Apr 29–30, 2016 · Elk Grove, CA · 📍 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD
SON OF SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship on April 29, 2016 in Elk Grove, CA at 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD, scoring 696.5140 in a field of 30 teams. BIG POPPA SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.9888. Category winners: Chicken — TOO ASHAMED TO NAME (176.0344); Pork Ribs — SON OF SMOKE (174.2628); Pork — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (178.8572); Brisket — SON OF SMOKE (176.0228). This is the 1st of 7 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2016.
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, 2016 to 2019 — 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100
SON OF SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
2 of 7 tracked editions
SON OF SMOKE has won this contest 2 times across its 7 tracked editions.
Chicken places 4–5: BIG POPPA SMOKERS and PIRATES OF THE PIG tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: Smokey and the Pirate and Flame Thrower BBQ tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: TOO ASHAMED TO NAME edged SMOKESHOW by 0.0112.
SON OF SMOKE won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
SON OF SMOKE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 3rd.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2016 ← this one | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | 30 | 696.5140 | SON OF SMOKE | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Apr 30, 2016 | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | — | — | — | — |
| May 5, 2017 | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | 33 | 687.3600 | SON OF SMOKE | BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ |
| May 4, 2018 | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | 35 | 701.6916 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ |
| May 3, 2019 | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | 27 | 695.9772 | The Smoking J's | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| May 3, 2019 | Elk Grove, CA | 9950 Elk Grove-Florin RD | 15 | 330.9144 | Smokin' Ray's BBQ | — |
| May 6, 2022 | Elk Grove, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.0344 | 171.9772 | 164.5372 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 169.1660 | 162.8572 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 171.4400 | 166.2628 |
| Brisket | 176.0228 | 168.5372 | 161.1544 |
30 entries · top 696.5140 · median 627.1030
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SON OF SMOKE | |
| 2 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 3 | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME | |
| 4 | Flame Thrower BBQ | |
| 5 | Burnin' Ring of Fire BBQ | |
| 6 | Smokey and the Pirate | |
| 7 | RBQ | |
| 8 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO | |
| 9 | PIRATES OF THE PIG | |
| 10 | PORKCHOP & BUBBAS | |
| 11 | STARVIN MARVINS BAY AREA BBQ | |
| 12 | THE B TEAM | |
| 13 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 14 | 2 ROLLING BONES | |
| 15 | PORKTERA BBQ | |
| 16 | BONES SAUCE & HARMONY | |
| 17 | CHUBBY AND TUBBY'S | |
| 18 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 19 | Salt & Pepper Pork Pullers | |
| 20 | GIT-R-SMOKED | |
| 21 | Meat Harvest BBQ | |
| 22 | CAROLINA Q | |
| 23 | Smokers Wild BBQ | |
| 24 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 25 | PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ | |
| 26 | KAT BBQ | |
| 27 | BOBBY-Q OR | |
| 28 | Bacon Raider BBQ | |
| 29 | CHERRY LANE SMOKERS | |
| 30 | SMOKESHOW |
30 entries · top 176.0344 · median 159.9486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME | |
| 2 | RBQ | |
| 3 | SON OF SMOKE | |
| 4 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 5 | PIRATES OF THE PIG | |
| 6 | Flame Thrower BBQ | |
| 7 | BONES SAUCE & HARMONY | |
| 8 | Smokey and the Pirate | |
| 9 | 2 ROLLING BONES | |
| 10 | PORKTERA BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokers Wild BBQ | |
