Move Over, Joey Chestnut—Badlands Booker Is The Athlete To Watch
The competitive chugger downed a full gallon of lemonade shockingly quickly last weekend.
With every generation, a new titan must rise. He is strong. He is mighty. He possesses the herculean force of will to lead the floundering public to glory. For decades, the Fates have predicted his dominance. Now, we know his name: Eric "Badlands" Booker, who chugged a full gallon of lemonade in 30 seconds during last weekend's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Who is Badlands Booker?
We first caught wind of Booker last year. At the time, we reported that the rapper, YouTuber, and competitive eater had set the world record for chugging an entire 2-liter bottle of soda in just 18.45 seconds. It's safe to say the world has taken notice: Booker's YouTube channel now has more than 3.1 million subscribers. His channel features video after video of Booker's Earth-shattering chugs, many of which feature varying techniques. (Here's something called the Stealth Chug.) Booker also spits sweet rhymes, including an anthem for anyone who'd like to "Chug Dat Drink."
How Badlands Booker dominated the Nathan’s Lemonade Chug
Booker's star is clearly on the rise, as evidenced by his performance at the second annual Nathan's Lemonade Chug last weekend. There, on the scenic shores of Coney Island, New York, just as Joey Chestnut was choking out an anonymous rapscallion, Booker downed a full gallon of lemonade in 30 seconds.
You can watch Booker's victory in an ESPN video posted to Twitter (also below). In the video, it's clear that Booker didn't just win the competition—he absolutely crushed it, guzzling at least three times faster than any of his competitors. Stay tuned for the end of the video, when Booker releases a truly incredible belch. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what peak performance looks like.
Eric "Badlands" Booker wins his second career Chug Contest title 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5jtjqzmges
— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2022
Just one brief disclaimer: Don't try to copy Booker's feats at home. Competitive chuggers like Booker do this all the time, but chugging contests can be dangerous for amateurs. Drinking too much liquid—even non-alcoholic liquid—can lead to water intoxication, a potentially life-threatening condition. With that, I'd advise you to leave the chugging to the pros. Badlands Booker: Remember the name.