Where The Wild Cards Are

The wild card race is heating up for Krystal Square Off V, and looks to get even hotter this weekend as both Nashville and Knoxville host qualifiers.

Among the early confirmations for this weekend include Tim “Eater X” Janus, Crazy Legs Conti, Eric “Badlands” Booker, Erik Denmark, Juliet Lee, Juris Shibayama and Loren Yarbrough.

While this list is subject to change, what won’t change is the least amount of Krystals they’ll have to put down just to be in contention for one of the three backdoor slots into the championship on Sept. 28. That number right now is 44 Krystals, which “Buffalo” Jim Reeves did this past Saturday in Atlanta. Just ahead of Reeves in the wild card race is Tim “Gravy” Brown with 45 Krystals, and Sonya Thomas leads the way with 55 Krystals.

Last year, Erik Denmark, with 43 Krystals, held the top spot from the wild card group.

With four more qualifiers left and so many top eaters still waiting for their shot, Reeves and Brown may want to call their travel agents and start planning another trip back South.

Check out EatFeats for a list of the current top 10 non-winning performances so far.

For a list of remaining Krystal Square Off V Qualifiers, go here.

Register for a chance to win a weekend getaway vacation for 4 to Chattanooga for Krystal Square Off V.

Humble Bob Eyes Century Mark at Chatty Krystal Square Off Qualifier

We can confirm that “Humble” Bob Shoudt, the number-five ranked competitive eater in the world, will compete in the kick-off Krystal Square Off V qualifier this Saturday in Chattanooga.

And rumor is he’s planning to throw down the gauntlet with at least 100 Krystals in eight minutes.

Shoudt’s personal best is 95 Krystals in 8 minutes, which won him the bittersweet title of runner-up at last year’s World Hamburger Eating Championship after losing to Joey Chestnut’s world-record breaking 103 Krystals.

Shoudt is the clear favorite to win this first of seven regional qualifiers. He’ll go head-to-head against a total of 12 eaters, including SuperPaul Barlow (ranked 37th), Larry McNeil (ranked 38th) and five amateur hopefuls who will be selected on the spot.

While we know Shoudt is focused on winning Krystal Square Off V, which he recently proclaimed the “Super Bowl of competitive eating” and an event “bigger than the Olympics”, we’ll have to see if his eyes are bigger than his stomach when it comes to eating 100 Krystals or more.

We’re also a bit curious as to whether the ribs he devoured this past weekend in the Ash Creek Saloon contest to claim his first-ever victory over Chestnut will still be sticking to his bones, affecting his gurgitating greatness. Shoudt ate 6.8 lbs of ribs in 12 minutes to Chestnut’s 6.6 lbs.

Shoudt’s quest for the century mark and a coveted seat at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship final table will kick off at 3:00 p.m. on the Main Stage of the Southern Brewer’s Festival at the Chattanooga Riverfront.

We recommend arriving early to claim your ground in the front row if you want to witness this possible history in the making, or you can stay tuned here at krystalsquareoff.com, as we’ll post all the results.

Below is a complete list of eater’s set to compete in the Chattanooga Qualifier on Saturday:

“Humble” Bob Shoudt
Larry McNeil
Steve Spinosa
Rick Schumacher
Rick Petralia
SuperPaul Barlow
Mike Nafziger
Brian Smith
+ 5 amateurs chosen on the spot

Krystal Square Off V Announces Largest Cash Purse In Competitive Eating History

When the very best from the sport of eating descend upon Chattanooga for the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 28, 2008, it will be more than just the title on the line. Top-ranked eaters such as Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will also battle for some serious money as The Krystal Company announced today that it will award an unprecedented $50,000 in cash prizes, making it the largest cash purse in competitive eating history.

The winner this year will receive $20,000 in cash, twice the amount Chestnut took home in 2007 when he shocked a live audience of 10,000 by eating an unfathomable 103 Krystal Hamburgers in eight minutes. Chestnut’s mark last year shattered Takeru Kobayashi’s previous world record of 97.

The runner-up at Krystal Square Off V will take home a paycheck of $10,000, while third place will leave Chattanooga $5,000 richer. On the line for the remaining finalists are the following payouts: 4th – $3,000; 5th – $2,500; 6th – $2,000; 7th – $1,850; 8th – $1,500; 9th – $1,400; 10th – $1,250; 11th – $1,000; 12th – $500.

A seven-city qualifying circuit for Krystal Square Off V kicks off in Chattanooga with an opening ceremony on Aug. 22 followed by an eight-minute contest on Aug. 23. From there, the circuit journeys through six more cities with the winner of each regional qualifier awarded a seat to the World Championship in Chattanooga. Three wild card spots to the final will also be awarded based on performances in the regional qualifiers.

For complete details click here for press release.

Krystal Square Off V Qualifying Tour Announced

The road to the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship will journey through seven cities this August and September, giving amateur hopefuls the chance to put their money where their mouth is against the world’s best as they compete for a spot at the World Championship in Chattanooga on Sept. 28.

The regional qualifying gets underway August 23 in Chattanooga with an opening ceremony and eight minute eating contest. From there, the tour heads to six more cities across the South, including Jacksonville, Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham, and Memphis.

For the complete KSO V schedule, including dates and cities, click here

For the press release announcing the KSO V tour schedule, click here

Date Announced for Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship

The top competitive eaters in the world now know the date when they will face off for the title of world hamburger-eating champion. Announced today, the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship will take place on September 28, 2008, and will once again be held along the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn. A major in the sport of competitive eating, Krystal Square Off V is the only world hamburger-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating.

Last year, Krystal Square Off IV attracted a live audience of more than 10,000 people to the Chattanooga Riverfront where they witnessed Joey Chestnut devour 103 Krystal burgers in eight minutes. Chestnut’s mark shattered the previous world-record of 97 Krystals set by three-time Krystal Square Off champion Takeru Kobayashi in 2006.

With Kobayashi back to reclaim his throne and eaters like “Humble” Bob Shoudt, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti and Tim “Eater X” Janus gaining ground on the two eating legends, Krystal Square Off V is expected to draw competitive eating fans from all across North America and as far away as Japan to watch firsthand what many now refer to as the Super Bowl of competitive eating.

On top of the excitement provided by the sport’s top tier of professionals, it will now become easier for amateur hopefuls across the South to qualify for the nationally-televised Krystal Square Off and compete against the world’s best. All details of the revamped Krystal Square Off Qualifying Tour, including how to qualify, will be announced shortly along with the prize purse for Krystal Square Off V.