In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2018 — 1 Apr to 30 Apr.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
April 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
GETTIN' BASTED put up 709.7372 at Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon — the highest overall of the month.
- a new contest record
Hottest hand
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA took 3 Grand Championships in April 2018.
First one ever
ROKENDE REGAHS won their first Grand Championship at KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018, in their 48th contest in the data.
- 28 Apr
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 7% chance
THE TWISTED TAIL won Q for a Cause over top-rated IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 26 perfect 180s were handed out in April 2018.
- Pork ×10
- Brisket ×8
- Chicken ×7
- Pork Ribs ×1
Closest call
ALL FORKED UP FOR Q edged SLAPS BBQ by 0.0228 at Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest -Re-Boot (JUDGES FULL).
- Master Series
Back on top
SMOKE RINGERS won 10th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge — their first Grand Championship since June 2015, after 21 contests without one.
- last won June 2015
- 21 contests in between
Near sweep
Lazy Butt BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Fire N Up in the Flint Hills (pork ribs, pork and brisket), and the Grand Championship with them.
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- Brisket
- and the GC
Biggest riser
BIG RAZ BBQ gained 45 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 3 contests
- now #99 overall
Best debut
Perth BBQ School Varsity finished 2nd at Smokin in the City — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 276 new teams in Apr 2018
- field of 20
Biggest blowout
FIRE DOWN BELOW won Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SEREIES by 21.5884 points over BIG RAZ BBQ — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 25
Biggest field
Smoke in the Spring drew 103 teams, and HOGLINE won it.
- Osage City, KS
Milestone
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N cooked their 150th contest on record at Barnesville BBQ & Blues, with 15 Grand Championships along the way.
- 15 GCs along the way
Road warriors
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA cooked 4 contests in April 2018 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 3 GCs
Won without a meat
Smokestack Redemption won Interstate BBQ Festival without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 5th.
- field of 67
New on the calendar
Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest -Re-Boot (JUDGES FULL) ran for the first time on record, drawing 53 teams, and ALL FORKED UP FOR Q won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Apr 2018
- Sugar Creek, MO
Always the reserve
White Squirrel BBQ finished second overall 2 times in April 2018 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 3 contests
Busiest weekend
12 sanctioned contests were cooked on 20 Apr alone.
- 20 Apr
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GETTIN' BASTED Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon |
709.7372 |
| 2 | Under the Radar Cornelia Apple Blossom BBQ Competition |
707.4172 |
| 3 | BUTCHER BBQ City of Springs BBQ Championship |
705.6916 |
| 4 | Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ City of Springs BBQ Championship |
703.4172 |
| 5 | BUTCHER BBQ 13th Annual Hanor Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ |
701.1200 |
| 6 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest |
701.0740 |
| 7 | DIRT ROAD BBQ The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake |
700.5712 |
| 8 | Q-BONES BBQ Southaven Springfest |
700.5604 |
| 9 | GETTIN' BASTED Smoke on the Border |
700.5256 |
| 10 | RAZORRACKS TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest |
700.5256 |
| 11 | Killer B's BBQ Atlanta BBQ Classic |
700.5028 |
| 12 | SLAPS BBQ The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake |
700.0120 |
| 13 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ The Ironman |
700.0116 |
| 14 | HOT COLE'S BBQ TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest |
699.9888 |
| 15 | HOT COLE'S BBQ High on the Hog Festival |
699.9312 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×7 💯 | Hogline Smoke in the Spring |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×1 💯 | Three Hog Night Smokers Stillwater Elks Lodge Blazathon |
180 |
| Pork ×10 💯 | Fergolicious BBQ Smoke in the Spring |
180 |
| Brisket ×8 💯 | Rooftop BBQ Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 2 more in April 2018.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Apr 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| BIG RAZ BBQ No. 99 in the power rankings |
1,810 | +45 |
| EGGHEAD-BARBECUE No. 1,639 in the power rankings |
1,556 | +37 |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX No. 2,408 in the power rankings |
1,523 | +33 |
| EVIL MONKEY BBQ No. 1,554 in the power rankings |
1,561 | +33 |
| Piggin' Whiskey No. 107 in the power rankings |
1,804 | +31 |
| FYC BARBEQUE No. 950 in the power rankings |
1,611 | +30 |
| 3N1 Q No. 66 in the power rankings |
1,831 | +28 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS No. 94 in the power rankings |
1,812 | +27 |
| TIMBONE BARBECUE No. 250 in the power rankings |
1,742 | +27 |
| SMOKE RINGERS No. 168 in the power rankings |
1,772 | +26 |
| BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ No. 480 in the power rankings |
1,681 | -22 |
| LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ No. 5,257 in the power rankings |
1,457 | -24 |
| BBQ4FUN No. 6,240 in the power rankings |
1,418 | -27 |
| Rogue Hog BBQ No. 581 in the power rankings |
1,663 | -30 |
| CONTAGIOUS Q No. 133 in the power rankings |
1,785 | -42 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| DIRT ROAD BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Organizer Portal | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| SLAPS BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | 4 | — | 3 |
| DRAGON BBQ | 4 | — | 3 |
| HICKORY PRIME | 4 | — | 3 |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG | 4 | — | 3 |
| LA PASADITA | 4 | — | 3 |
| Extra Mile BBQ | 4 | — | 4 |
| SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | 4 | — | 4 |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 4 | — | 5 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 | 177 |
| Georgia | 4 | 102 |
| Kansas | 3 | 167 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 123 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 88 |
| Indiana | 2 | 86 |
| Alabama | 2 | 79 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 27 |
| Virginia | 1 | 98 |
| Maryland | 1 | 75 |
| Texas | 1 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 60 |
| California | 1 | 48 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 43 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 41 |
| Colorado | 1 | 40 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 40 |
| New York | 1 | 36 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 34 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 33 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest -Re-Boot (JUDGES FULL) Sugar Creek, MO |
53 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q |
| 13th Annual Hanor Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK |
49 | BUTCHER BBQ |
| Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship Lodi, CA |
48 | SON OF SMOKE |
| 10th Annual VFW Post 846 BBQ Challenge Overland Park, KS |
46 | SMOKE RINGERS |
| Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lenexa, VA |
45 | 3N1 Q |
| Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO |
43 | BURNT FINGER BBQ |
| Q for a Cause Papillion, NE |
41 | THE TWISTED TAIL |
| Eighth Annual Bull Moose (JUDGE'S FULL) Somerville, TN |
40 | SMOKE ME SILLY |
| New Jersey KnoQ-out-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ |
40 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN |
38 | GREY STREET BBQ |
| Meat The East Hengelo, Netherlands |
34 | VIKING BBQ |
| Smoke on the Border Gravette, AR |
33 | GETTIN' BASTED |
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Every contest scored (49 in April 2018)
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2018 (480 contests) · the 2018 season in review
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2014 (469 contests) · the 2014 season in review
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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.