May 12–13, 2017 · Long Beach, CA · 📍 The Queen Mary Events Park
Sharpe's Woodshed won Grand Champion at the West Coast BBQ Classic on May 12, 2017 in Long Beach, CA at The Queen Mary Events Park, scoring 694.8800 in a field of 40 teams. BURNIN AND LOOTIN took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.8460. Category winners: Chicken — QUED UP (179.4400); Pork Ribs — SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ (176.5716); Pork — HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (180.0000). This is the 5th of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2016 edition was won by BIG POPPA SMOKERS.
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 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 97% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0340 points — closer than 97% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
Sharpe's Woodshed came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Sharpe's Woodshed won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 4th. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 5 tracked editions
BIG POPPA SMOKERS has won this contest 2 times across its 5 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.6516 points — 3 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Pork Ribs places 2–3: BIG POPPA SMOKERS and RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 5–6: BOWLING OVER PIGS and BIG POPPA SMOKERS tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 8–9: HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ and DG FIREHOUSE BBQ tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BIG POPPA SMOKERS (won 2015, 2016).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2013 | Long Beach, CA | Long Beach, CA | 54 | 675.9998 | LEFT COAST Q | PORKETEERS |
| May 9, 2014 | Long Beach, CA | Long Beach , CA 90802 | 59 | 680.6172 | JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE | ZZYZX BAR.B.Q |
| May 8, 2015 | Long Beach, CA | Long Beach, CA 90802 | 57 | 699.3944 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | MY SMOKIN GRILLFRIEND |
| May 13, 2016 | Long Beach, CA | 1126 Queens HWY | 44 | 700.5484 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | LEFT COAST Q |
| May 12, 2017 ← this one | Long Beach, CA | The Queen Mary Events Park | 40 | 694.8800 | SHARPE GOURMET COOKING WOOD | BURNIN AND LOOTIN |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 173.1772 | 170.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5716 | 174.8800 | 170.8688 |
| Pork | 180 | 173.1200 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
40 entries · top 694.8800 · median 657.6110
38 entries · top 179.4400 · median 165.4400
39 entries · top 176.5716 · median 165.7028
40 entries · top 180 · median 162.8170 · 🔥 perfect 180
38 entries · top 180 · median 163.3828 · 🔥 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.
18 entries · top 179.4400 · median 164.2572
15 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.3828