| 12 | Burnin' Ring of Fire BBQ | |
| 13 | STARVIN MARVINS BAY AREA BBQ | |
| 14 | CHUBBY AND TUBBY'S | |
| 15 | PORKCHOP & BUBBAS | |
| 16 | Meat Harvest BBQ | |
| 17 | Salt & Pepper Pork Pullers | |
| 18 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 19 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO | |
| 20 | THE B TEAM | |
| 21 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 22 | CAROLINA Q | |
| 23 | BOBBY-Q OR | |
| 24 | KAT BBQ | |
| 25 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 26 | PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ | |
| 27 | GIT-R-SMOKED | |
| 28 | Bacon Raider BBQ | |
| 29 | CHERRY LANE SMOKERS | |
| 30 | SMOKESHOW |
30 entries · top 174.2628 · median 157.7202
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SON OF SMOKE | |
| 2 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 3 | Flame Thrower BBQ | |
| 4 | Burnin' Ring of Fire BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKESHOW | |
| 6 | STARVIN MARVINS BAY AREA BBQ | |
| 7 | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME | |
| 8 | PIRATES OF THE PIG | |
| 9 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO | |
| 10 | GIT-R-SMOKED | |
| 11 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 12 | BONES SAUCE & HARMONY | |
| 13 | CHUBBY AND TUBBY'S | |
| 14 | RBQ | |
| 15 | Salt & Pepper Pork Pullers | |
| 16 | CAROLINA Q | |
| 17 | Smokey and the Pirate | |
| 18 | PORKTERA BBQ | |
| 19 | KAT BBQ | |
| 20 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 21 | Smokers Wild BBQ | |
| 22 | 2 ROLLING BONES | |
| 23 | PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ | |
| 24 | THE B TEAM | |
| 25 | Bacon Raider BBQ | |
| 26 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 27 | CHERRY LANE SMOKERS | |
| 28 | PORKCHOP & BUBBAS | |
| 29 | Meat Harvest BBQ | |
| 30 | BOBBY-Q OR |
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 156.8342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 2 | SON OF SMOKE | |
| 3 | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME | |
| 4 | SMOKESHOW | |
| 5 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 6 | Smokey and the Pirate | |
| 7 | Flame Thrower BBQ | |
| 8 | PORKCHOP & BUBBAS | |
| 9 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO | |
| 10 | RBQ | |
| 11 | Burnin' Ring of Fire BBQ | |
| 12 | THE B TEAM | |
| 13 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 14 | GIT-R-SMOKED | |
| 15 | PIRATES OF THE PIG | |
| 16 | CAROLINA Q | |
| 17 | STARVIN MARVINS BAY AREA BBQ | |
| 18 | CHUBBY AND TUBBY'S | |
| 19 | Meat Harvest BBQ | |
| 20 | 2 ROLLING BONES | |
| 21 | BONES SAUCE & HARMONY | |
| 22 | BOBBY-Q OR | |
| 23 | PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ | |
| 24 | PORKTERA BBQ | |
| 25 | CHERRY LANE SMOKERS | |
| 26 | Salt & Pepper Pork Pullers | |
| 27 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 28 | KAT BBQ | |
| 29 | Smokers Wild BBQ | |
| 30 | Bacon Raider BBQ |
30 entries · top 176.0228 · median 152.2916
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SON OF SMOKE | |
| 2 | Smokey and the Pirate | |
| 3 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 4 | BAR-B-Q'S-2GO | |
| 5 | PORKCHOP & BUBBAS | |
| 6 | Burnin' Ring of Fire BBQ | |
| 7 | TOO ASHAMED TO NAME | |
| 8 | Flame Thrower BBQ | |
| 9 | THE B TEAM | |
| 10 | RBQ | |
| 11 | 2 ROLLING BONES | |
| 12 | PORKTERA BBQ | |
| 13 | Bacon Raider BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKESHOW | |
| 15 | STARVIN MARVINS BAY AREA BBQ | |
| 16 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 17 | CHUBBY AND TUBBY'S | |
| 18 | Meat Harvest BBQ | |
| 19 | GIT-R-SMOKED | |
| 20 | PIRATES OF THE PIG | |
| 21 | Salt & Pepper Pork Pullers | |
| 22 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 23 | BONES SAUCE & HARMONY | |
| 24 | BOBBY-Q OR | |
| 25 | KAT BBQ | |
| 26 | Smokers Wild BBQ | |
| 27 | PIPIN' HOT SMOKERS BBQ | |
| 28 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 29 | CAROLINA Q | |
| 30 | CHERRY LANE SMOKERS |