Oct 25–26, 2013 · Lynchburg, TN
COOL SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) on October 25, 2013 in Lynchburg, TN, scoring 693.1200 in a field of 97 teams. A BOY & HIS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.4628. Category winners: Chicken — LITTLE PIG TOWN BBQ (177.1428); Pork Ribs — SOUTHERN KRUNK BBQ SOCIETY (178.2972); Pork — QUAU (176.5600); Brisket — A BOY & HIS BBQ (179.4400). This is the 1st of 6 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2022.
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, 2013 to 2024 — 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 76% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.6572 points — closer than 76% of every championship in the data.
COOL SMOKE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 2–3: BIG PIG INC. and BLAZEN BBQ tied on 176.0228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: COOL SMOKE and LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: That's The Way BBQ Go! and INSANE SWINE BBQ tied on 177.1544 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data
97 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2013 ← this one | Lynchburg, TN | Lynchburg, TN | 97 | 693.1200 | COOL SMOKE | A BOY & HIS BBQ |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 83 | 703.4056 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 81 | 699.4056 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | B'Mackin BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 87 | 702.8228 | Scuffletown Smokers | JANKY LEG BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Lynchburg, TN | Wiseman Park | 90 | 710.8684 | Kings BBQ Team | — |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Lynchburg, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1428 | 173.7372 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 177.1428 | 174.2628 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 173.7372 | 172 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 174.8456 | 172.5600 |
97 entries · top 693.1200 · median 658.7772
97 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.1200
97 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.1544
97 entries · top 176.5600 · median 165.0856
97 entries · top 179.4400 · median 165.1084
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.
44 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.6742
48 entries · top 180 · median 171.7030 · 🔥 perfect 180
76 entries · top 178.2972 · median 164.5428