A new kind of triathlon

Any takers???

Six Flags' eating triathlon set on three eights' date

By JONATHAN WILLIAMS
For accessAtlanta
Published on: 08/07/2008

Prophets and numerologists have predicted big things in recent years. First was the Y2K scare, which was followed by the unholy date of 6/6/06 and the supposedly lucky alignment of 7/7/07. While there doesn't seem to be too much importance attached to the date of 8/8/08, the folks at Six Flags have decided to celebrate this Friday with a more appetizing interpretation of "ate, ate, oh, ate."

With the help of SuperPhat Mikey from Star 94's Morning Mess radio crew, eight contestants who have been deemed serious eaters (including Mikey) will gather in front of the faux drive-in theater to compete in the Six Flags Eating Triathlon. With the daunting task of consuming eight hot dogs (with buns), eight funnel cakes (with fruit toppings) and eight slices of cheese pizza, the eight contestants will attempt to eat, eat, eat their way to victory as park patrons watch the gluttony, with each contestant receiving eight tickets to invite friends to cheer them on.

The winner will not only have a serious case of indigestion, but also gets a three-night trip for two to Myrtle Beach and a $100 gas card. Win or lose, one can only hope each contestant allows ample time for the food to digest before hopping on a roller coaster, in which case we can only predict awful things.

IF YOU GO
Six Flags Eating Triathlon. Free with park admission. $39.99 adults; $29.99 for visitors 48 inches and under; free for children ages 2 and younger. $15-$20 parking. (Discounts available online.) 12:08 p.m. Aug. 8. (Park hours are 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.). Six Flags Over Georgia, 7561 Six Flags Parkway, Austell. 770-739-3400, www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia.