier will be held in San Antonio, Texas.
There will be a series of two-minute Pre-Qualifying Events for San Antonio locals on Friday, Aug. 28. For details, click here.
The San Antonio Qualifier will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The 8-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas is located in a former rock quarry in the development “La Cantera,” which means “rock quarry” in Spanish.
Open Registration for five amateur hopefuls will be held on-the-spot starting at 1:00 p.m.
All eaters competing at the San Antonio Qualifier will have to contend with Krystal’s new Big Angus Burger Points and “No-Dunking” Rule.
Sonya Thomas, the number-one ranked female eater in the world, will headline the San Antonio Qualifier on Saturday. Her personal best is 62 Krystals, which she did at the 2007 Chattanooga Qualifier.
Sonya Thomas has competed all six years of the Krystal Square Off.
Erik “The Red” Denmark, who recently placed 8th at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship and is currently the 15th-ranked eater in the world, will battle it out with Sonya at the San Antonio Qualifier.
Four of the eaters confirmed for the San Antonio Qualifier are in the Top 50 of Major League Eating’s world rankings.
At least eight different cities and five states will be represented at the table on Saturday.
The current list of confirmed eaters includes: Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas (Alexandria, VA), Erik “The Red” Denmark (Seattle, WA), Nic Fry (Hays, KS), Yasir Salem (New York, NY), Ronnie Simicek (Richmond, TX), Nick Bauer (Houston, TX), T.J. Henderson (Nederland, TX).
Krystal Lovers can receive live updates from the San Antonio Qualifier via Twitter @ksquareoff.
We talked with Thomas recently to see what the number-one ranked female eater had to say about her unexpected loss to eating pro Hall “Hoover” Hunt in the Jacksonville Qualifier last year and how she thinks the new rule changes will affect her strategy and the overall competition in this year’s Krystal Square Off.
What is it about the Krystal Square Off that makes it such a big event to you?
I love the way the Krystal people treat all of us eaters — like royalty! They are so kind to me that they melt my heart. And the Krystal fans are adorable.
What are your thoughts with respect to the new rules — Big Angus Burger Points and “No-Dunking?”
I am very, very pleased that Krystal made it illegal to dunk their nice, tasty burgers. Frankly, I think dunking food that is meant to be eaten dry is gross and very, very messy. I generally don’t practice speed eating, and especially not with food that gets so messy in water. It grosses me out. As far as the Krystal Big Angus Burger is concerned, though I’ve never eaten one, I look forward to trying them in competition. It adds a strategy factor that makes the contest even more interesting than it already is.
Last year it was rumored you weren’t going to compete in Krystal Square Off qualifiers. However, you made an appearance in Jacksonville only to be upset by hometown hero Hall Hunt. Your numbers still guaranteed you a spot in the KSO V finals as a Wild Card, but you didn’t accept it. Why?
First, let me say that Hall Hunt did a tremendous job in the Krystal Qualifier last year, and he well deserved the victory in Jacksonville. I was so disappointed in my total, though I didn’t practice speed-eating even one burger to prepare for reasons I’ve already stated.
Look, I’m a fast food manager and my staff and I take great pride and work long, rigorous hours in preparing orders for our customers, who love our food. I have seen Krystal burgers getting disrespected more and more every year to the point that I didn’t want to contribute to that image any more. A Krystal burger went into the water, but what came out was something that looked like it probably could have been eaten with a spoon. It made my heart so heavy to think about being a part of that. I know how I would feel if I saw people drowning the fast food items that I pour my blood, sweat and tears into preparing each and every day. There’s just something wrong with that. The least someone can do is eat our food the way it was intended to be eaten.
Sonya Thomas hopes to make a come back at the Krystal Square Off VI San Antonio Qualifier with a better performance than seen here in Jacksonville last year.
Well known to Krystal Lovers all across the South, The Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship is spreading the excitement to its fans in Texas by hosting one of its seven Qualifying events in the great city of San Antonio this Saturday. And to introduce KSO VI to San Antonians, Krystal will kick things off on Friday prior to the main event with a series of Pre-Qualifiers that are exclusive to the San Antonio market.
Check out the details below…
The Krystal Square Off VI Pre-Qualifying Event on Friday, August 28 will include a series of 2-minute eating contests that give amateur hopefuls the chance to compete in the main San Antonio Qualifier at Six Flags Fiesta Texas on Saturday, Aug. 29. Local Krystal Lovers will eat one Big Angus Burger and as many Famous Krystal Burgers as possible in order to win, while adhering to the new Big Angus Burger Points and “No-Dunking” rule (click here to read more about new rule changes). The top two eaters of the night will be guaranteed a spot at the San Antonio Qualifying event and the chance to go up against competitive eaters Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas and Erik “The Red” Denmark.
Krystal Lovers must be 18 years and older to participate in the KSO VI Pre-Qualifiers, which are set to take place Friday, August 28 from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Krystal Restaurant located at 7953 Pat Booker Rd., San Antonio, TX 78233.
Stay tuned for more information about the main Krystal Square Off San Antonio Qualifier, where there will be even more opportunities for amateur contenders to show off their gustatory might and battle for a spot at the main table in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27.
Follow @ksquareoff on Twitter for the most up-to-date Krystal Square Off news.
Patrick Bertoletti (center) says it's time for Joey Chestnut (right) to be "taken down a few pegs."
We caught up with Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti just before he makes his trip to Chattanooga for the first qualifier of the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship.
Here’s what the mohawked maverick of mastication had to say about the new rules, his training and who he thinks will have an advantage this year and who will suffer.
