Oct 17–18, 2019 · Lenoir, NC · 📍 1001 West Ave · State championship
Reps: Doug Reid, Wayne Harper · Prize money: $5,000
HAMTOWN SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Smoking in the Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival A on October 17, 2019 in Lenoir, NC at 1001 West Ave, scoring 698.8344 in a field of 15 teams. HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.7656. Category winners: Chicken — ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE (177.7028); Pork Ribs — HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY (175.4172); Pork — HAMTOWN SMOKERS (176.5600); Brisket — HAMTOWN SMOKERS (180.0000).
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.
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 76 times in 100
HAMTOWN SMOKERS came in rated below the field's top team, ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Stronger than 95% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1646 power rating going in — stronger than 95% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 3–4: Still Workin' On It and OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 9–10: ELITE BBQ SMOKERS edged Still Workin' On It by 0.0116. Brisket places 3–4: TOO SAUCED edged BARREL FEVER BBQ by 0.0228.
HAMTOWN SMOKERS won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
HAMTOWN SMOKERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 7th.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 171.9656 | 167.3944 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 171.4172 | 165.6916 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 171.4172 | 166.8572 |
| Brisket | 180 | 172.0228 | 166.2284 |
15 entries · top 698.8344 · median 675.3944
15 entries · top 177.7028 · median 168
15 entries · top 175.4172 · median 166.8344
15 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.9656
15 entries · top 180 · median 168.5256 · 🔥 perfect 180