- Title: 34 burgers in 10 minutes! A tie in Washington's eating contest
- Date: 2nd July 2021
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2021) (REUTERS) REIGNING ZBURGER EATING CHAMPION MOLLY SCHUYLER EATING VORACIOUSLY DURING THE CONTEST WIDE OF THE CONTEST LATER AS MAN IS HEARD ANNOUNCING THAT MOLLY SCHUYLER AND DAN 'KILLER' KENNEDY TIED FOR FIRST PLACE WITH 34 HAMBURGERS EATEN, THE TWO WINNERS STEP OUT AND RAISE A TROPHY AND WRAP A HUGE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT AROUND THEMSELVES THE TWO WINNERS WITH TROPHY OTHER CONTESTANTS STANDING EARLIER JUST BEFORE THE CONTEST STARTED WIDE OF CONTEST AS COUNTDOWN IS HEARD AND CONTESTANTS START EATING REIGNING ZBURGER EATING CHAMPION MOLLY SCHUYLER EATING PAN FROM MOLLY'S FOOD TRAY TO COMPETITOR DAN 'KILLER' KENNEDY'S FOOD TRAY MOLLY AND DAN EATING AS LADIES HOLD UP CARDS WITH THE NUMBERS OF BURGER THEY'VE EACH INGESTED SO FAR (21 AND 18 RESPECTIVELY) PAN FROM MOLLY EATING TO DAN EATING MOLLY AND DAN EATING AS LADIES HOLD UP CARDS THAT NOW READ 35 AND 31 (THE FINAL COUNT WAS LATER VERIFIED AND CHANGED BY THE JUDGES) COUNTDOWN AS THE CONTEST ENDS AND COMPETITORS STOP EATING TRAY OF UNEATEN HAMBURGERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIED WINNERS MOLLY SCHUYLER AND DAN 'KILLER' KENNEDY IN AN EXCHANGE WITH THE ANNOUNCER AFTER RECEIVING THEIR TROPHY, SAYING: ANNOUNCER "Molly, you've been the champion here for now 7 years, 6 of those by yourself. How does it feel to share the championship with Dan 'Killer' Kennedy? MOLLY (LOOKS AT ANNOUNCER AND SAYS BARELY AUDIBLY) I don't care. (LAUGHTER) ANNOUNCER Wow... Dan, you were throwing that tray, you were throwing those burgers down, and now you're at the top, you're at the upper echelon of the Independence Burger Eating Championship with Molly Schuyler, the six-time reigning champion coming in today. How do you feel? DAN Full. ANNOUNCER Full."
- Embargoed: 16th July 2021 18:49
- Keywords: Dan Killer Kennedy Molly Schuyler Z-Burger’s Annual Independence Burger Eating Championship ZBurger eating contest food eating contest
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001EK5GMRR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The reigning queen of Washington, D.C.'s annual July 4 burger eating contest had to share her championship trophy and belt on Friday (July 2) with last year's second-place winner, as the two each ingested 34 burgers in 10 minutes.
Molly Schuyler, a mother of four from California, managed to down the 34 burgers (just one shy of her record of 35) during the Annual Independence Burger Eating Championship hosted by local fast-food chain Z-Burger.
Her annual nemesis, fellow professional eater Dan 'Killer' Kennedy of Pennsylvania, also scarfed down 34 burgers on Friday, placing the two in a tie.
The two posed for the media after the contest, holding their shared trophy and wrapping a champion's belt around both their waists like conjoined twins.
When asked how it felt to share the top slot this year, Schuyler replied "I don't care". When asked how it felt to reach the "upper echelon" of the competition next to the reigning champion, Kennedy simply said he felt "full."
In total, fourteen of the nation's top independent 'professional eaters' and local Washington area contestants squared off to see who could stomach the most burgers in the allotted ten-minute timeframe, as they competed for $4,350 in prize money, including the grand prize of $1,750 cash.
Once the ten minutes were over, contestants still had to wait another two minutes for judges to make sure they will actually hold in the enormous volume of food ingested.
A small but enthusiastic crowd usually turns out each year to observe the annual Independence Day spectacle, as well as to indulge in a free burger afterward.
Washington's local burger eating contest comes ahead of Nathan's hot dog eating contest in New York -- a much more highly publicized contest and the main competitive eating event of the July 4th holiday.
(Production: Mana Rabiee) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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