In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2024.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
The Index
- Grand Champions A2
- The Month in Brief A3
- Perfect Scores A5
- Ratings Market A6
- The Backyard A7
- New to the Circuit A8
- Box Scores B1
- Complete Results B4
- Back Issues C4
Score of the month
Sure Shot BBQ Turns In the Month’s Best Card
706.8460 out of 720 at Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff — the highest Master overall scored in April 2024.
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
CEDAR PARK, Texas — Sure Shot BBQ put up 706.8460 at Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff — the highest overall of the month.
Across April 2024, 34 sanctioned contests were scored, across 16 states and provinces, drawing 859 teams to the turn-in table. Judges made 1,223 top-ten calls and handed out 48 perfect 180s. 160 teams appear in the record for the first time. The full standings run on B1.
Every Grand Championship in this edition — 33 in all.
- Wabash BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest
- Optimus Swine Southaven Springfest
- Mad Rocket Barbeque Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Small Axe BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- Pappy & Roleys BBQ, Boogie & Blues
- Chunky BBQ Marietta River City BBQ
- Chunky BBQ Marietta River City BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Boggs Hog BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- Blue & Gray BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2)
- The good, the bad & the pitbitches De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024
- SmoKen Meats New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Poppa Pig? GLBBQA Spring Fling
- Big James Kitchen Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- Boggs Hog BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- 3 EYZ BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1)
- Piggin' Whiskey New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Good Googly Goo BBQ Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- Live Q or Die Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Rhythm 'N Que BBQ Boots & Brew
- We Will Rock 'Que Smoke on the Falls
- El Jefe Smoke Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- Optimus Swine Bone Suckin' Sauce Peak City Pig Fest
- Kith n' Kin 12th Annual Bull Moose BBQ
- Smokin' Hoggz Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- Griller unchained "Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #1
- Luna Smoke "Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #2
- Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2024
- Burnt Trees Smoke in the Spring
- Sure Shot BBQ Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff
- Hot Chihauhau Lake Views & BBQ
- Chunky BBQ The Ironman
- Jury's Out Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY)
- B Team BBQ Lake Views & BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS)
Hottest hand
Two Grand Championships in Apr 2024 for Optimus Swine
Nobody else in the field ran a hotter hand.
2× Grand Championships
Optimus Swine took 2 Grand Championships in April 2024.
First one ever
Wabash BBQ Wins Its First, on the 88th Try
A first Grand Championship at Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest, after 88 contests in the record.
88th contest — and their first GC
SUGAR CREEK, Mo. — Wabash BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest, in their 88th contest in the data.
Title defended
WE WILL ROCK QUE Defends Its Title at Smoke on the Falls
Back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest — 2023 and 2024.
2 in a row wins at this contest
GADSDEN, Ala. — WE WILL ROCK QUE won Smoke on the Falls again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
Also in Apr 2024
The Long Shot Comes In at De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024
The good, the bad & the pitbitches won De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024 over top-rated IQ - NETHERLANDS as the ratings underdog.
Judges Hand Out 48 Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 48 perfect 180s were handed out in April 2024.
Decided by 0.0000 of a Point
WE WILL ROCK QUE edged FRED VEGAS SMOKERS by 0.0000 at Smoke on the Falls.
Buckshot's BBQ Back on Top After Four Years
Buckshot's BBQ won Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) — their first Grand Championship since April 2019, after 23 contests without one.
CHUNKY BBQ Sets the Record at Marietta River City BBQ
CHUNKY BBQ put up 705.6800 at Marietta River City BBQ — the best overall in 9 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 705.1432.
LG bbq Climbs 29 Rating Points
LG bbq gained 29 rating points across 2 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
20 State Champions Crowned
20 state championships were decided in April 2024. The biggest, Smoke in the Spring (97 teams), went to Burnt Trees.
First Time Out, Yardogs BBQ Takes 1st
Yardogs BBQ finished 1st at New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
Smokey Bees BBQ - MS Tops the Backyard Board at Smoke on the Falls
Smokey Bees BBQ - MS put up 356.5716 on the Backyard board at Smoke on the Falls — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
Sure Shot BBQ Runs Away With Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff
Sure Shot BBQ won Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff by 11.9544 points over Texas Chrome Hero's — the widest winning margin of the month.
97 Teams Roll Into Osage City
Smoke in the Spring drew 97 teams, and Burnt Trees won it.
