Jul 25–26, 2014 · Maggie Valley, NC
DIGGIN QUE-GA won Grand Champion at the WNC BBQ Festival on July 25, 2014 in Maggie Valley, NC, scoring 689.1084 in a field of 46 teams. MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL took Reserve Grand Champion with 688.5600. Category winners: Chicken — DIGGIN QUE-GA (177.1428); Pork Ribs — TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL (175.4400); Pork — KILLER B'S BBQ (177.1428); Brisket — SMOKE THIS (180.0000). This is the 1st of 4 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2015.
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, 2014 to 2017 — 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 92% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5484 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
DIGGIN QUE-GA came in rated below the field's top team, Killer B's BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was DIGGIN QUE-GA's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 20th tracked contest.
Pork Ribs places 1–2: TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL and MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL tied on 175.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: BAREKNUCKLES BBQ edged CHARCOAL & MORE by 0.0116. Pork places 7–8: MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL edged DIGGIN QUE-GA by 0.0116.
DIGGIN QUE-GA took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 27th.
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 | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2014 ← this one | Maggie Valley, NC | Maggie Valley, NC 28751 | 46 | 689.1084 | DIGGIN QUE-GA | MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL |
| Jul 24, 2015 | Maggie Valley, NC | Maggie Valley, NC 28751 | 49 | 695.9312 | JIGGY PIGGY | SMOKE THIS |
| Jul 22, 2016 | Maggie Valley, NC | 3374 Soco RD | 49 | 695.9656 | SMOKE THIS | KILLER B'S BBQ |
| Jul 21, 2017 | Maggie Valley, NC | 3374 Solo RD | 47 | 700.5944 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | PALMETTO PITMASTERS |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1428 | 172.5484 | 169.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4400 | 174.2856 | 170.2744 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 173.1200 | 169.7144 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176.5600 | 172.5828 |
46 entries · top 689.1084 · median 659.6800
46 entries · top 177.1428 · median 165.0914
46 entries · top 175.4400 · median 163.9772
46 entries · top 177.1428 · median 166.2686
46 entries · top 180 · median 165.9656 · 🔥 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.
12 entries · top 173.7372 · median 167.1542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OUR DOGS LIKE IT | |
| 2 | MEN AT PORK | |
| 3 | GRILLIN' GANGSTERS | |
| 4 | CHARCOAL & MORE | |
| 5 | TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL | |
| 6 | CRITTER COOKER'S | |
| 7 | WHO CARES BBQ | |
| 8 | PIT DOG BARBECUERS | |
| 9 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 10 | J&D SMOKIN | |
| 11 | BIG BOYS BBQ - SC | |
| 12 | BIG SHOW BBQ COOKING TEAM |
14 entries · top 180 · median 168.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | CRITTER COOKER'S | |
| 3 | FRIENDS OF OBR | |
| 4 | FATSO'S BBQ | |
| 5 | MEN AT PORK | |
| 6 | MIDNIGHT BURN | |
| 7 | J&D SMOKIN | |
| 8 | BAYOU POKER SMOKERS | |
| 9 | CHARCOAL & MORE | |
| 10 | County Line Que | |
| 11 | PIT DOG BARBECUERS | |
| 12 | OUR DOGS LIKE IT | |
| 13 | MONTY PIGTHON & THE HOLY GRILL | |
| 14 | GRILLIN' GANGSTERS |