Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
LOCO SMOKERS won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2025
- 2026
IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) 2026
Jul 17–18, 2026 · Santa Ana, CA · 📍 1261 E Dyer Rd
Reps: Kathleen McIntosh, Kelly McIntosh
LOCO SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the IBEW So Cal BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) on July 17, 2026 in Santa Ana, CA at 1261 E Dyer Rd, scoring 670.7428 in a field of 9 teams. Rubbed The Wrong Way took Reserve Grand Champion with 641.6460. Category winners: Chicken — LOCO SMOKERS (166.8112); Pork Ribs — LOCO SMOKERS (171.9772); Pork — Rubbed The Wrong Way (170.8228); Brisket — Rock & Soul BBQ3A The Meat to Beat (169.7028). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Loco Smokers.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
488.40
median 612.42
670.74 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 166.81
- Pork Ribs 171.98
- Pork 170.82
- Brisket 169.70
20
171.98
Entries
9
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
670.7428
Winning margin
29.0968
GC over RC
Field average
609.93
488.40670.74
median 612.42 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
9.7372 pts across the top 5
Field spread
182.3428
winner to last place
Double threats
7
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 96%
beats 4% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
27%
4 of 15 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.73 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,500
avg power rating going in
Storylines (8 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A statement win
29.0968
points clear of the field
Wider than 100% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The champion won by 29.0968 points — a wider margin than 100% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
Loco Smokers has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2025
- 2026
A rookie on the podium
3rd
at their first tracked contest
357's Grillin and Chillin finished 3rd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 3 calls decided inside half a point
Brisket places 3–4: Smoke Brisket not Meth and 357's Grillin and Chillin tied on 157.0972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: RENEW edged Smoke Brisket not Meth by 0.0568. Pork Ribs places 3–4: Rock & Soul BBQ3A The Meat to Beat edged The Three Amigos by 0.0572.
- Brisket 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0568
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0572
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
LOCO SMOKERS won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
LOCO SMOKERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 2nd.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 2nd
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Loco Smokers (won 2025).
- Loco Smokers · 2025
In the record book (1 in the KCBS record book)
What happened at this contest that stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record nobody has beaten.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2023 | San Diego, CA | 4545 Viewridge Dr | 14 | 707.9656 | Smokin' Volts Barbeque | — |
| May 3, 2024 | San Diego, CA | 4545 ViewRidge Ave | 10 | 648.6056 | Meat Sweats | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | San Diego, CA | 4545 Viewridge Ave. #100 | 15 | 694.2056 | Loco Smokers | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 ← this one | Santa Ana, CA | 1261 E Dyer Rd | 9 | 670.7428 | LOCO SMOKERS | Rubbed The Wrong Way |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 166.8112 | 153.1316 | — |
| Pork Ribs | 171.9772 | 162.2400 | — |
| Pork | 170.8228 | 154.2740 | — |
| Brisket | 169.7028 | 150.8004 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
9 entries · top 670.7428 · median 612.4232
Chicken
9 entries · top 166.8112 · median 153.1316
Pork Ribs
9 entries · top 171.9772 · median 162.2400
Pork
9 entries · top 170.8228 · median 154.2740
Brisket
9 entries · top 169.7028 · median 150.8004
Ancillary categories
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.
Ancillary — Chili
5 entries · top 169.6800 · median 166.8456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | We Shock The Competition BBQ Team | |
| 2 | 357's Grillin and Chillin | |
| 3 | RENEW | |
| 4 | Rubbed The Wrong Way | |
| 5 | Rock & Soul BBQ3A The Meat to Beat |
Ancillary — Side Dish
10 entries · top 180 · median 165.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180