Mar 9–10, 2018 · Bainbridge, GA · 📍 Earl May Boat Basin
SERIAL GRILLER won Grand Champion at the Flames on the Flint on March 9, 2018 in Bainbridge, GA at Earl May Boat Basin, scoring 696.5260 in a field of 42 teams. THE PIT CREW GA took Reserve Grand Champion with 695.9428. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKE THIS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — B-S BBQ OUTLAWS (178.8572); Pork — SERIAL GRILLER (180.0000); Brisket — QUE SHACK (177.7144). This is the 5th of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE.
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, 2014 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.
Closer than 89% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5832 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100
Serial Griller came in rated below the field's top team, REDNECK SCIENTIFIC, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.6176 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Stronger than 91% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1632 power rating going in — stronger than 91% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 4–5: B-S BBQ OUTLAWS and MIDNIGHT BURN tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: PORK RINDZ and HAULIN' BUTT BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: REDNECK SCIENTIFIC and MUTTLEY CREW BBQ tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SERIAL GRILLER took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 24th.
SERIAL GRILLER turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 178.8800 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: CHECKERED PIG (won 2014), ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE (won 2017).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2014 | Bainbridge, GA | Bainbridge, GA 39817 | 43 | 685.0512 | CHECKERED PIG | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
| Mar 13, 2015 | Bainbridge, GA | Bainbridge, GA 39819 | 72 | 697.1200 | WAY 2 QUE | WINK'S BARBEQUE |
| Mar 11, 2016 | Bainbridge, GA | Bainbridge, GA 39819 | 89 | 691.9428 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | YES, DEAR BBQ |
| Mar 10, 2017 | Bainbridge, GA | Earl May Boat Basin | 67 | 697.0972 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | BOOTYQUE |
| Mar 9, 2018 ← this one | Bainbridge, GA | Earl May Boat Basin | 42 | 696.5260 | SERIAL GRILLER | THE PIT CREW GA |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 173.1200 | 171.9772 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.8456 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 175.4056 | 174.2628 |
42 entries · top 696.5260 · median 673.9088
42 entries · top 180 · median 168.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180
42 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
42 entries · top 180 · median 166.5428 · 🔥 perfect 180
42 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.1314
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.
13 entries · top 176.5828 · median 164