In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in March 2018 — 1 Mar to 31 Mar.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
March 2018 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ put up 710.8688 at Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) — the highest overall of the month.
- an invite-only field
Hottest hand
BOOMERANG BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in March 2018.
First one ever
SOUTHSIDE BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Jack Town Throw Down, in their 9th contest in the data.
- 2 Mar
Title defended
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Hammond BBQ again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2017–2018
- field of 48
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 12% chance
SOUTHSIDE BBQ won Jack Town Throw Down over top-rated BOOTYQUE as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 30 perfect 180s were handed out in March 2018.
- Pork ×12
- Brisket ×9
- Chicken ×6
- Pork Ribs ×3
Closest call
HIGH ON THE HAWG edged SMOKE ON THIS by 0.0460 at Dickson County Smokefest.
- Master Series
Biggest riser
BOOMERANG BBQ gained 56 rating points across 6 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 6 contests
- now #9 overall
Best debut
Powercat Smokers_Kansas State finished 4th at Big 12 BIG Q (COMPETITORS SERIES) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 129 new teams in Mar 2018
- field of 14
Biggest blowout
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE won The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown by 12.0000 points over Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 29
Biggest field
Smoke on the Shores drew 87 teams, and ONE2BBQ won it.
- Nashville, TN
Milestone
BUTCHER BBQ cooked their 150th contest on record at Kansas BBQ Shootout Day 2, with 19 Grand Championships along the way.
- 19 GCs along the way
Road warriors
BOOMERANG BBQ cooked 6 contests in March 2018 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 2 GCs
Won without a meat
CLARK CREW BBQ won Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 79
New on the calendar
Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 ran for the first time on record, drawing 84 teams, and FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Mar 2018
- Shawnee, OK
Always the reserve
GETTIN' BASTED finished second overall 2 times in March 2018 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 5 contests
Busiest weekend
6 sanctioned contests were cooked on 2 Mar alone.
- 2 Mar
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) |
710.8688 |
| 2 | BOOMERANG BBQ Kansas BBQ Shoot Out Day 1 |
707.9772 |
| 3 | CLARK CREW BBQ Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 |
706.8688 |
| 4 | BOOMERANG BBQ Kansas BBQ Shootout Day 2 |
705.1316 |
| 5 | One2BBQ Smoke on the Shores |
703.9776 |
| 6 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 |
702.8344 |
| 7 | BLUE CHIP BBQ Smoke on the Shores |
702.2628 |
| 8 | Under the Radar Smoke on the Shores |
702.2628 |
| 9 | HIGH ON THE HAWG Dickson County Smokefest |
701.6916 |
| 10 | BUTCHER BBQ Pork-A-Palooza |
701.6800 |
| 11 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Hammond BBQ |
701.6572 |
| 12 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) |
701.6456 |
| 13 | SMOKE ON THIS Dickson County Smokefest |
701.6456 |
| 14 | BUTCHER BBQ Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 |
701.1088 |
| 15 | CAJUN BLAZE Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) |
701.0972 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×6 💯 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×3 💯 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) |
180 |
| Pork ×12 💯 | BOOMERANG BBQ Kansas BBQ Shootout Day 2 |
180 |
| Brisket ×9 💯 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 6 more in March 2018.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Mar 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| BOOMERANG BBQ No. 9 in the power rankings |
1,922 | +56 |
| NCOGNITO COOKERS No. 558 in the power rankings |
1,668 | +34 |
| Rio Valley Meat BBQ No. 27 in the power rankings |
1,867 | +34 |
| Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ No. 206 in the power rankings |
1,754 | +31 |
| BYO GRILL No. 350 in the power rankings |
1,712 | +29 |
| SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE No. 955 in the power rankings |
1,610 | +25 |
| Serial Griller No. 167 in the power rankings |
1,772 | +25 |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ No. 76 in the power rankings |
1,822 | +23 |
| Smokin Mo's No. 1,344 in the power rankings |
1,576 | +23 |
| The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company No. 502 in the power rankings |
1,676 | +22 |
| BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO No. 621 in the power rankings |
1,656 | -20 |
| Smoke-A-Holics No. 1,038 in the power rankings |
1,601 | -22 |
| BBQR'S DELIGHT No. 3,649 in the power rankings |
1,490 | -23 |
| Fergolicious BBQ No. 87 in the power rankings |
1,814 | -24 |
| CHIX, SWINE & BOVINE BBQ No. 330 in the power rankings |
1,716 | -25 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| BUTCHER BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | — | 2 |
| BUFFALO'S BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| SLAPS BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| Three Hog Night Smokers | 5 | — | 5 |
| LA PASADITA | 5 | — | 9 |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| BOOTYQUE | 4 | — | 2 |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 4 | — | 2 |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 4 | — | 3 |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 4 | — | 3 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 3 | 137 |
| Georgia | 2 | 118 |
| Florida | 2 | 114 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 102 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 63 |
| Missouri | 2 | 52 |
| Kansas | 2 | 49 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 90 |
| California | 1 | 79 |
| Virginia | 1 | 75 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 57 |
| Maryland | 1 | 29 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 10 |
By invitation (invite-only fields)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Sonny's Smokin Showdown Mar 2, 2018 · Orlando, FL |
49 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK |
84 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX |
| Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK |
79 | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| 7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA |
78 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) Orlando, FL |
49 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Kansas BBQ Shoot Out Day 1 Cheney, KS |
47 | BOOMERANG BBQ |
| Kansas BBQ Shootout Day 2 Cheney, KS |
42 | BOOMERANG BBQ |
| Springbreak BBQ Contest Lommel, Belgium |
39 | DE FILOUS |
| Hog Wild BBQ Contest Corinth, MS |
36 | FIRE DANCER BBQ |
| Jack Town Throw Down Ridgeland, MS |
31 | SOUTHSIDE BBQ |
| Dickson County Smokefest Dickson, TN |
29 | HIGH ON THE HAWG |
| Pork-A-Palooza Weatherford, OK |
26 | BUTCHER BBQ |
| The War of Barbeque Noventa di Piave, Italy |
18 | BROS HOG |
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Every contest scored (25 in March 2018)
The Archive
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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.