Krystal Announces Epic Cash Purse for KSOV

Largest cash purse in competitive eating history up for grabs at the World Hamburger Eating Championship

Chattanooga, Tenn. – 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.

"Victory will be as good as gold at the Krystal Square Off V finals this year as we give away the largest cash purse in competitive eating history," said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing, The Krystal Company. "As elite, world-class athletes, these competitors are focused on the title first and foremost, but winning some cold, hard cash will make victory taste even sweeter."

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.

At the Krystal Square Off V final, the seven regional winners and three wild cards will face off against the world's number one ranked eater Joey Chestnut, who receives an automatic seat to this year's championship as the defending champion.

The Krystal Square Off is one of the two majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports.

For complete details on Krystal Square Off V, visit www.KrystalSquareOff.com.