Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Knockstone BBQ Team Austria won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2022
- 2023
Wild West Fest on Fire 2023
Aug 12–13, 2023 · Medvode, Slovenia · SLOVENIA · 📍 Zbilje
Reps: Haymo Gutweniger, Luca Famigli
KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA won Grand Champion at the Wild West Fest on Fire on August 12, 2023 in Medvode, 1215 at Zbilje, scoring 695.3944 in a field of 12 teams. COOKLOUNGE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.6456. Category winners: Chicken — KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA (180.0000); Pork Ribs — KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA (171.9656); Pork — COOKLOUNGE BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — COOKLOUNGE BBQ (175.4056). This is the 4th of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Knockstone BBq Team Austria; the next was held in 2024.
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.
595.79
median 654.99
695.39 🏆
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 171.97
- Pork 178.86
- Brisket 175.41
138.81
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2018 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
12
4 judged meats
Top score
695.3944
Winning margin
5.7488
GC over RC
Field average
650.91
595.79695.39
median 654.99 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
8.5716 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
622.7544
595.79695.39
10th place overall
Field spread
99.6004
winner to last place
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 52%
beats 48% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
55%
6 of 11 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,552
avg power rating going in · stronger than 39% 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 dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 12 tracked editions
Knockstone BBq Team Austria has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
- 2022
- 2023
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 2 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 9–10: Feher Nyul BBQ Team and I Cinghiali tied on 156.5144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: I Cinghiali edged SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 5th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 5th
A contest record in chicken
180.0000
best chicken ever cooked here
KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8572
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Knockstone BBq Team Austria (won 2022).
- Knockstone BBq Team Austria · 2022
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- KNOCKSTONE BBQ TEAM AUSTRIA · Chicken
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 11, 2018 | Zbilje, Medvode | Zbilje, Medvode, 1215 | 21 | 673.6344 | FRIULI VIOLENT GRILLERS | THE BARKTENDERS |
| Aug 10, 2019 | Zbilje, Medvode | Zbilje, Medvode, 1215 | 27 | 697.7600 | White Squirrel BBQ | BUNCH OF SWINES |
| Aug 6, 2022 | Medvode | Zbilje | 11 | 693.6688 | Knockstone BBq Team Austria | COOKLOUNGE BBQ |
| Aug 12, 2023 ← this one | Medvode | Zbilje | 12 | 695.3944 | Knockstone BBQ Team Austria | COOKLOUNGE BBQ |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Medvode | Zbilje | 11 | 707.9772 | Insomnia BBQ Team | COOKLOUNGE BBQ |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Medvode | Zbilje | 14 | 177.7144 | Smoky Cotte | — |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 20 | 699.9540 | Food'Venture Grill & BBQ | WESTSIDE BBQ |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 19 | 177.1544 | BBQ Hot Yard | — |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 19 | 180 | Virunum Smokers | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 12 | 180 | The smoked barbecue team | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 14 | 178.8572 | The smoked barbecue team | — |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Medvode | Lake Zbilje | 18 | 707.3944 | SOUTH BRIXIA | SMOKY COTTE |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 169.6800 | 159.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 171.9656 | 161.7028 | 156.5144 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 170.2856 | 157.6800 |
| Brisket | 175.4056 | 165.7144 | 149.6572 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
12 entries · top 695.3944 · median 654.9942
Chicken
12 entries · top 180 · median 168.8398 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
12 entries · top 171.9656 · median 160.5430
Pork
12 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.1144
Brisket
12 entries · top 175.4056 · median 158.2228