A new contest record
704.5488
highest overall ever cooked here
704.5488 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 691.3940 Aww Hell set in 2021.
- old record 691.3940
- set 2021 by Aww Hell
Bordertown BBQ Brawl 2022
Jul 15–16, 2022 · Sault Ste Marie, MI · 📍 2186 Shunk Rd · State championship
Reps: Eugene Wickham, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $6,500
AWW HELL won Grand Champion at the Bordertown BBQ Brawl on July 15, 2022 in Sault Ste Marie, MI at 2186 Shunk Rd, scoring 704.5488 in a field of 30 teams. iBQ'n took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.7144. Category winners: Chicken — iBQ'n (180.0000); Pork Ribs — AWW HELL (180.0000); Pork — AWW HELL (178.8572); Brisket — FIREHOUSE SMOKE (178.2972). This is the 5th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by Aww Hell; 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.
603.33
median 676.18
704.55 🏆
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 178.86
- Brisket 178.30
142.26
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2022 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
704.5488
Winning margin
2.8344
GC over RC
Field average
667.76
603.33704.55
median 676.18 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.8456 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
682.7660
603.33704.55
10th place overall
Field spread
101.2232
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,500
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 16%
beats 84% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
70%
19 of 27 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.8 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,585
avg power rating going in · stronger than 67% of contests
Storylines (11 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.
An upset on the books
Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Aww Hell won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2021
- 2022
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
iBQ'n@TheBBQSuperStore.com has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2018
- 2019
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 3–4: iBQ'n and Q-JITSU tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: BAD HABIT BBQ and Bad Wolf BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: KEVLAR BBQ and RUB MY RACK tied on 170.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
AWW HELL won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
AWW HELL took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 13th.
- Chicken 7th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 13th
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
AWW HELL turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8572
- across 4 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Bad Habit BBQ (won 2020), Aww Hell (won 2021).
- Bad Habit BBQ · 2020
- Aww Hell · 2021
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- iBQ'n · Chicken
- AWW HELL · Pork Ribs
They keep coming back
70%
of last edition’s field returned
19 of 27 teams from 2021-07-16 came back
19 of the 27 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2018 | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk RD | 24 | 690.8456 | iBQ'n@TheBBQSuperStore.com | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES |
| Jul 19, 2019 | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk RD | 28 | 687.9428 | IBQ'n@thebbqsuperstore.com | RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ |
| Jul 17, 2020 | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk RD | 31 | 685.7144 | Bad Habit BBQ | TIRE SMOKE BBQ |
| Jul 16, 2021 | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk RD | 27 | 691.3940 | Aww Hell | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES |
| Jul 15, 2022 ← this one | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk Rd | 30 | 704.5488 | Aww Hell | iBQ'n |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Sault Ste Marie, MI | 2186 Shunk Rd | 28 | 176.5944 | Kevlar | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1544 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 172.5716 | 170.8572 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.9656 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 174.2628 | 170.8112 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 704.5488 · median 676.1772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWW HELL | |
| 2 | iBQ'n | |
| 3 | Q-JITSU | |
| 4 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 5 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 6 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 7 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 8 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 9 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 10 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 11 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 12 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 13 | Red Rock Cafe | |
| 14 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 15 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 16 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 17 | BooyaQ | |
| 18 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | Granny Slappin BBQ | |
| 20 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 21 | Bad Wolf BBQ | |
| 22 | Big Kokx BBQ | |
| 23 | DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 24 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin Good Time BBQ | |
| 26 | Sauced Up Assassins BBQ Team | |
| 27 | Three Little Piggies BBQ | |
| 28 | Avon Purple Cobra's | |
| 29 | North Country Smoke | |
| 30 | Barbeau BBQ |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.5714 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iBQ'n | |
| 2 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 3 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 4 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 5 | Red Rock Cafe | |
| 6 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 7 | AWW HELL | |
| 8 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 9 | BooyaQ | |
| 10 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 11 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 12 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 13 | Q-JITSU | |
| 14 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 15 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 16 | Three Little Piggies BBQ | |
| 17 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 18 | Bad Wolf BBQ | |
| 19 | Smokin Good Time BBQ | |
| 20 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 21 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 22 | DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 23 | Granny Slappin BBQ | |
| 24 | Big Kokx BBQ | |
| 25 | Sauced Up Assassins BBQ Team | |
| 26 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 27 | Avon Purple Cobra's | |
| 28 | North Country Smoke | |
| 29 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 30 | Barbeau BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 180 · median 167.4172 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWW HELL | |
| 2 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 3 | iBQ'n | |
| 4 | Q-JITSU | |
| 5 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 6 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 7 | Bad Wolf BBQ | |
| 8 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 9 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 10 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 11 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 12 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 13 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 14 | Granny Slappin BBQ | |
| 15 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 16 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 17 | Red Rock Cafe | |
| 18 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 19 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 20 | Barbeau BBQ | |
| 21 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 22 | DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 23 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Big Kokx BBQ | |
| 25 | Avon Purple Cobra's | |
| 26 | Three Little Piggies BBQ | |
| 27 | Sauced Up Assassins BBQ Team | |
| 28 | Smokin Good Time BBQ | |
| 29 | BooyaQ | |
| 30 | North Country Smoke |
Pork
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWW HELL | |
| 2 | Granny Slappin BBQ | |
| 3 | Q-JITSU | |
| 4 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 5 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 6 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 7 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 8 | Big Kokx BBQ | |
| 9 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 10 | iBQ'n | |
| 11 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 12 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 13 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 14 | Red Rock Cafe | |
| 15 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 16 | BooyaQ | |
| 17 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 18 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 19 | Smokin Good Time BBQ | |
| 20 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 21 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 22 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 23 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 24 | DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 25 | Sauced Up Assassins BBQ Team | |
| 26 | Bad Wolf BBQ | |
| 27 | Avon Purple Cobra's | |
| 28 | Three Little Piggies BBQ | |
| 29 | North Country Smoke | |
| 30 | Barbeau BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIREHOUSE SMOKE | |
| 2 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 3 | BooyaQ | |
| 4 | iBQ'n | |
| 5 | Q-JITSU | |
| 6 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 7 | DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE | |
| 8 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 9 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 10 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 11 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 12 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 13 | AWW HELL | |
| 14 | RUB MY RACK | |
| 15 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 16 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 17 | Red Rock Cafe | |
| 18 | Bad Wolf BBQ | |
| 19 | Slightly Sauced | |
| 20 | DETROIT SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 21 | Avon Purple Cobra's | |
| 22 | Sauced Up Assassins BBQ Team | |
| 23 | North Country Smoke | |
| 24 | Big Kokx BBQ | |
| 25 | Three Little Piggies BBQ | |
| 26 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 27 | Granny Slappin BBQ | |
| 28 | Smokin Good Time BBQ | |
| 29 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 30 | Barbeau BBQ |