A new contest record
710.8228
highest overall ever cooked here
710.8228 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 693.6800 Smokey Haze BBQ set in 2023.
- old record 693.6800
- set 2023 by Smokey Haze BBQ
Kenai River BBQ Competition 2024
May 31 – Jun 1, 2024 · Soldotna, AK · 📍 44223 Sterling Hwy
Reps: John Mann, Michelle Mann
Smoken J's BBQ won Grand Champion at the Kenai River BBQ Competition on May 31, 2024 in Soldotna, AK at 44223 Sterling Hwy, scoring 710.8228 in a field of 7 teams. Holy Trinity BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.1200. Category winners: Chicken — Smoken J's BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SMOKEY HAZE (177.7144); Pork — Smoken J's BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Holy Trinity BBQ (179.4400). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Smokey Haze BBQ.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 177.71
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 179.44
68.15
180
Entries
7
4 judged meats
Top score
710.8228
Winning margin
9.7028
GC over RC
Field average
663.97
536.66710.82
median 679.36 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
12.5828 pts across the top 5
Field spread
174.1604
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 2%
beats 98% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
67%
6 of 9 teams from the previous edition returned
Field strength
1,500
avg power rating going in
Storylines (7 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.
A statement win
9.7028
points clear of the field
Wider than 86% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.7028 points — a wider margin than 86% of championships in the data.
A rookie on the podium
2nd
at their first tracked contest
Holy Trinity BBQ finished 2nd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Smoken J's BBQ won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Smoken J's BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 3rd.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in pork ribs
177.7144
best pork ribs ever cooked here
SMOKEY HAZE turned in 177.7144 in pork ribs — past the 171.9884 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 171.9884
- across 1 past editions
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Smoken J's BBQ · Chicken
- Smoken J's BBQ · Pork
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2023 | Soldotna, AK | 251 States Ave | 9 | 693.6800 | Smokey Haze BBQ | Halfracks Smoke Shack |
| May 31, 2024 ← this one | Soldotna, AK | 44223 Sterling Hwy | 7 | 710.8228 | Smokin J's BBQ | Holy Trinity BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 166.2400 | — |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 164.5372 | — |
| Pork | 180 | 167.4172 | — |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 166.8228 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
7 entries · top 710.8228 · median 679.3600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoken J's BBQ | |
| 2 | Holy Trinity BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKEY HAZE | |
| 4 | JC Holy Smokes | |
| 5 | Halfracks Smoke Shack | |
| 6 | J & J BBQ | |
| 7 | Cowgirls Forever |
Chicken
7 entries · top 180 · median 166.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoken J's BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKEY HAZE | |
| 3 | Holy Trinity BBQ | |
| 4 | JC Holy Smokes | |
| 5 | Halfracks Smoke Shack | |
| 6 | J & J BBQ | |
| 7 | Cowgirls Forever |
Pork Ribs
7 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKEY HAZE | |
| 2 | JC Holy Smokes | |
| 3 | Smoken J's BBQ | |
| 4 | Holy Trinity BBQ | |
| 5 | Halfracks Smoke Shack | |
| 6 | J & J BBQ | |
| 7 | Cowgirls Forever |
Pork
7 entries · top 180 · median 167.9884 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoken J's BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKEY HAZE | |
| 3 | Holy Trinity BBQ | |
| 4 | Cowgirls Forever | |
| 5 | JC Holy Smokes | |
| 6 | J & J BBQ | |
| 7 | Halfracks Smoke Shack |
Brisket
7 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holy Trinity BBQ | |
| 2 | Smoken J's BBQ | |
| 3 | Halfracks Smoke Shack | |
| 4 | JC Holy Smokes | |
| 5 | SMOKEY HAZE | |
| 6 | J & J BBQ | |
| 7 | Cowgirls Forever |