« Mexico & Caribbean: two nights free at Club Med | Home | Roundup: London’s Gatwick Airport up for sale; Rick Seaney’s best holiday dates to travel; Las Vegas under $21 »

Next big competitive eating challenge: Krystal Square Off in Chattanooga

Joey Chesnut 2007 Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championships in Chattanooga, TN.

It might not be an Olympic sport yet — but just you wait — Major League Eating is becoming a much-talked-about event breeding its own line of professional superstars. The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship is the next big competitive eating contest to tune in on. Why watch it on TV when you can watch it live with VIP access Sept. 28 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Win a trip | The Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving away a VIP access Krystal Square Off V Getaway package for a family of four (Sept. 26-28, 2008). The winner will get Krystal Square Off VIP Access that includes a luxury suite “sky box” at the live televised championship, complete with catered food and beverages and the best view of the contest, two-night accommodations at the Sheraton Read House, and one Chattanooga area attraction VIP Pass good for four people at over 40 attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX 3D Theater, Ruby Falls and Rock City Gardens. Sign up here.

Takeru Kobayashi, seen above celebrating after beating Joey Chestnut at Krystal Square Off III, will storm through Birmingham, Ala. on his way to this year's championship.

Buzz | This year is especially exciting because Takeru Kobayashi (pictured above) is returning to the Krystal Square Off to try and reclaim his title. The back story is that Kobayashi had won the event in 2004, 2005 and 2006 but didn’t participate last year because of a jaw injury. In his absence, arch-rival Joey Chestnut (pictured at top) took the World Champion title by eating 103 Krystal burgers in eight minutes. The previous record was held by Kobayashi in 2006 at 97. In order to go head-to-head with Chestnut, Kobayashi has one hurdle to jump. He has to qualify. Crowds are expected and the venue for the last qualifier (this Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama) has already been changed once for security reasons.

Follow the action on the Krystal Square Off Blog which is complete with YouTube videos, breaking news and photos of past qualifiers and championship contests.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photos: krystalsquareoff.com]

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 7:05 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Contest & Sweepstakes, Family & Kids, News, Tips & Advice, Southern States, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.