May 6–7, 2017 · Liberty, IN · 📍 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD
VICTORY SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Water on May 6, 2017 in Liberty, IN at 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD, scoring 695.9084 in a field of 26 teams. GREY STREET BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.8000. Category winners: Chicken — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (179.4400); Pork Ribs — IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE (176.5600); Pork — CHARCOAL & MORE (175.4172); Brisket — SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by JO-BAWB'S BBQ; the next was held in 2018.
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 2025 — 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 84% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1084 points — closer than 84% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 68 times in 100
VICTORY SMOKERS came in rated below the field's top team, GREY STREET BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 32-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
VICTORY SMOKERS won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 13 tracked editions
Thunder Hog BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 13 tracked editions.
Chicken places 6–7: THUNDER HOG BBQ and GREY STREET BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: FARMER'S RETREAT SMOKIN BARBEQUE and Peytons BBQ tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: THUNDER HOG BBQ and HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ turned in 178.8572 in brisket — past the 176.0116 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Topeka, KS | Topeka, KS | 43 | 687.4516 | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ | BLACK EYE BBQ |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Topeka, KS | Topeka, KS 66605 | 33 | 696.5600 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | BOXER Q BBQ |
| May 6, 2017 ← this one | Liberty, IN | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 26 | 695.9084 | VICTORY SMOKERS | GREY STREET BBQ |
| May 5, 2018 | Liberty, IN | 3801 West Old Dunlapsville RD | 28 | 693.6684 | GREY STREET BBQ | BANKIN BABY BBQ |
| May 4, 2019 | Liberty, IN | 381 W Old Dunlapsville | 26 | 696.5140 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ |
| May 1, 2021 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 27 | 706.2400 | The BBQ Bus | GETTIN PIGGY WITH IT BACKYARD BBQ |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 25 | 699.3600 | Mad Mutt's BBQ | SMOKE RINGERS |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Liberty, IN | 3801 W Old Dunlapsville Rd | 25 | 707.9888 | Thunder Hog BBQ | SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 28 | 701.6688 | Cow Creek BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 39 | 707.4176 | Slaps BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Pine Bluff, AR | 1 Regional Park Dr | 42 | 698.2628 | Kith n Kin | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 31 | 700.5372 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Bocephus BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Topeka, KS | 3435 SE East Edge Rd | 30 | 703.3828 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Oct 9, 2026 | Topeka, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 174.2744 | 173.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 174.8688 | 172.0344 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 171.9772 | 170.2628 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 173.1200 | 169.1200 |
26 entries · top 695.9084 · median 676.1716
26 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8456
26 entries · top 176.5600 · median 168.2858
26 entries · top 175.4172 · median 169.6858
26 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.8400
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.
5 entries · top 180 · median 177.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PELLETHEADS.COM | |
| 2 | BUTTS-N-RACKS BBQ, LLC | |
| 3 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 4 | HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO | |
| 5 | FAT HEAD'S BREWERY & SMOKEHOUSE |
13 entries · top 180 · median 172.5484 · 🔥 perfect 180