A new contest record
706.2744
highest overall ever cooked here
706.2744 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 694.7772 HIGH i QUE II set in 2017.
- old record 694.7772
- set 2017 by HIGH i QUE II
Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life 2021
Jun 18–19, 2021 · Kansas City, KS · 📍 Our Lady of Unity · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley
SLAPS BBQ won Grand Champion at the Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life on June 18, 2021 in Kansas City, KS at Our Lady of Unity, scoring 706.2744 in a field of 37 teams. Barking Dog BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 704.5600. Category winners: Chicken — SLAPS BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Happy Grillmore (180.0000); Pork — Barking Dog BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — SLAPS BBQ (176.5600). This is the 4th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Fergolicious BBQ; the next was held in 2022.
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.
586.74
median 676.47
706.27 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 176.56
140.53
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2017 to 2023 — this edition picked out.
Entries
37
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
706.2744
Winning margin
1.7144
GC over RC
Field average
667.44
586.74706.27
median 676.47 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
690.8000
586.74706.27
10th place overall
Field spread
119.5316
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 10%
beats 90% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
37%
14 of 38 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.75 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,592
avg power rating going in · stronger than 73% of contests
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 day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SLAPS BBQ · Chicken
- Barking Dog BBQ · Pork
- Happy Grillmore · Pork Ribs
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: SKUNK RIVER BBQ and Hog Diesel tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: ShowMeMoSmoke and 2 DRUNK 2 QUE tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 8–9: WABASH BBQ and S&S BBQ tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
- Pork 8–9 · tie
- Brisket 2–3 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
SLAPS BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
SLAPS BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 11th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 11th
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
Barking Dog BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 175.4400 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 175.4400
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SKUNK RIVER BBQ (won 2018), Fergolicious BBQ (won 2019).
- SKUNK RIVER BBQ · 2018
- Fergolicious BBQ · 2019
The contest returns
2 yrs
since the last edition
This contest was away for 2 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2019-06-14.
- previous edition 2019-06-14
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2017 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 34 | 694.7772 | HIGH i QUE II | Fergolicious BBQ |
| Jun 15, 2018 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 32 | 693.1084 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | GETTIN' SAUCED |
| Jun 14, 2019 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 38 | 688.5028 | Fergolicious BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Jun 18, 2021 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 37 | 706.2744 | Slaps BBQ | Barking Dog BBQ |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 29 | 705.0856 | Go Pig or Go Home | LOVE 2 Q |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 29 | 707.4172 | BrewsCue | Cow Creek BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 174.2744 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176 | 174.2744 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.7028 | 174.2628 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 174.2628 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
37 entries · top 706.2744 · median 676.4684
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 2 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 3 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 4 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 5 | 3 PIGS SMOKIN | |
| 6 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 7 | Hog Diesel | |
| 8 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 9 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 10 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 11 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 13 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 14 | Ambition Que | |
| 15 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 16 | S&S BBQ | |
| 17 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 18 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 19 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 20 | BULL CREEK BBQ | |
| 21 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 22 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 23 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 24 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 25 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 26 | Pete's Back Alley BBQ | |
| 27 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 28 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 29 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 30 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 31 | Just Smoked Your Butt | |
| 32 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 33 | T'S SMOKIN PIT | |
| 34 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 35 | Two Fat Guys Burnung Meat | |
| 36 | TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE | |
| 37 | 250 MCS |
Chicken
37 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 2 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 3 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 4 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 5 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 6 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 7 | Hog Diesel | |
| 8 | 3 PIGS SMOKIN | |
| 9 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 10 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 11 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 13 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 14 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 15 | Ambition Que | |
| 16 | S&S BBQ | |
| 17 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 18 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 19 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 20 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 21 | BULL CREEK BBQ | |
| 22 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 23 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 24 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 26 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 27 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 28 | Pete's Back Alley BBQ | |
| 29 | T'S SMOKIN PIT | |
| 30 | Just Smoked Your Butt | |
| 31 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 32 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 33 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 34 | 250 MCS | |
| 35 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 36 | TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE | |
| 37 | Two Fat Guys Burnung Meat |
Pork Ribs
37 entries · top 180 · median 171.4288 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 2 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 3 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 4 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 5 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 6 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 7 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 8 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 9 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 11 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 12 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 13 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 14 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 15 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 16 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 18 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 19 | 3 PIGS SMOKIN | |
| 20 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 21 | Hog Diesel | |
| 22 | S&S BBQ | |
| 23 | BULL CREEK BBQ | |
| 24 | Ambition Que | |
| 25 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 26 | Pete's Back Alley BBQ | |
| 27 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 28 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 29 | TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE | |
| 30 | Just Smoked Your Butt | |
| 31 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 32 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 33 | Two Fat Guys Burnung Meat | |
| 34 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 35 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 36 | T'S SMOKIN PIT | |
| 37 | 250 MCS |
Pork
37 entries · top 180 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 2 | Ambition Que | |
| 3 | Hog Diesel | |
| 4 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 5 | 3 PIGS SMOKIN | |
| 6 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 7 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 8 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 9 | S&S BBQ | |
| 10 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 11 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 12 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 13 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 14 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 15 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 16 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 17 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 18 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 19 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 20 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 21 | Pete's Back Alley BBQ | |
| 22 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 23 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 24 | BULL CREEK BBQ | |
| 25 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 26 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 27 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 28 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 29 | Just Smoked Your Butt | |
| 30 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 31 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 32 | Two Fat Guys Burnung Meat | |
| 33 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 34 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 35 | T'S SMOKIN PIT | |
| 36 | TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE | |
| 37 | 250 MCS |
Brisket
37 entries · top 176.5600 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 2 | BULL CREEK BBQ | |
| 3 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 4 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 5 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 6 | 3 PIGS SMOKIN | |
| 7 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 8 | Ambition Que | |
| 9 | Bears Backyard Q | |
| 10 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 11 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 12 | Hog Diesel | |
| 13 | SMOKE RINGERS | |
| 14 | WABASH BBQ | |
| 15 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 16 | WEEKEND BUM BBQ | |
| 17 | T'S SMOKIN PIT | |
| 18 | S&S BBQ | |
| 19 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | |
| 20 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 21 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 22 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 23 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 24 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 26 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 27 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 28 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 29 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 30 | Pete's Back Alley BBQ | |
| 31 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 32 | Just Smoked Your Butt | |
| 33 | Two Fat Guys Burnung Meat | |
| 34 | MAKE M' SQUEAL | |
| 35 | TOADS JUMPIN SMOKE | |
| 36 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 37 | 250 MCS |
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 — Beans
9 entries · top 177.1772 · median 165.0740
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOOM CHICKA COW COW | |
| 2 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 3 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 4 | Knights of the Holy Smoker | |
| 5 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 6 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 8 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | |
| 9 | Notch 9 BBQ |
Ancillary — Dessert
5 entries · top 180 · median 177.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buds Boys BBQ | |
| 2 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGS BBQ | |
| 4 | Notch 9 BBQ | |
| 5 | 2 DRUNK 2 QUE |