Sign Up to 'Rock the Tot'

Jamie McDonald ate 5 pounds and 4 ounces of tater tots in 6 minutes to become the 2012 Bar Louie tater tot eating champion.

Think you can eat more tots?

Although not a Major League Eating-sanctioned event, the “Rock the Tot” eating competition is set for 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 at Bar Louie locations across the country including Clearwater's in Countryside Mall.

The festivities include a night of live entertainment and celebration as Bar Louie also is trying to set the world record for most tater tots eaten simultaneously across all locations. The restaurant is giving guests a tater tot to eat at 9 p.m. eastern standard time.

Last year, nearly 250,000 tots were consumed as part of the competition.

Contest participants should arrive no later than 7:30 p.m. They are encouraged to bring fans and wear creative costumes.

The contest is broken into two parts: team relay races and solo competitions.

Relay race teams consisting of four people will each have a pound of tots lined up in front of them. At the sound of the buzzer, the first team member will eat their pound of tots as fast as they can. The second team member will start their pound when the first team member has finished, and so on.

The team to finish their four pounds of tots in the quickest time wins four “Rock the Tot” champions T-shirts and free tots for a year.

Individual competitors will face off in a challenge to eat as many tater tots as possible in three minutes. Contestants are allowed to have any drink of their choice during that time. At the end of the three minutes a winner will be determined and declared the “Rock the Tot” champion.

The winners will receive a $250 Bar Louie gift card, champion trophy, T-shirt and free tater tots for a year.

All winners will be declared locally, with BL Restaurant Operations, LLC verifying the results after the local competitions are completed.

The top five local winners will be awarded airfare and hotel accommodations to Cleveland, OH to attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and compete in the national competition at Bar Louie Cleveland on Oct. 5.

The grand prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize, free tater tots for life and hold the world record for most tots eaten in three minutes.

Turn in registration forms at Bar Louie.

If you go:

What: Rock the Tot

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19

Where: Bar Louie, 27001 U.S. 19 N.

Visit: www.rockthetot.com or facebook.com/barlouie.