We all tried to get away with the excuse: ”I heard in some countries, it’s rude if you DON’T burp after a meal” after we’ve passed gas either inadvertently or with purposeful malicious intent.  The World Burping Federation wants to put the stigma to an end. They have begun to let our [burping] people go with the inaugural World Burping Championship.

Five competitors — all competitive eaters with Major League Eating (they sponsored the event) — went to battle June 8 in New York City’s Hudson Station.  Among them: Eric “Badlands” Booker, a 400-pound 42-year-old; Yasir “The Doggy Bag” Salem, who took second-place; and one Tim “Eater X” Janus.

According to the WBF website, “Burping is a fundamental part of the digestive process, and the near universal stigma surrounding it has planted the seeds of shame in countless number of people, contributing to a subtle, but significant, degradation of the human experience.”

Janus, who weighs in a whopping 165 lbs., employed an actual strategy for his turn — He chose to gulp a bunch of air then he chugged 2 gallons of Diet Coke and Mountain Dew.

Janus won the contest with an 18.1 second burp.

More From 96.1 The Eagle