Japan’s Takeru “The Tsunami”?
Kobayashi set a new world hamburger-eating record on Saturday by consuming 69
of the two and a half inch, square
Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes to win the inaugural Krystal Square
Off World Hamburger-Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tennesse.

“Sixty-nine Krystals in eight minutes is astounding,” said David
Baer of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. “Kobayashi is, without a
doubt, the greatest eater ever to live upon planet earth.”

Hosted by The Krystal Co. and billed as the Krystal
Square Off, 14 of the world’s top competitive eaters gathered at
the 8-minute championship event to vie for the largest cash purse
offered on the U.S. circuit, a whopping $17,500. Kobayashi took home
the top prize of $10,000 cash, the Krystal World Champion’s Belt, the
champion’s crystal trophy, and the first-ever title of Krystal Square
Off World Hamburger-Eating Champion.

Sonya “The Black Widow”? Thomas, the 102-pound phenom from Alexandria,
Virginia, took second place and $5,000 by eating 46 Krystal hamburgers. Coming in third for $2,500 was Richard “The Locust”? LeFevre of
Henderson, Nevada, with 41 Krystal hamburgers.

The Krystal Square Off Final was the culmination of 11 regional
qualifying events throughout the southeast this fall.