LEE LA Q Cooks Its 100th Contest
LEE LA Q cooked their 100th contest on record at Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY), with 8 Grand Championships along the way.
Nobody Hauled Further Than Professor Smoke
Professor Smoke cooked 9 contests in April 2024 — nobody hauled the rig further.
BURNT TREES BBQ Wins Smoke in the Spring Without Winning a Meat
BURNT TREES BBQ won Smoke in the Spring without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 5th.
A New Contest Opens in Charlotte
GLBBQA Spring Fling ran for the first time on record, drawing 62 teams, and Poppa Pig? won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
Seven Contests on One Friday
7 sanctioned contests were cooked on 26 Apr alone.
Alan Rothrock Works Five Contests
Alan Rothrock repped 5 contests in April 2024 — somebody has to run the table.
Perfect 180s
48 perfect scores — six judges, every card a nine.
- Chicken BIG POPPA SMOKERS Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship · April 26
- Chicken CHUNKY BBQ Marietta River City BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) · April 26
- Brisket Cherry Anchor BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship · April 26
- Chicken Cherry Anchor BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship · April 26
- Chicken Dr. Squealgood BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest · April 26
- Chicken Heavy Smoke BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest · April 26
- Pork Meat Candy Q Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship · April 26
- Pork Ribs Mulkey's BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest · April 26
- Chicken OFF THE CHAIN BBQ, Boogie & Blues · April 26
- Chicken Optimus Swine Southaven Springfest · April 26
- Pork Smokin' Bliss BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship · April 26
- Brisket WOOD HOOK BBQ Southaven Springfest · April 26
- Brisket Wabash BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest · April 26
- Brisket 3 EYZ BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) · April 20
- Chicken BLUE & GRAY BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) · April 20
- Pork Ribs IQ - NETHERLANDS De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024 · April 20
- Chicken Pinky Out BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) · April 20
- Chicken SMOKECRAFT - MD Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) · April 20
- Pork 3 EYZ BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) · April 19
- Chicken BAD HABIT BBQ GLBBQA Spring Fling · April 19
- Chicken Big James Kitchen Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) · April 19
- Brisket Buckshot's BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) · April 19
- Chicken Dog Bite Barbecue Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) · April 19
- Pork Salted Anchor GLBBQA Spring Fling · April 19
…and 24 more.
The Ratings Market Power rating and the move over Apr 2024; # is the team’s place in the power rankings
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| LG bbq #773 | 1,631 | ▲ 29 |
| BEER TIME BBQ #730 | 1,636 | ▲ 29 |
| T-Squared BBQ #1,206 | 1,587 | ▲ 27 |
| BLUE & GRAY BBQ #514 | 1,674 | ▲ 27 |
| smokey anderson bbq #6,476 | 1,347 | ▲ 26 |
| Rough Cut Q #238 | 1,745 | ▲ 25 |
| Buckshot's BBQ #683 | 1,645 | ▲ 25 |
| OFF THE CHAIN #1,347 | 1,576 | ▲ 24 |
| Team | Rating | Chg. |
|---|---|---|
| Yardogs BBQ #444 | 1,689 | ▲ 24 |
| Mad Rocket Barbecue #560 | 1,667 | ▲ 23 |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ #307 | 1,723 | ▼ 28 |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY #96 | 1,811 | ▼ 30 |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC #247 | 1,743 | ▼ 31 |
| Dogpatch Q #259 | 1,737 | ▼ 35 |
| Professor Smoke #6,489 | 1,299 | ▼ 53 |
Full power rankings → · Ratings move only on rated contests; invitationals and non-points events are excluded.
The Backyard Two meats, out of 360 — never against the Master board
The Backyard division was cooked at nine contests in Apr 2024.
- 1 Smokey Bees BBQ - MS Smoke on the Falls · Gadsden, Ala. 356.5716
- 2 Buckshot's BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) · Williamsburg, Va. 353.7144
- 3 Mad Rocket Barbecue Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · Florence, Ala. 353.7028
- 4 Shmack Q Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · Florence, Ala. 353.1200
- 5 Small Batch BBQ - TN Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · Florence, Ala. 351.9656
- 6 Pork Posse Lake Views & BBQ · Wagoner, Okla. 351.4172
- 7 RIBLIFE Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · Florence, Ala. 350.8344
- 8 B Team BBQ Lake Views & BBQ · Wagoner, Okla. 350.2744
- 9 HOLY SMOKIN!!! Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) · Florence, Ala. 349.7144
- 10 Deviant Smoke Smoke on the Falls · Gadsden, Ala. 349.6916
The Backyard series in full → · Its own record board, its own champions and its own Team of the Year.
