California State Fair BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS)
2026-07-31 – 2026-08-01 · Sacramento, CA · 📍 1600 Exposition Blvd
Reps: IAN SCHMIDT, JULIE POE · Prize money: $825.00
Grand Champion: 5 Skinz BBQ (178.8572) · 12 teams
Entries
12
1 judged meat · 1 ancillary
Top score
178.8572
Winning margin
1.7028
1st over 2nd
Field average
169.57
median 169.44
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
8.0000 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
166.3088
10th place overall
Field spread
22.8572
winner to last place
Prize money
$825.00
on the line
How hot was the win?
Top 36%
beats 64% of 2987 Pork Ribs wins in the data
Storylines
📸 Photo finishes
Pork Ribs places 8–9: Twin Pillars BBQ and Smokin' Stacks BBQ tied on 166.8344 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Score distribution
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 170.8572 | 166.3088 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Masters Series Single Meat
Pork Ribs
12 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.4402
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Skinz BBQ | |
| 2 | Smolder and Wiser | |
| 3 | Smokin' Rose BBQ | |
| 4 | Cowabunga BBQ | |
| 5 | Top Nach BBQ | |
| 6 | The Naked Rib BBQ | |
| 7 | The Walnut Room BBQ Team | |
| 8 | Twin Pillars BBQ | |
| 9 | Smokin' Stacks BBQ | |
| 10 | 8up Barbeque | |
| 11 | 3G BBQ | |
| 12 | Uncle Matty's BBQ |
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 — Just Wing It
12 entries · top 175.4288 · median 161.9598
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Walnut Room BBQ Team | |
| 2 | Smokin' Rose BBQ | |
| 3 | Twin Pillars BBQ | |
| 4 | Cowabunga BBQ | |
| 5 | Top Nach BBQ | |
| 6 | Smolder and Wiser | |
| 7 | 5 Skinz BBQ | |
| 8 | 8up Barbeque | |
| 9 | The Naked Rib BBQ | |
| 10 | 3G BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokin' Stacks BBQ | |
| 12 | Uncle Matty's BBQ |