A first Grand Championship
2
tracked contests to get there
This was BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 2nd tracked contest.
Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19–20, 2013 · Comstock Park, MI
BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ won Grand Champion at the Taste of Grand Rapids on July 19, 2013 in Comstock Park, MI, scoring 683.9772 in a field of 39 teams. BIG BROTHERS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 680.5140. Category winners: Chicken — BIG BROTHERS BBQ (177.7372); Pork Ribs — KRESMOKERS (174.2628); Pork — MAD JACK'S BBQ (173.1772); Brisket — BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ (177.1772).
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.
591.43
median 647.38
683.98 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.74
- Pork Ribs 174.26
- Pork 173.18
- Brisket 177.18
109.44
177.74
Entries
39
4 judged meats · 4 ancillary
Top score
683.9772
Winning margin
3.4632
GC over RC
Field average
646.64
591.43683.98
median 647.38 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.2628 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
667.3144
591.43683.98
10th place overall
Field spread
92.5488
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 84%
beats 16% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.39 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,507
avg power rating going in · stronger than 5% of contests
Storylines (3 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 4–5: SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ and Winks BBQ tied on 172.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: Team Real Grillers and SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ tied on 168.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 5–6: PREPPY PIG BBQ and THE REAL SMOKIN ACES tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · 0.0116
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 18th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 14th
- Pork 18th
- Brisket 1st
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7372 | 174.2744 | 168.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 172 | 169.7372 |
| Pork | 173.1772 | 169.7256 | 167.9656 |
| Brisket | 177.1772 | 171.4172 | 167.3828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
39 entries · top 683.9772 · median 647.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 3 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 4 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 5 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 6 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 7 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 8 | PORK OF THE NORTH | |
| 9 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 10 | iBQ'n | |
| 11 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 12 | PREPPY PIG BBQ | |
| 13 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 14 | MOTLEY QUE CREW | |
| 15 | Winks BBQ | |
| 16 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 17 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 18 | Simon's BBQ | |
| 19 | PIGS-N-DIGS BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 21 | AWW HELL | |
| 22 | TWISTED SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 23 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 24 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 25 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 26 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 27 | BBQ BLUES | |
| 28 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 29 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 30 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 31 | Smoked & Sauced | |
| 32 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 33 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 34 | BRIAN'S BEEF | |
| 35 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 36 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 37 | River Bend Bar & Grill | |
| 38 | SMOKIN ON THE FLAT | |
| 39 | Papa Smoke's BBQ |
Chicken
39 entries · top 177.7372 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN ON THE FLAT | |
| 3 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | iBQ'n | |
| 6 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 7 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 8 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 9 | AWW HELL | |
| 10 | PORK OF THE NORTH | |
| 11 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 12 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 13 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 14 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 15 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 16 | MOTLEY QUE CREW | |
| 17 | Smoked & Sauced | |
| 18 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 19 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 20 | Simon's BBQ | |
| 21 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 22 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 23 | TWISTED SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 24 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 25 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 26 | Papa Smoke's BBQ | |
| 27 | PREPPY PIG BBQ | |
| 28 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 29 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 30 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 31 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 32 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 33 | BBQ BLUES | |
| 34 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 35 | River Bend Bar & Grill | |
| 36 | Winks BBQ | |
| 37 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 38 | PIGS-N-DIGS BBQ TEAM | |
| 39 | BRIAN'S BEEF |
Pork Ribs
39 entries · top 174.2628 · median 163.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 2 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 3 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 4 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 5 | Winks BBQ | |
| 6 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 7 | Simon's BBQ | |
| 8 | iBQ'n | |
| 9 | MOTLEY QUE CREW | |
| 10 | Smoked & Sauced | |
| 11 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 12 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 13 | PIGS-N-DIGS BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 15 | PREPPY PIG BBQ | |
| 16 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 17 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 18 | PORK OF THE NORTH | |
| 19 | AWW HELL | |
| 20 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 21 | BBQ BLUES | |
| 22 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 23 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 24 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 25 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 27 | River Bend Bar & Grill | |
| 28 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 29 | TWISTED SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 30 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 31 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 32 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 33 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 34 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 35 | SMOKIN ON THE FLAT | |
| 36 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 37 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 38 | BRIAN'S BEEF | |
| 39 | Papa Smoke's BBQ |
Pork
39 entries · top 173.1772 · median 163.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 2 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 3 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 4 | iBQ'n | |
| 5 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 6 | PORK OF THE NORTH | |
| 7 | MOTLEY QUE CREW | |
| 8 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 9 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 10 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 11 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 12 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 13 | Winks BBQ | |
| 14 | BBQ BLUES | |
| 15 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 16 | Simon's BBQ | |
| 17 | PIGS-N-DIGS BBQ TEAM | |
| 18 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 19 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN ON THE FLAT | |
| 21 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 22 | PREPPY PIG BBQ | |
| 23 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 24 | Smoked & Sauced | |
| 25 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 26 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 27 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 28 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 29 | Papa Smoke's BBQ | |
| 30 | AWW HELL | |
| 31 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 32 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 33 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 34 | BRIAN'S BEEF | |
| 35 | TWISTED SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 36 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 37 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 38 | River Bend Bar & Grill | |
| 39 | Northern Smoke BBQ |
Brisket
39 entries · top 177.1772 · median 159.9428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 3 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | |
| 4 | CANCERSUCKSCHICAGO.COM | |
| 5 | PREPPY PIG BBQ | |
| 6 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 8 | TWISTED SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | PORK OF THE NORTH | |
| 10 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 11 | Winks BBQ | |
| 12 | PIGS-N-DIGS BBQ TEAM | |
| 13 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 14 | BRIAN'S BEEF | |
| 15 | STEEL SMOKIN' BBQ | |
| 16 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 17 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 18 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 19 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 20 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 21 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 22 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 23 | HOLY SMOKERS MI | |
| 24 | BBQ BLUES | |
| 25 | AWW HELL | |
| 26 | MOTLEY QUE CREW | |
| 27 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 28 | iBQ'n | |
| 29 | Simon's BBQ | |
| 30 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 31 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 32 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 33 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 34 | SMOKIN GOOD TIME BBQ | |
| 35 | River Bend Bar & Grill | |
| 36 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 37 | Papa Smoke's BBQ | |
| 38 | Smoked & Sauced | |
| 39 | SMOKIN ON THE FLAT |
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.
Master Series — Beans
10 entries · top 178.2972 · median 156.5198
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 2 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 3 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 4 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 5 | AWW HELL | |
| 6 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 7 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 8 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 9 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE |
Master Series — Dessert
15 entries · top 178.8800 · median 168.5828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LET'S GET SAUCED | |
| 2 | KRESMOKERS | |
| 3 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS | |
| 4 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 5 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 6 | SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ | |
| 7 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | AWW HELL | |
| 9 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 10 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 11 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 12 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 13 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 14 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 15 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE |
Master Series — Potato
14 entries · top 172 · median 167.7086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uncle Mike's BBQ | |
| 2 | MAD JACK'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Team Real Grillers | |
| 4 | Northern Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | Jus' Blowin' Smoke | |
| 6 | BIG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 7 | AWW HELL | |
| 8 | METALTEK MEATHEADS | |
| 9 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 10 | BAD WOLF BBQ | |
| 11 | Smoky's BBQ | |
| 12 | Bueno Jimmy BBQ | |
| 13 | ANCHOR CITY SMOKE | |
| 14 | BAR-B-QUE-SKIS |
Master Series — Vegetable
12 entries · top 176.6172 · median 163.9828