2017-07-21 – 2017-07-22 · Mason City, IA · 📍 East Park
Grand Champion: PIGSKIN BBQ (695.3600) · 49 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
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 2018 — 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 75 times in 100
Pig Skin BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 25-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
PIGSKIN BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 5–6: DOWNHOME COOKIN & BBQ and LUCKY BRISKET tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: SMOKIN EXPRESS and PIGSKIN BBQ tied on 170.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 9–10: SWINE ASSASSINS and DRY 2 DA BONE tied on 172.0116 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (won 2015).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-26 | Mason City, IA | Mason City, IA | 66 | 691.9432 | TIPPYCANOE BBQ CREW | THE WICKED PIG |
| 2014-07-25 | Mason City, IA | Mason City, IA 50401 | 52 | 701.7144 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | PIGSKIN BBQ |
| 2015-07-24 | Mason City, IA | Mason City, IA 50401 | 54 | 697.1432 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | PIGSKIN BBQ |
| 2016-07-22 | Mason City, IA | East Park | 47 | 698.2744 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| 2017-07-21 ← this one | Mason City, IA | East Park | 49 | 695.3600 | PIGSKIN BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| 2018-09-28 | Mason City, IA | East Park | 29 | 677.6112 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | LUCKY'S Q |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1772 | 173.1200 | 169.6800 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 172.5600 | 169.6800 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 174.2744 | 172.0116 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 175.4056 | 171.4056 |
49 entries · top 695.3600 · median 655.9088
49 entries · top 177.1772 · median 165.1316
49 entries · top 175.4172 · median 163.9772
49 entries · top 180.0000 · median 166.8572 · 🔥 perfect 180
49 entries · top 179.4400 · median 163.3828
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.
14 entries · top 176.5944 · median 166.8342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FARMBOY BBQ | |
| 2 | THE Q CREW | |
| 3 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 4 | WILD SHOOTERS BBQ | |
| 5 | DIG-IN COOKERS | |
| 6 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 7 | BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ | |
| 8 | LUCKY BRISKET | |
| 9 | MARK'S SMOKIN QUE | |
| 10 | MASTERTECH BBQ | |
| 11 | PORCHY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKING JOE'S BARBERQ | |
| 13 | MARBURG BROTHERS BBQ | |
| 14 | DOWNHOME COOKIN & BBQ |
13 entries · top 180.0000 · median 179.4400 · 🔥 perfect 180