In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in October 2016 — 1 Oct to 31 Oct.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
October 2016 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
By invitation only
913 BBQ won 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL), best of 180 invited teams; SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.
- top score 705.0740
- 2 invitationals in Oct 2016
- not in the power rating
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
HOT COLE'S BBQ put up 709.7028 at Dickson County Smoke Fest — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in October 2016.
First one ever
SMOKIN BAD HABIT won their first Grand Championship at Holmes Drywall BBQ Cookoff (Invitational Competitor's Series), in their 56th contest in the data.
- 11 Oct
Title defended
Cool Smoke won Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2015–2016
- field of 96
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 11% chance
Cool Smoke won Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) over top-rated IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 44 perfect 180s were handed out in October 2016.
- Brisket ×17
- Chicken ×13
- Pork ×8
- Pork Ribs ×6
Closest call
913 BBQ edged BULL CREEK BBQ by 0.0116 at Border War Barbeque.
- Master Series
Back on top
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ won San Francisco BBQ Festival BBQ Competition — their first Grand Championship since March 2014, after 47 contests without one.
- last won March 2014
- 47 contests in between
Contest record
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ put up 690.2168 at Bliss Brews & Que — the best overall in 4 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 686.7884.
- old record 686.7884
- 3 earlier editions
Near sweep
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Smoke on the Water Barbecue Championship (pork ribs, pork and brisket), and the Grand Championship with them.
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- Brisket
- and the GC
Biggest riser
Pops BBQ 22 gained 42 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 3 contests
- now #2312 overall
State champion
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ won Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship, a state championship, against a field of 47.
- Pennsylvania
Best debut
Sizziling Bones finished 2nd at BBQ & Blues on the Levee — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 255 new teams in Oct 2016
- field of 21
Biggest blowout
Smokey and the Pirate won Smoke on the River by 24.6628 points over TOO ASHAMED TO NAME — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 38
Biggest field
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) drew 557 teams, and IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won it.
- Kansas City, KS
Milestone
BIG POPPA SMOKERS cooked their 100th contest on record at 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN), with 23 Grand Championships along the way.
- 23 GCs along the way
Road warriors
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ cooked 6 contests in October 2016 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
Won without a meat
913 BBQ won 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 180
New on the calendar
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) ran for the first time on record, drawing 180 teams, and 913 BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Oct 2016
- Kansas City, KS
Always the reserve
TOO ASHAMED TO NAME finished second overall 2 times in October 2016 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 2 contests
Busiest weekend
12 sanctioned contests were cooked on 7 Oct alone.
- 7 Oct
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×13 💯 | HISTORIC BBQ Pig Mania Marion |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×6 💯 | Burnin and Lootin Dana Point State BBQ Championship |
180 |
| Pork ×8 💯 | QUAU Pig Mania Marion |
180 |
| Brisket ×17 💯 | HISTORIC BBQ Pig Mania Marion |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 20 more in October 2016.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Oct 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Pops BBQ 22 No. 2,312 in the power rankings |
1,527 | +42 |
| RIO VALLEY MEAT No. 874 in the power rankings |
1,619 | +34 |
| PORKYLICIOUS No. 848 in the power rankings |
1,622 | +31 |
| SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ No. 419 in the power rankings |
1,694 | +29 |
| Moe Cason Barbeque No. 2,090 in the power rankings |
1,535 | +27 |
| Sublime BBQ No. 98 in the power rankings |
1,810 | +26 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ No. 237 in the power rankings |
1,745 | +25 |
| MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ No. 109 in the power rankings |
1,802 | +24 |
| BACKFIRIN' BBQ No. 928 in the power rankings |
1,613 | +23 |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX No. 2,408 in the power rankings |
1,523 | +22 |
| THE BARKTENDERS No. 1,245 in the power rankings |
1,583 | -17 |
| ALQUEMY - VA No. 915 in the power rankings |
1,615 | -17 |
| MIDNIGHT BURN No. 43 in the power rankings |
1,854 | -18 |
| BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS No. 382 in the power rankings |
1,703 | -19 |
| APORKALYPSE NOW No. 33 in the power rankings |
1,860 | -20 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 6 | — | 2 |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 6 | — | 3 |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 6 | — | 3 |
| 913 BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| BOOTYQUE | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| JAESTAR BBQ | 5 | — | 2 |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| PORKY BUTTS BBQ | 5 | — | 5 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 7 | 662 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 197 |
| California | 3 | 140 |
| Missouri | 3 | 70 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 69 |
| Ohio | 2 | 56 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 48 |
| Delaware | 1 | 75 |
| Illinois | 1 | 55 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 53 |
| Texas | 1 | 52 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 47 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 | 46 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 39 |
| Virginia | 1 | 38 |
| Nevada | 1 | 36 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 36 |
| Alabama | 1 | 35 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 34 |
By invitation (invite-only fields)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| American Royal Invitational Oct 28, 2016 · Kansas City, KS |
180 | 913 BBQ |
| Holmes Drywall BBQ Cookoff Oct 11, 2016 · Kansas City, MO |
10 | SMOKIN BAD HABIT |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) Kansas City, KS |
180 | 913 BBQ |
| Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE |
67 | DRILLING & GRILLING |
| CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL |
55 | ALL IN QUE |
| Smoke on the Water Barbecue Championship Atlantic City, NJ |
48 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ |
| Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship Harrisburg, PA |
47 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ |
| 4th Annual BBQ Society Cook-off Hoofddorp, Netherlands |
46 | IQ - NETHERLANDS |
| Smoking in the Foothills Lenoir, NC |
41 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ |
| Dickson County Smoke Fest Dickson, TN |
40 | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
| Balloons Blues and Barbeque Parsons, KS |
39 | BUFFALO'S BBQ |
| San Francisco BBQ Festival BBQ Competition San Francisco, CA |
38 | RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ |
| Border War Barbeque Osawatomie, KS |
38 | 913 BBQ |
| Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cookoff Munfordville, KY |
34 | SMOKIN' 4-PLAY BBQ |
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Every contest scored (40 in October 2016)
The Archive
Every month with scored results, back to the start of the data. Subscribe to the monthly feed and each one lands as it closes.
2026 (338 contests) · the 2026 season in review
2025 (386 contests) · the 2025 season in review
2024 (343 contests) · the 2024 season in review
2023 (376 contests) · the 2023 season in review
2022 (376 contests) · the 2022 season in review
2021 (310 contests) · the 2021 season in review
2020 (134 contests) · the 2020 season in review
2019 (430 contests) · the 2019 season in review
2018 (480 contests) · the 2018 season in review
2017 (517 contests) · the 2017 season in review
2016 (505 contests) · the 2016 season in review
2015 (494 contests) · the 2015 season in review
2014 (469 contests) · the 2014 season in review
2013 (436 contests) · the 2013 season in review
2012 (1 contest) · the 2012 season in review
Every figure here is computed from the public results at kcbs.us, refreshed nightly. The Smoke Ring is not a publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.