A new contest record
690.8000
highest overall ever cooked here
690.8000 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 667.4856 SmellaQue set in 2021.
- old record 667.4856
- set 2021 by SmellaQue
Smoke, Wind & Fire 2022
Jul 23–24, 2022 · Lethbridge, Canada · CANADA · 📍 Exhibition Park
Reps: Brenda Black, Ken Black
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke, Wind & Fire on July 23, 2022 in Lethbridge, T1J4R3 at Exhibition Park, scoring 690.8000 in a field of 20 teams. Notorious P.I.G. took Reserve Grand Champion with 678.1940. Category winners: Chicken — 333BBQ (177.1544); Pork Ribs — HOME COOKIN' BBQ (176.5944); Pork — Notorious P.I.G. (177.7028); Brisket — Brisket Butts (177.1428). The Backyard Series standings were won by Guardians of the Grill with 328.5484. This is the 2nd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by SmellaQue; 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.
493.04
median 657.58
690.80 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 177.15
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 176.59
- Master Series — Pork 177.70
- Master Series — Brisket 177.14
- Backyard Series — Chicken 166.31
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 163.44
143.94
177.70
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2023 — this edition picked out.
Entries
20
6 judged meats
Top score
690.8000
Winning margin
12.6060
GC over RC
Field average
647.28
493.04690.80
median 657.58 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
4.6060 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
658.1372
493.04690.80
10th place overall
Field spread
197.7600
winner to last place
Double threats
10
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 69%
beats 31% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
54%
13 of 24 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.45 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,519
avg power rating going in · stronger than 13% of contests
Storylines (6 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.
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 2nd
A statement win
12.6060
points clear of the field
Wider than 93% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.6060 points — a wider margin than 93% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
SmellaQue has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2021
- 2023
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: Gilded Swine and DIDY SMOKE IT tied on 171.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 3–4: 333BBQ edged ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ by 0.0116. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 7–8: Brisket Butts edged Notorious P.I.G. by 0.0116.
- Master Series — Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Master Series — Pork 3–4 · 0.0116
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 7–8 · 0.0116
- Master Series — Chicken 5–6 · 0.0344
A contest record in chicken
177.1544
best chicken ever cooked here
333BBQ turned in 177.1544 in chicken — past the 170.2628 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 170.2628
- across 1 past editions
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2021 | Lethbridge | Exhibition Park | 16 | 667.4856 | SmellaQue | Hogparts School of Smokecraft and Brewery |
| Jul 23, 2022 ← this one | Lethbridge | Exhibition Park | 20 | 690.8000 | Arrowhead North BBQ | Notorious P.I.G. |
| Jul 23, 2022 | Lethbridge | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 20, 2023 | Raymond, AB | Raymond, AB | 12 | 702.8228 | SmellaQue | SMOKIN' OUTLAWS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.1544 | 171.4400 | 164.5488 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 176.5944 | 171.9884 | 166.2628 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7028 | 168.5828 | 163.9656 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.1428 | 169.2344 | 162.2400 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 166.3088 | 153.6688 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 163.4400 | 153.1316 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
20 entries · top 690.8000 · median 657.5828
Chicken
20 entries · top 177.1544 · median 164.5430
Pork Ribs
20 entries · top 176.5944 · median 165.1142
Pork
20 entries · top 177.7028 · median 162.5428
Brisket
19 entries · top 177.1428 · median 162.2400
Backyard Series
Overall
5 entries · top 328.5484 · median 319.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardians of the Grill | |
| 2 | Half Cocked BBQ | |
| 3 | Fantastic Meat and How to "Q" Them | |
| 4 | The Meat Rubbers BBQ | |
| 5 | Earnest Street |
Chicken
5 entries · top 166.3088 · median 159.4284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Cocked BBQ | |
| 2 | Guardians of the Grill | |
| 3 | The Meat Rubbers BBQ | |
| 4 | Fantastic Meat and How to "Q" Them | |
| 5 | Earnest Street |
Pork Ribs
5 entries · top 163.4400 · median 161.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guardians of the Grill | |
| 2 | Fantastic Meat and How to "Q" Them | |
| 3 | Half Cocked BBQ | |
| 4 | The Meat Rubbers BBQ | |
| 5 | Earnest Street |