Apr 8–9, 2022 · Osage City, KS · 📍 517 South 1st Street · State championship
Reps: Clara Williams, Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Jonathan B Williams, Larry Hadley, Peg Rogers · Prize money: $21,200
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Spring on April 8, 2022 in Osage City, KS at 517 South 1st Street, scoring 700.0228 in a field of 94 teams. HIGH i QUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.9772. Category winners: Chicken — WOOD HOOK BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — LAST CALL HEROES BBQ (179.4400); Pork — Pit Crew BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Bohica BBQ (180.0000). This is the 9th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by Piggin Whiskey O.G.; 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, 2013 to 2026 — 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 96% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0456 points — closer than 96% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 73 times in 100
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, CLARK CREW BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
2 of 14 tracked editions
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 14 tracked editions.
Chicken places 1–2: WOOD HOOK BBQ and Go Pig or Go Home tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: Can Country Outlaw BBQ and HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: Fergolicious BBQ and Can Country Outlaw BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 37th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: GRILLIN' BEAVERS (won 2013), CLARK CREW BBQ (won 2016, 2017), HOGLINE (won 2018), Piggin Whiskey O.G. (won 2021).
Bigger than 98% of the 5,468 contests in the data
94 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,468 contests in the data.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2013 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 71 | 685.7142 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | PELLET ENVY |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 73 | 689.6916 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 97 | 698.2516 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | SMOKE N BABES BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2016 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 109 | 700.5144 | CLARK CREW BBQ | LUCKY'S Q |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 100 | 700.0116 | CLARK CREW BBQ | THE SMOKING HILLS |
| Apr 6, 2018 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 103 | 699.3712 | HOGLINE | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 93 | 706.2744 | Tebo Creek BBQ | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 105 | 703.4400 | Piggin Whiskey O.G. | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD |
| Apr 8, 2022 ← this one | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 94 | 700.0228 | Last Call Heroes BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 103 | 707.9772 | Janky Leg BBQ | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Apr 5, 2024 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 97 | 706.2628 | Burnt Trees | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 92 | 708.6060 | Parts 'R' Smokin | Cow Creek BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 101 | 709.7028 | Blind Fox BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7144 | 176 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 177.1428 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.7144 | 176.5600 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4056 | 174.8572 |
94 entries · top 700.0228 · median 675.3600
94 entries · top 180 · median 169.6972 · 🔥 perfect 180
94 entries · top 179.4400 · median 168.5372
94 entries · top 180 · median 169.6742 · 🔥 perfect 180
94 entries · top 180 · median 168.2570 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
37 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5716
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY | |
| 2 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 3 | DUSTY ROADS BBQ | |
| 4 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | |
| 5 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 6 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 7 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 8 | 777 BBQ | |
| 9 | Broken Dudes BBQ | |
| 10 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 11 | Aggravation BBQ | |
| 12 | The Art of Que | |
| 13 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 14 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 15 | Big E's KCQ & Smoke | |
| 16 | ROCK N BLUES BBQ | |
| 17 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 18 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 19 | Pit Crew BBQ | |
| 20 | B & C SMOKERS | |
| 21 | RGDBBQ | |
| 22 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 24 | Pine Tar BBQ | |
| 25 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 26 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 27 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 28 | MadChad's BBQ | |
| 29 | Flying W North BBQ | |
| 30 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 31 | SMOKERITAVILLE | |
| 32 | Wildhouse BBQ | |
| 33 | Shark Q | |
| 34 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | |
| 35 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 36 | Slabs.com | |
| 37 | Parra Q |