New to the Circuit First appearance anywhere in the record — the figure is their best finish
- 1st Braddah's BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 1st The good, the bad & the pitbitches De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024
- 1st Yardogs BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- 2nd Rough Cut Q New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2)
- 3rd Tiquicia Smokers BBQ BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2024
- 4th Max Fam BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 4th Tico Smoke BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2024
- 7th Smokin' Stacks BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 7th The Red Goose Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 8th American Barbecue Company Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- 8th BBQ Firehouse & Jimat BBQ BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2024
- 8th Sassy Sow BBQ Lake Views & BBQ
- 8th Smoking A's Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 9th Barn Door BBQ Lake Views & BBQ
- 9th Heavenly Hawgs Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 9th Slangin' Racks Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 10th Cuzzos BBQ Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship
- 10th Jsmoke BBQ & Catering Marietta River City BBQ
What a first season usually looks like → · 10 contests also ran for the first time on record: GLBBQA Spring Fling, Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship, "Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #1, "Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #2, Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1), BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2024, De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Contest 2024, The Ironman, 12th Annual Bull Moose BBQ, World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES).
Best of Each Meat
Both series, out of 180
| Meat | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken†21 | Sure Shot BBQ Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff |
180 |
| Pork Ribs†6 | Mr. Dudes BBQ Smoke in the Spring |
180 |
| Pork†8 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD Smoke in the Spring |
180 |
| Brisket†13 | SUPER SWINE Lake Views & BBQ |
180 |
† a perfect 180 was scored in this category during the edition.
Who Showed Up
Contests · Grand Championships · best overall finish
| Team | C | GC | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Smoke | 9 | — | 21 |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ | 8 | — | 6 |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| SmoKEN Meatz | 7 | — | 4 |
| Live Q or Die | 7 | — | 6 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 6 | — | 2 |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 6 | — | 3 |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 5 | — | 4 |
| Optimus Swine | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Off The Rack BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 4 | — | 3 |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 4 | — | 3 |
| LEE LA Q | 4 | — | 5 |
Who Ran the Table
Contests worked · states & provinces
| Rep | C | St. |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Rothrock | 5 | 3 |
| Bill Jones | 4 | 3 |
| Bill Wright | 4 | 1 |
| Jeff Chambers | 4 | 1 |
| Kim Wright | 4 | 1 |
| Luca Famigli | 4 | — |
| Regina Bodnar | 4 | 1 |
| Becky Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Charlie Brinza | 3 | 3 |
| Clara Williams | 3 | 1 |
| Dave Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Doug Reid | 3 | 2 |
| Janet Appleton | 3 | 2 |
| Jonathan B Williams | 3 | 1 |
| Sam Appleton | 3 | 2 |
| Alex Jr Brown | 2 | 1 |
| Bunny Tuttle | 2 | 2 |
| Carol Bigler | 2 | 1 |
| Carolyn Wells | 2 | 2 |
| Haymo Gutweniger | 2 | — |
Where They Cooked
Contests · teams
| State/Prov. | C | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4 | 49 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 42 |
| Alabama | 3 | 110 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 97 |
| California | 2 | 80 |
| Virginia | 2 | 54 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 43 |
| Ohio | 2 | 14 |
| Kansas | 1 | 97 |
| Michigan | 1 | 62 |
| Georgia | 1 | 55 |
| Missouri | 1 | 44 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 44 |
| Texas | 1 | 40 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 25 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 21 |
Every sanctioned contest scored in this edition — 34 in all, newest first. Click a column head to sort; click a row for the contest.
Contests Advertised
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) — Friday, Oct. 23. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition — Friday, Oct. 23. Vidalia, La. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild — Friday, Oct. 23. Branson, Mo. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- The Butcher's Smoke & Flames Barbeque Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) — Friday, Oct. 23. Cullman, Ala. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Foothills Smoke-Off Challenge — Friday, Oct. 23. Lenoir, N.C. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 2) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
- Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT RIBS) — Saturday, Oct. 24. West Creek, N.J. Entries through the organizer; sanctioned by KCBS.
Map what is in driving range → · subscribe to the calendar → · the judging notices → · the whole calendar →
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