Apr 25–26, 2025 · Stanley, WI · 📍 Soo Line Park
Reps: Laurie Tweten · Prize money: $2,000
Briskey Business BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) on April 25, 2025 in Stanley, WI at Soo Line Park, scoring 348.5372 in a field of 24 teams. WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 347.9772. Category winners: Chicken — WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Sassy Smoke BBQ (178.3200). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Dawgs BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 87% of the 610 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5600 points — closer than 87% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100
Briskey Business BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 13-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Briskey Business BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data.
2 of 3 tracked editions
Dawgs BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.5716 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Briskey Business BBQ finished 1st overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 9–10: Sassy Smoke BBQ and Porket About It tied on 168.5256 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: Behemoth BBQ and WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ tied on 167.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: SMOKEY GQ edged Sassy Smoke BBQ by 0.0116.
WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 177.7028 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Dawgs BBQ (won 2024).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 2024 | Stanley, WI | Chapman Park | 16 | 350.8572 | Dawgs BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2025 ← this one | Stanley, WI | Soo Line Park | 24 | 348.5372 | Briskey Business BBQ |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Stanley, WI | Chapman Park | 24 | 352 | Dawgs BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 172 | 168.5256 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.3200 | 171.9772 | 167.9772 |
24 entries · top 348.5372 · median 329.9600
24 entries · top 180 · median 165.6970 · 🔥 perfect 180
24 entries · top 178.3200 · median 166.8400