A new contest record
713.7028
highest overall ever cooked here
713.7028 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 689.0856 Simply Marvelous BBQ set in 2023.
- old record 689.0856
- set 2023 by Simply Marvelous BBQ
Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off 2024
May 24–25, 2024 · Felton, CA · 📍 5401 Graham Hill Rd · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $7,500
Cherry Anchor BBQ won Grand Champion at the Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off on May 24, 2024 in Felton, CA at 5401 Graham Hill Rd, scoring 713.7028 in a field of 21 teams. SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.0856. Category winners: Chicken — NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Cherry Anchor BBQ (178.8572); Pork — Cherry Anchor BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ (180.0000). The Open Comp standings were won by Smith N' Sunshine BBQ with 354.8572. This is the 2nd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Simply Marvelous BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
562.13
median 671.36
713.70 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 178.86
- Master Series — Pork 180 🔥
- Master Series — Brisket 180 🔥
- Open Comp — Pork Ribs 177.15
135.39
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
21
5 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
713.7028
Winning margin
12.6172
GC over RC
Field average
668.75
562.13713.70
median 671.36 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
5 🔥
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8916 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
681.0744
562.13713.70
10th place overall
Field spread
151.5772
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,500
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
53%
10 of 19 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.53 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,515
avg power rating going in · stronger than 11% of contests
Storylines (9 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
An upset on the books
32-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 68 times in 100
Cherry Anchor BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 32-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1607
- top seed 1737
A statement win
12.6172
points clear of the field
Wider than 93% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.6172 points — a wider margin than 93% of championships in the data.
A day of perfect scores
5
perfect 180s
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ · Brisket
- NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT · Chicken
- Cherry Anchor BBQ · Pork
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ and BULL MARKET BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: Pops BBQ 22 and RBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 1–2: Cherry Anchor BBQ and BONE RUBBIN BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 1–2 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 2–3 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Cherry Anchor BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Cherry Anchor BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 2nd.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 174.2628 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 174.2628
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Simply Marvelous BBQ (won 2023).
- Simply Marvelous BBQ · 2023
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2023 | Felton, CA | 5401 Graham Hill Rd | 19 | 689.0856 | Simply Marvelous BBQ | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ |
| May 24, 2024 ← this one | Felton, CA | 5401 Graham Hill Rd | 21 | 713.7028 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Felton, CA | 5401 Graham Hill Rd | 25 | 708.5256 | CYNICAL BBQ | Simply Marvelous BBQ |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Felton, CA | 5401 Graham Hill Rd | 17 | 710.2628 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Smokin Colt |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 174.2628 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 173.7144 | 168 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 168.5256 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180 | 174.8572 | 169.6684 |
| Open Comp — Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 174.2628 | 156.5144 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
21 entries · top 713.7028 · median 671.3600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 5 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 6 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 7 | Beards BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 9 | Mid Valley BBQ | |
| 10 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 11 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 12 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 13 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 14 | RBQ | |
| 15 | Alotta BS BBQ | |
| 16 | Coaches Pit BBQ | |
| 17 | Lord Of The Ribs BBQ | |
| 18 | GRILLIN' THE SHED | |
| 19 | SMOKE AND HOPE | |
| 20 | Hot Link and Chorizo BBQ | |
| 21 | California Wine & Italian Blue |
Chicken
21 entries · top 180 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 2 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 3 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 5 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 6 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 7 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 8 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 9 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 10 | RBQ | |
| 11 | Mid Valley BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 13 | Hot Link and Chorizo BBQ | |
| 14 | GRILLIN' THE SHED | |
| 15 | Beards BBQ | |
| 16 | Coaches Pit BBQ | |
| 17 | Lord Of The Ribs BBQ | |
| 18 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 19 | Alotta BS BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKE AND HOPE | |
| 21 | California Wine & Italian Blue |
Pork Ribs
21 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 3 | Beards BBQ | |
| 4 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 5 | Mid Valley BBQ | |
| 6 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 7 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 8 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 10 | Coaches Pit BBQ | |
| 11 | RBQ | |
| 12 | Lord Of The Ribs BBQ | |
| 13 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 14 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 15 | Hot Link and Chorizo BBQ | |
| 16 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 17 | Alotta BS BBQ | |
| 18 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 19 | SMOKE AND HOPE | |
| 20 | GRILLIN' THE SHED | |
| 21 | California Wine & Italian Blue |
Pork
21 entries · top 180 · median 167.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 5 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 6 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 7 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 8 | RBQ | |
| 9 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 10 | Alotta BS BBQ | |
| 11 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 12 | Beards BBQ | |
| 13 | Mid Valley BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE AND HOPE | |
| 15 | GRILLIN' THE SHED | |
| 16 | Coaches Pit BBQ | |
| 17 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 18 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 19 | Hot Link and Chorizo BBQ | |
| 20 | Lord Of The Ribs BBQ | |
| 21 | California Wine & Italian Blue |
Brisket
21 entries · top 180 · median 166.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 2 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 5 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 6 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 7 | Beards BBQ | |
| 8 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 9 | Mid Valley BBQ | |
| 10 | Lord Of The Ribs BBQ | |
| 11 | Alotta BS BBQ | |
| 12 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 13 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 14 | Coaches Pit BBQ | |
| 15 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 16 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 17 | GRILLIN' THE SHED | |
| 18 | SMOKE AND HOPE | |
| 19 | RBQ | |
| 20 | California Wine & Italian Blue | |
| 21 | Hot Link and Chorizo BBQ |
Open Comp
Overall
10 entries · top 354.8572 · median 335.6916 · out of 360, not the usual 720
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith N' Sunshine BBQ | |
| 2 | Max Fam BBQ | |
| 3 | Smokin Colt | |
| 4 | Big shot BBQ | |
| 5 | Uncle Jakes BBQ | |
| 6 | MC BBQ | |
| 7 | Big daddys bbq | |
| 8 | E Clampus Vitus | |
| 9 | Up In Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | Eat My Smoke BBQ |
Pork Ribs
10 entries · top 177.1544 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big daddys bbq | |
| 2 | Smith N' Sunshine BBQ | |
| 3 | Up In Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | Max Fam BBQ | |
| 5 | MC BBQ | |
| 6 | Smokin Colt | |
| 7 | Big shot BBQ | |
| 8 | E Clampus Vitus | |
| 9 | Uncle Jakes BBQ | |
| 10 | Eat My Smoke BBQ |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Open Comp — Backyard Tritip
10 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.0228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith N' Sunshine BBQ | |
| 2 | Uncle Jakes BBQ | |
| 3 | Smokin Colt | |
| 4 | Max Fam BBQ | |
| 5 | Big shot BBQ | |
| 6 | E Clampus Vitus | |
| 7 | MC BBQ | |
| 8 | Big daddys bbq | |
| 9 | Up In Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | Eat My Smoke BBQ |