Jul 11–13, 2024 · Greenwood, SC · 📍 120 Main Street · State championship
Reps: Alan Rothrock, Carolyn Wells, Doug Reid, Mike Garretson, Noel Kay · Prize money: $20,210
HOT COLE'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the South Carolina Festival of Discovery on July 11, 2024 in Greenwood, SC at 120 Main Street, scoring 703.9888 in a field of 76 teams. STEWBABYS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.9312. Category winners: Chicken — COOL HAND QUE (180.0000); Pork Ribs — ZIPS BBQ (180.0000); Pork — OFF THE CHAIN (178.8572); Brisket — SWIG-N-PIG (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by CHUNKY BBQ; the next was held in 2025.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2022 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 96% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0576 points — closer than 96% of every championship in the data.
HOT COLE'S BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 2 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
2 of 5 tracked editions
SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS has won this contest 2 times across its 5 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.9032 points — 3 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Chicken places 3–4: Mad Dog BBQ and HOLT BROTHERS BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: HOLT BROTHERS BBQ and BAD ROOSTER BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: One Eyed Pig BBQ and ZIPS BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
COOL HAND QUE turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS (won 2022).
Bigger than 96% of the 5,462 contests in the data
76 teams — bigger than 96% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2022 | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 92 | 708 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| Jul 6, 2023 | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 76 | 706.2516 | CHUNKY BBQ | QMEISTERS |
| Jul 11, 2024 ← this one | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 76 | 703.9888 | Hot Cole's BBQ | STEWBABYS BBQ |
| Jul 10, 2025 | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 66 | 708 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Greenwood, SC | 120 Main Street | 75 | 707.3828 | Cocamoke Smoke BBQ | Maya Jane BBQ Co. |
| Jul 8, 2027 | Greenwood, SC | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7144 | 177.1428 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 178.2972 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 177.1544 | 175.4172 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176.5944 | 175.4172 |
76 entries · top 703.9888 · median 683.0398
75 entries · top 180 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
74 entries · top 180 · median 170.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180
74 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8228
74 entries · top 180 · median 171.1256 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
16 entries · top 180 · median 166.8858 · 🔥 perfect 180
22 entries · top 180 · median 163.6742 · 🔥 perfect 180
14 entries · top 171.4056 · median 159.9656
5 entries · top 174.8800 · median 167.4972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBQ Bailers | |
| 2 | Pigilitically Incorrect II | |
| 3 | The Prissy Pig and | |
| 4 | Piggytails | |
| 5 | Homerun Grillers |
3 entries · top 171.9656 · median 168.0116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spice Girls | |
| 2 | Keep It Smokin Jr. | |
| 3 | The Smok-A-Nistas |