How have you been training for the Chattanooga Qualifier?
I really haven’t done any preparation for this contest. I find that I get too excited too early, and I use up all my reserves, peaking too soon. I still hope to put up a big number.
Are you glad you get to go first? Is it good or bad from a strategic level? Or does it only matter that you win and get a seat at the championship?
I don’t take qualifiers lightly. I have never done just enough to win; it’s perfect training for the finals. It’s not great to go first because it gives people a number to shoot for. It’s a lot easier to focus when there is a number to beat. Hopefully I can put up a high enough number that will set me near the center.
What are your expectations/predictions for the kick off Qualifier? Do you have any goals set for this Saturday?
I have never eaten Krystals dry so I really have no idea what the numbers will be. I am really excited about the challenge.
How quickly her smile and cheerful disposition disappears when it's time to eat.
We have our first major head-to-head battle of this year’s Krystal Square Off VI qualifying tour. Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, the number-one ranked female eater in the world, and Erik “The Red” Denmark, the 15th-ranked eater in the world, are both confirmed to compete in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 29. The event marks the first-ever tour stop for the Krystal Square Off in San Antonio, the only city in Texas that can lay claim to a Krystal 3-D (Drive-In, Dine-In, Drive-Thru) restaurant.
The two professional eaters will be gunning for a guaranteed spot at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Sept. 27. Or at the very least, put up a big enough number to earn one of the hotly contested Wild Card spots.
One of the sport’s all-time greats, Thomas is no doubt the favorite heading into the San Antonio Qualifier, which takes place at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, at 2 p.m. CST. While Denmark trumps Thomas in youth and the wearing of sweatband attire, Thomas dominates Denmark in both experience–she’s competed in all five years of the Krystal Square Off–and performance–her personal record is 62 Krystals, a dozen more than Denmark’s best.
Denmark, who is coming off a solid 8th place finish at the July 4th Hot Dog Eating Championship, will be looking to pull off what Hall “Hoover” Hunt did last year in Jacksonville when he upset Thomas. That surprising lost was her first-ever in a Krystal Square Off qualifier, and she went on to shock competitive eating fans with her eventual withdrawal from the final table after earning a Wild Card entry. The unexpected move allowed Juliet Lee a chance to scoop up the female spotlight in Chattanooga.
Needless to say, Thomas will have a lot to prove during the Krystal Square Off VI San Antonio Qualifier, where she plans to make her big come back and contend with Krystal’s new Big Angus Burger Points and “No-Dunking” Rule. Again, you can see her and Denmark battle it out at the 8-minute event on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, which is set to begin at 2 p.m. CST.
Stay tuned here for more details on the San Antonio Qualifier.
Jacksonville's hometown champion will compete once again in the Krystal Square Off to earn a seat next to reigning title holder, Joey Chestnut, in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27
No surprise here.
Hall “Hoover” Hunt, the seventh-ranked eater in the world and a Krystal Lover Hall of Fame member, will once again seek his spot at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship by competing in the Jacksonville, Fla. Qualifier this Labor Day.
The Jacksonville native, who placed sixth at the final table of Krystal Square Off V with 63 Krystals in eight minutes, will seek to repeat as the hometown champion when the 8-minute qualifying event is held on Monday, Sept. 7 at the Jacksonville Landing. Hunt won last year’s Jacksonville Qualifier in convincing fashion with 60 Krystals in 8-minutes, out-chomping Sonya Thomas and eclipsing Joey Chestnut’s previous Jacksonville record of 52 Krystals set in 2006.
This year, Hunt may not have to contend with the likes of Sonya Thomas on his hometown turf but he will have to tackle both the famous Krystal Burger and the new Big Angus Burgers while adhering to the new “No Dunking” policy. His “academic” approach to eating and the new rules could give him the competitive advantage he needs to dominate his fellow eaters and push him into the Top 5 at the Krystal Square Off VI Championship.
Open registration for amateur contenders will begin at 1 p.m. at the Jacksonville Landing, where five hopefuls will be chosen “on-the-spot” to compete against Hunt in the eight-minute event and earn a seat at the finals next to the world’s number one ranked eater Joey Chestnut. The Jacksonville Qualifier will commence shortly after at 2 p.m.
For more information on the New Rules, watch the Krystal Square Off VI video here.
The full video of the entire 8-minute Jacksonville Krystal Square Off V Qualifier is now posted on YouTube and here on KrystalSquareOff.com. Watch as top eating pros Hall Hunt and Sonya Thomas and a host of others battle for burger supremacy along the mighty St. John’s River for a seat at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 28.
As competitive eating fans look ahead to the Atlanta Krystal Square Off V Qualifier this Saturday, we have the full, official results from this past Monday’s qualifier in Jacksonville. As previously reported, Hall Hunt put up the biggest number of the day with 60 Krystals, earning himself a guaranteed spot at the finals on Sept. 28. In second was Sonya Thomaswith 55 and far behind in third was local amateur Richard Guadagnolo who put away 15.
Here are the complete results:
1) Hall Hunt 60
2) Sonya Thomas 55
3) Richard Guadagnolo 15
4) Kenneth Musgrove 14
5T) Carl Vose 12
5T) The Hangman Bruce Pobanz 12
7) Andrew Zagoria 10
8T) Jeremy Kirch 9
8T) Zach Unger 9
10) Glen Owens 8
11T) Farrell Hoffman 5
11T) Kara Scremin 5
Also, we have just posted photos from the Jacksonville Qualifier including some excellent shots of the great fans who came out to cheer on their favorite eaters. Check them out on our photo page here.
