Apr 7–8, 2023 · Gadsden, AL · 📍 1600 Noccalula Rd · State championship
Reps: Carol Bigler, Janet Appleton, Randy G Bigler, Sam Appleton · Prize money: $11,220
WE WILL ROCK QUE won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Falls on April 7, 2023 in Gadsden, AL at 1600 Noccalula Rd, scoring 690.8000 in a field of 39 teams. COOL HAND QUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.7656. Category winners: Chicken — Bar B Quterie (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Purdom's BBQ (175.4628); Pork — TEXAS WARPIG BBQ (177.7144); Brisket — CHOOCHOO BBQ (178.8572). The Backyard Series standings were won by RIBLIFE with 354.2744. This is the 9th of 11 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Smoke Me Silly; the next was held in 2024.
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 97% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0344 points — closer than 97% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100
WE WILL ROCK QUE came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
WE WILL ROCK QUE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
This was We Will Rock 'Que's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 62nd tracked contest.
2 of 11 tracked editions
The Specialists has won this contest 2 times across its 11 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.5944 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: Fat, Drunk & Stupid BBQ Team and DANG GOOD BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 7–8: SWIG-N-PIG and Organizer Portal tied on 173.1084 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN and PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
RIBLIFE won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
This contest usually draws about 33 teams
39 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 33.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2013 | Gadsden, AL | Gadsden, AL | 34 | 696.5718 | SWIGGIN PIG | BIG BLUE QUE |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Gadsden, AL | Gadsden, AL 35904 | 34 | 699.9884 | The Specialists | UNCULTURED SWINE |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Gadsden, AL | 1500 Noccalula Rd | 28 | 704.5488 | SMOKIN BUTT CREW | Organizer Portal |
| Apr 13, 2018 | Gadsden, AL | 1500 Noccalula Rd | 38 | 697.1084 | THE SPECIALISTS | Organizer Portal |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Gadsden, AL | 1500 Noccalula Rd | 30 | 699.9656 | Contagious Q | CHOOCHOO BBQ |
| Sep 18, 2020 | Gadsden, AL | 1500 Noccalula Rd | 28 | 699.3944 | Rooters-N-Tooters | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Gadsden, AL | Gadsden, AL 35901 | 38 | 699.3600 | chicken fried bbq | LC BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Gadsden, AL | 1600 Noccalula Rd | 34 | 700.5028 | Smoke Me Silly | GETTIN' BASTED |
| Apr 7, 2023 ← this one | Gadsden, AL | 1600 Noccalula Rd | 39 | 690.8000 | We Will Rock 'Que | COOL HAND QUE |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Gadsden, AL | 1500 Noccalula Rd | 31 | 699.9428 | We Will Rock 'Que | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Gadsden, AL | 1600 Noccalula Rd | 36 | 714.2628 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | COOL HAND QUE |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180 | 173.1200 | 171.9656 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4628 | 173.1200 | 170.8344 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7144 | 173.1084 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.8572 | 172.5600 | 170.8228 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.9656 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 173.1200 | 170.8228 |
39 entries · top 690.8000 · median 668.3768
39 entries · top 180 · median 167.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180
38 entries · top 175.4628 · median 167.1202
39 entries · top 177.7144 · median 166.8228
38 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.4114
47 entries · top 354.2744 · median 331.9200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIBLIFE | |
| 2 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 3 | Secondhand Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 4 | Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | |
| 5 | Maggie's Farm | |
| 6 | Pig Destroyer | |
| 7 | VETERAN PORK PULLERS | |
| 8 | LEE LA Q | |
| 9 | SMALL BATCH BBQ | |
| 10 | RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA | |
| 11 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 12 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 13 | MAGNOLIA | |
| 14 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 15 | Outhouse smokers | |
| 16 | Swine N Brine BBQ | |
| 17 | Just Cluckin Off | |
| 18 | Hound Hogs BBQ Supply Co | |
| 19 | Bentley Que | |
| 20 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 21 | BAMA QUE'N & BREW'N | |
| 22 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 23 | THIN BLUE SWINE BBQ | |
| 24 | Colonel Rusty's BBQ | |
| 25 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 26 | JT'S SMOKE SHACK | |
| 27 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 28 | Slingin Pig Meat | |
| 29 | Wreckless BBQ Crew | |
| 30 | SLATER HOUSE BBQ | |
| 31 | The Catering Vets | |
| 32 | ETOWAH SMOKE | |
| 33 | Creekside BBQ | |
| 34 | Eastside Grillin & Chillin | |
| 35 | HUNTER'S HOT ASH BBQ | |
| 36 | Modest Meats | |
| 37 | Simply Smoked | |
| 38 | Pork Life | |
| 39 | Kaddie Kue BBQ Team | |
| 40 | Goin Hawg Wild | |
| 41 | Cuz it Hurts | |
| 42 | Sand Valley Backyard BBQRS | |
| 43 | Charlie Brown BBQ | |
| 44 | Circle W Meats | |
| 45 | The Smokin' Huskies | |
| 46 | 931 BBQ | |
| 47 | Smoke-a-Billies |
46 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.7086
46 entries · top 175.4172 · median 166.2400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIBLIFE | |
| 2 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 3 | LEE LA Q | |
| 4 | Maggie's Farm | |
| 5 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 6 | 931 BBQ | |
| 7 | Pig Destroyer | |
| 8 | Swine N Brine BBQ | |
| 9 | Secondhand Smoke BBQ Team | |
| 10 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 11 | BAMA QUE'N & BREW'N | |
| 12 | Outhouse smokers | |
| 13 | SMALL BATCH BBQ | |
| 14 | Just Cluckin Off | |
| 15 | MAGNOLIA | |
| 16 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 17 | Hound Hogs BBQ Supply Co | |
| 18 | ETOWAH SMOKE | |
| 19 | Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | |
| 20 | Bentley Que | |
| 21 | RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA | |
| 22 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 23 | VETERAN PORK PULLERS | |
| 24 | JT'S SMOKE SHACK | |
| 25 | Colonel Rusty's BBQ | |
| 26 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 27 | The Catering Vets | |
| 28 | THIN BLUE SWINE BBQ | |
| 29 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 31 | Modest Meats | |
| 32 | SLATER HOUSE BBQ | |
| 33 | Goin Hawg Wild | |
| 34 | Creekside BBQ | |
| 35 | Wreckless BBQ Crew | |
| 36 | Cuz it Hurts | |
| 37 | Circle W Meats | |
| 38 | Kaddie Kue BBQ Team | |
| 39 | Pork Life | |
| 40 | Slingin Pig Meat | |
| 41 | HUNTER'S HOT ASH BBQ | |
| 42 | Simply Smoked | |
| 43 | The Smokin' Huskies | |
| 44 | Eastside Grillin & Chillin | |
| 45 | Charlie Brown BBQ | |
| 46 | Sand Valley Backyard BBQRS |
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.
5 entries · top 177.7028 · median 171.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunn Right BBQ | |
| 2 | Mad Cow | |
| 3 | Homerun Hamburgers | |
| 4 | The Grilling King | |
| 5 | THE SPICE GIRLS |
10 entries · top 174.8572 · median 168.2686
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burger Shark | |
| 2 | Pop & Squeeze | |
| 3 | Will's Skillz on the Grill | |
| 4 | Red Headed Rascal | |
| 5 | Poo's BBQ | |
| 6 | Smokin Yogi's | |
| 7 | Barbie-Q | |
| 8 | The Buns Jovi's | |
| 9 | Rollin' Smoke Jr | |
| 10 | The Hangry Burger |