Jan 17–18, 2020 · Bullhead City, AZ · 📍 Rotary Park · State championship
Reps: Bunny Tuttle, Michael Winter, Rich Tuttle · Prize money: $18,000
BIG POPPA SMOKERS won Grand Champion at the Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge on January 17, 2020 in Bullhead City, AZ at Rotary Park, scoring 695.9428 in a field of 59 teams. THE BBQ BUS took Reserve Grand Champion with 691.9200. Category winners: Chicken — 7-8-9 BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — DRY 2 DA BONE (175.4400); Pork — FU MAN QUE CREW (177.7144); Brisket — GIRLS CAN GRILL (179.4400). This is the 4th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by 4 LEGS UP BBQ; the next was held in 2022.
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, 2017 to 2023 — 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.
BIG POPPA SMOKERS won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 1–2: 7-8-9 BBQ and PROUD SOULS BARBECUE tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: BURNIN AND LOOTIN and LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: JACK9 BBQ-CA and JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHIG NINJA BBQ (won 2017), 4 LEGS UP BBQ (won 2019).
Bigger than 91% of the 5,468 contests in the data
59 teams — bigger than 91% of the 5,468 contests in the data.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 2017 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 40 | 697.0972 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | STEEL CITY BBQ |
| Jan 19, 2018 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 70 | 700.5600 | ROOFTOP BBQ | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ |
| Jan 18, 2019 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 63 | 696.5256 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | UTAH BBQ COMPANY |
| Jan 17, 2020 ← this one | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 59 | 695.9428 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | THE BBQ BUS |
| Jan 14, 2022 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 59 | 695.3944 | SHARPE GOURMET COOKING WOOD | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Jan 13, 2023 | Bullhead City, AZ | Rotary Park | 45 | 691.3716 | STEVO'S BBQ | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1428 | 174.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4400 | 173.1200 | 169.7028 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 171.4056 | 169.7372 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 175.4056 | 171.4400 |
59 entries · top 695.9428 · median 659.3028
59 entries · top 180 · median 167.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
59 entries · top 175.4400 · median 165.6800
59 entries · top 177.7144 · median 165.6800
59 entries · top 179.4400 · median 161.6456
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 179.4400 · median 171.4056
8 entries · top 180 · median 164.2572 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 2 | JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE | |
| 3 | STOKED TO SMOKE | |
| 4 | PROUD SOULS BARBECUE | |
| 5 | Spinnin' Pigskins BBQ Team | |
| 6 | BIG KEV'S BBQ | |
| 7 | BIG BOYS BBQ - CA | |
| 8 | YOUR BEHIND BBQ |
11 entries · top 180 · median 173.7144 · 🔥 perfect 180
10 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.3028