May 1–2, 2026 · Westland, MI · 📍 Bova VFW 9885 · State championship
Reps: Becky Druetzler, Dave Druetzler · Prize money: $7,300
Shiggin aint easy won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Mitten on May 1, 2026 in Westland, MI at Bova VFW 9885, scoring 697.0740 in a field of 34 teams. WE WILL ROCK QUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6800. Category winners: Chicken — Team Cookie (180.0000); Pork Ribs — WE WILL ROCK QUE (180.0000); Pork — Shiggin aint easy (176.0000); Brisket — Shiggin aint easy (177.1428). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Full Belly BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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, 2025 to 2026 — 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 74 times in 100
Shiggin aint easy came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Pork Ribs places 4–5: M R BBQ and Cotton BBQ tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: Thin Blue BBQ edged KEVLAR BBQ by 0.0112. Pork places 4–5: Team Cookie edged THUNDER HOG BBQ by 0.0112.
Shiggin aint easy won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
Shiggin aint easy took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 13th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: iBQ'n (won 2025).
This contest usually draws about 24 teams
34 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 24.
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 9, 2025 | Westland, MI | Bova VFW 9885 | 26 | 700.5256 | iBQ'n | TIRE SMOKE BBQ |
| May 9, 2025 | Westland, MI | Bova VFW 9885 | 21 | 180 | Full Belly BBQ | — |
| May 1, 2026 ← this one | Westland, MI | Bova VFW 9885 | 34 | 697.0740 | Shiggin Aint Easy | WE WILL ROCK QUE |
| May 1, 2026 | Westland, MI | Bova VFW 9885 | 24 | 177.7144 | BO-B-Q | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 173.1200 | 171.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 174.8572 | 173.1084 |
| Pork | 176 | 172.5716 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 177.1428 | 172.5828 | 170.2628 |
34 entries · top 697.0740 · median 673.0626
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 2 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 3 | Team Cookie | |
| 4 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 5 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 6 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 7 | BooyaQ | |
| 8 | iBQ'n | |
| 9 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 10 | DB BBQ | |
| 11 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 12 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 13 | M R BBQ | |
| 14 | TIRE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 15 | A&R Barbeque | |
| 16 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 17 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 18 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 19 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 20 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 21 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 22 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 23 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Feathered Fire | |
| 25 | Q-JITSU | |
| 26 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 27 | Smokin In The D | |
| 28 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 29 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 30 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 31 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 32 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 33 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 34 | Drum Smoke BBQ |
34 entries · top 180 · median 168.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Cookie | |
| 2 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 3 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 4 | Feathered Fire | |
| 5 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 6 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 7 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 8 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 9 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 10 | BooyaQ | |
| 11 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 12 | iBQ'n | |
| 13 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 14 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 15 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 16 | A&R Barbeque | |
| 17 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 18 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 19 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 20 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 21 | Q-JITSU | |
| 22 | DB BBQ | |
| 23 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 24 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 25 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 26 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 27 | TIRE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 28 | Smokin In The D | |
| 29 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 30 | M R BBQ | |
| 31 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 32 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 34 | Drum Smoke BBQ |
34 entries · top 180 · median 168.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 2 | A&R Barbeque | |
| 3 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 4 | M R BBQ | |
| 5 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 6 | TIRE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 8 | Team Cookie | |
| 9 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 10 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 11 | DB BBQ | |
| 12 | Smokin In The D | |
| 13 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 14 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 15 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 16 | iBQ'n | |
| 17 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 18 | BooyaQ | |
| 19 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 20 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 21 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 22 | Feathered Fire | |
| 23 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 24 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 25 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 26 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 27 | Q-JITSU | |
| 28 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 29 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 30 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 31 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 32 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 33 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 34 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ |
34 entries · top 176 · median 166.8456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 2 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 3 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 4 | Team Cookie | |
| 5 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 6 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 7 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 8 | BooyaQ | |
| 9 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 10 | DB BBQ | |
| 11 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 12 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 13 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 14 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 15 | iBQ'n | |
| 16 | M R BBQ | |
| 17 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 18 | Q-JITSU | |
| 19 | TIRE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | A&R Barbeque | |
| 21 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 22 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 23 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 24 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 25 | Smokin In The D | |
| 26 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 27 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 28 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 29 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 30 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 31 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 32 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 33 | Feathered Fire | |
| 34 | BO B Q BBQ |
34 entries · top 177.1428 · median 166.2572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 2 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 3 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 4 | M R BBQ | |
| 5 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 6 | TIRE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | iBQ'n | |
| 8 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | |
| 9 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | |
| 10 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 11 | BooyaQ | |
| 12 | BBQ Maestros | |
| 13 | DB BBQ | |
| 14 | Take It Easy BBQ | |
| 15 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 16 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 17 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 19 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 20 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 21 | Drum Smoke BBQ | |
| 22 | Q-JITSU | |
| 23 | A&R Barbeque | |
| 24 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 25 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 26 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 27 | Team Cookie | |
| 28 | Feathered Fire | |
| 29 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 30 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 31 | Smokin In The D | |
| 32 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 33 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 34 | PapaDads BBQ |
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.
11 entries · top 180 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 2 | Cotton BBQ | |
| 3 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 4 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 5 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 6 | Smokin' Bugatti BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoke Wagon BBQ KY | |
| 8 | Overcurrent BBQ | |
| 9 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 10 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 11 | Team Cookie |