NATHAN'S FAMOUS QUALIFIER (CAMDEN, NJ)

It was a hot day in Camden (hotter than it looked and hotter than it felt if you were only outside for a few minutes), but it was a good day for Eric "Badlands" Booker to come out of his two-year retirement to win the final East Coast qualifier for the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Badlands scarfed down 27.5 dogs, followed by Buffalo Jim Reeves (22) and Steakbellie (20.75). Full rankings can be seen here. It was a big day for Steakbellie. Even though he didn't win, he surpassed a personal goal -- his first ever 20+ hot dog performance.


Before the contest, the eaters relaxed in the air conditioning of the Nathan's restaurant. Here, Badlands spins a tale about the old days while Steakbellie and Little Steak hang on every word (well, one of them did).


Some of Camden's finest enjoy the day.


Here's Steakbellie (second from right) early in the contest, looking as focused as a really focused laser beam. To his right is Badlands Booker and Wing Kong. Badlands, in a nod to his old friend Takeru Kobayashi, let his rivals take the first bite and waited about six seconds after the contest started before digging in. Very cool.

A full set of pics can be seen here.