Jul 10–11, 2020 · Mayetta, KS · 📍 Prairie Band Casino · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley, Mark Collier · Prize money: $11,700
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ won Grand Champion at the Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest on July 10, 2020 in Mayetta, KS at Prairie Band Casino, scoring 698.8684 in a field of 61 teams. MAN MEAT BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.2512. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — HIGH i QUE (180.0000); Pork — Overland Pork BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — 4 LEGS UP BBQ (180.0000). This is the 7th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Boomerang BBQ; the next was held in 2021.
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 2021 — 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 87% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.6172 points — closer than 87% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 91 times in 100
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, BOOMERANG BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 9-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Stronger than 94% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1644 power rating going in — stronger than 94% of every contest tracked.
Pork Ribs places 1–2: HIGH i QUE and WHO CARES BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: SCORE ONE SMOKIN' and B-S BBQ OUTLAWS tied on 179.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: GETTIN' SAUCED and White Moose tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 25th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: PORKY BUTTS BBQ (won 2016), SPITFIRE (won 2018), Boomerang BBQ (won 2019).
Bigger than 92% of the 5,462 contests in the data
61 teams — bigger than 92% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 2013 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS | 69 | 702.2856 | PIGSKIN BBQ | WOODWARD BARBEQUE |
| Jun 6, 2014 | Mayetta, KS | Mayetta, KS 66509 | 54 | 701.7372 | JP CUSTOM SMOKE | SMOKEAHOLICS |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th RD | 55 | 691.4172 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | THUMP & STRUM BBQ |
| Jul 14, 2017 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 58 | 695.3944 | HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | SMOOTH SMOKE |
| Jul 13, 2018 | Mayetta, KS | 12305 150th Rd | 48 | 697.0968 | SPITFIRE | BOOM CHICKA COW COW |
| Jul 12, 2019 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 59 | 706.8344 | Boomerang BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Jul 10, 2020 ← this one | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 61 | 698.8684 | Smokin Timbers BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino | 43 | 713.1316 | Happy Grillmore | SLAPS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4400 | 174.2856 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.7144 | 174.2972 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 177.1428 | 176 |
| Brisket | 180 | 177.1428 | 174.8572 |
61 entries · top 698.8684 · median 677.6112
61 entries · top 180 · median 168.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
61 entries · top 180 · median 167.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
61 entries · top 178.2972 · median 168.5600
61 entries · top 180 · median 168.5372 · 🔥 perfect 180