Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Smoking Finns won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2024
- 2025
Twin Smoke 2025
May 17–18, 2025 · Vilnius, Lithuania · LITHUANIA · 📍 Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2
Reps: Angela Fishlock, Mark Fishlock
SMOKING FINNS FI won Grand Champion at the Twin Smoke on May 17, 2025 in Vilnius, LT at Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2, scoring 683.8968 in a field of 11 teams. From Nil to Grill took Reserve Grand Champion with 679.9772. Category winners: Chicken — From Nil to Grill (172.6172); Pork Ribs — SMOKING FINNS FI (172.0000); Pork — 3BBQ (171.4400); Brisket — From Nil to Grill (173.1200). This is the 5th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Smoking Finns; the next was held in 2026.
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.
615.36
median 641.05
683.90 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 172.62
- Pork Ribs 172
- Pork 171.44
- Brisket 173.12
148.56
173.12
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
11
4 judged meats
Top score
683.8968
Winning margin
3.9196
GC over RC
Field average
651.97
615.36683.90
median 641.05 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
2.9260 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
623.2340
615.36683.90
10th place overall
Field spread
68.5372
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 84%
beats 16% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
39%
7 of 18 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,516
avg power rating going in · stronger than 11% of contests
Storylines (6 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 dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
Sweaty Hogs has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2021
- 2022
A rookie on the podium
2nd
at their first tracked contest
From Nil to Grill finished 2nd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Brisket places 7–8: Polish BBQ Smoker and Fregata Smoker Bbq Team tied on 155.3600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 1–2: From Nil to Grill edged SMOKING FINNS FI by 0.0116. Pork places 6–7: Karma Kru edged Meat Smokin' Stories by 0.0228.
- Brisket 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 1–2 · 0.0116
- Pork 6–7 · 0.0228
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0340
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
From Nil to Grill won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SMOKING FINNS FI took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 4th.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 2nd
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2021 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 15 | 694.3088 | Sweaty Hogs | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team |
| Jul 2, 2022 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 15 | 666.3200 | Sweaty Hogs | Insomnia BBQ Team |
| May 20, 2023 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 14 | 695.4056 | Bunch of Swines | Insomnia BBQ Team |
| May 18, 2024 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 18 | 670.2056 | Smoking Finns | Clean Smoke BBQ |
| May 17, 2025 ← this one | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 11 | 683.8968 | Smoking Finns | From Nil to Grill |
| May 15, 2026 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Ezeraiciu km, Ezeraiciy g.2 | 23 | 701.1316 | BBQ Symphony | BBQ Hot Yard |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 172.6172 | 169.6912 | 155.3600 |
| Pork Ribs | 172 | 167.3944 | 155.3828 |
| Pork | 171.4400 | 164.5600 | 150.2628 |
| Brisket | 173.1200 | 165.1316 | 150.2400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
11 entries · top 683.8968 · median 641.0512
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKING FINNS FI | |
| 2 | From Nil to Grill | |
| 3 | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team | |
| 4 | 3BBQ | |
| 5 | Alkanas Briedis | |
| 6 | Karma Kru | |
| 7 | Porkmafia | |
| 8 | Meat Smokin' Stories | |
| 9 | Fregata Smoker Bbq Team | |
| 10 | Polish BBQ Smoker | |
| 11 | KAUTECH |
Chicken
11 entries · top 172.6172 · median 168.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From Nil to Grill | |
| 2 | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team | |
| 3 | Porkmafia | |
| 4 | SMOKING FINNS FI | |
| 5 | Fregata Smoker Bbq Team | |
| 6 | 3BBQ | |
| 7 | Alkanas Briedis | |
| 8 | Polish BBQ Smoker | |
| 9 | Karma Kru | |
| 10 | Meat Smokin' Stories | |
| 11 | KAUTECH |
Pork Ribs
11 entries · top 172 · median 166.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKING FINNS FI | |
| 2 | From Nil to Grill | |
| 3 | 3BBQ | |
| 4 | Alkanas Briedis | |
| 5 | Karma Kru | |
| 6 | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team | |
| 7 | KAUTECH | |
| 8 | Porkmafia | |
| 9 | Fregata Smoker Bbq Team | |
| 10 | Polish BBQ Smoker | |
| 11 | Meat Smokin' Stories |
Pork
11 entries · top 171.4400 · median 161.6912
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3BBQ | |
| 2 | Alkanas Briedis | |
| 3 | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team | |
| 4 | SMOKING FINNS FI | |
| 5 | From Nil to Grill | |
| 6 | Karma Kru | |
| 7 | Meat Smokin' Stories | |
| 8 | Porkmafia | |
| 9 | KAUTECH | |
| 10 | Polish BBQ Smoker | |
| 11 | Fregata Smoker Bbq Team |
Brisket
11 entries · top 173.1200 · median 163.9544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From Nil to Grill | |
| 2 | SMOKING FINNS FI | |
| 3 | Smoked Pioneers BBQ Team | |
| 4 | 3BBQ | |
| 5 | Alkanas Briedis | |
| 6 | Meat Smokin' Stories | |
| 7 | Polish BBQ Smoker | |
| 8 | Fregata Smoker Bbq Team | |
| 9 | Porkmafia | |
| 10 | KAUTECH | |
| 11 | Karma Kru |