In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in October 2020 — 1 Oct to 31 Oct.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
October 2020 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 708.0116 at Roast-N-Boast — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
WHO CARES BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in October 2020.
First one ever
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2, in their 67th contest in the data.
- 24 Oct
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 8% chance
PIGTAILERS BBQ won Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 over top-rated IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 24 perfect 180s were handed out in October 2020.
- Chicken ×10
- Brisket ×8
- Pork ×4
- Pork Ribs ×2
Closest call
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN edged BOOMERANG BBQ by 0.5828 at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2.
- Master Series
Back on top
Backwoods BBQ won The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival — their first Grand Championship since September 2015, after 31 contests without one.
- last won September 2015
- 31 contests in between
Contest record
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ put up 706.2744 at Smoke in the Spring — the best overall in 7 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 700.5144.
- old record 700.5144
- 6 earlier editions
Biggest riser
LEM'S MEAT VARNISH gained 59 rating points across 6 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 6 contests
- now #437 overall
State champions crowned
17 state championships were decided in October 2020. The biggest, Smoke in the Spring (93 teams), went to Tebo Creek BBQ.
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- New Jersey
Best debut
GEAR JAMMERS finished 2nd at The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 111 new teams in Oct 2020
- field of 37
Best in the backyard
Ham Squad put up 352.5828 on the Backyard board at Bonifay All American Smoker Competition — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 9 Backyard boards in Oct 2020
- won it
Biggest blowout
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES by 9.7144 points over DRILLING & GRILLING — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 37
Biggest field
Smoke in the Spring drew 93 teams, and Tebo Creek BBQ won it.
- Osage City, KS
Milestone
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ cooked their 250th contest on record at Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1, with 57 Grand Championships along the way.
- 57 GCs along the way
Road warriors
SLAPS BBQ cooked 9 contests in October 2020 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 2 GCs
Won without a meat
SLAPS BBQ won Smoke & Soul Fest-Day 2 without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 41
New on the calendar
Ottumwa Smoketoberfest ran for the first time on record, drawing 66 teams, and Iowa Smokey D's BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Oct 2020
- Ottumwa, IA
Busiest weekend
5 sanctioned contests were cooked on 16 Oct alone.
- 16 Oct
Rep of the month
Alan Rothrock repped 4 contests in October 2020 — somebody has to run the table.
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GETTIN' BASTED Roast-N-Boast |
708.0116 |
| 2 | AMERICAN FIRE BBQ Smoke in the Spring |
706.2744 |
| 3 | WHO CARES BBQ The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival |
703.9428 |
| 4 | Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 |
703.4060 |
| 5 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Columbia Elks Lodge # 594 BBQ Contest |
702.8228 |
| 6 | BOOMERANG BBQ Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 |
702.8116 |
| 7 | SLAPS BBQ Smoke & Soul Fest-Day 2 |
701.6916 |
| 8 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q |
701.6684 |
| 9 | HIGH i QUE Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 |
701.6572 |
| 10 | FAT BOYS BBQ - TEMPLE, TX Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 |
701.6456 |
| 11 | TRIPLE H BBQ Smoke in the Spring |
701.1432 |
| 12 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ Roast-N-Boast |
700.5600 |
| 13 | SLAPS BBQ Smoke & Soul Fest-Day 1 |
700.5372 |
| 14 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 |
700.4912 |
| 15 | GETTIN' BASTED Columbia Elks Lodge # 594 BBQ Contest |
699.3828 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×10 💯 | Rogue Hog BBQ Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×2 💯 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 |
180 |
| Pork ×4 💯 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q Ottumwa Smoketoberfest |
180 |
| Brisket ×8 💯 | Under the Radar The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Oct 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| LEM'S MEAT VARNISH No. 437 in the power rankings |
1,690 | +59 |
| Phoenix BBQ No. 1,062 in the power rankings |
1,599 | +51 |
| PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G No. 360 in the power rankings |
1,710 | +44 |
| CHUNKY BBQ No. 49 in the power rankings |
1,847 | +40 |
| D’Qued Barbeque No. 176 in the power rankings |
1,766 | +40 |
| CHICKEN FRIED BBQ No. 164 in the power rankings |
1,774 | +39 |
| RIBLIFE No. 223 in the power rankings |
1,750 | +36 |
| Boom Chicka Cow Cow No. 118 in the power rankings |
1,796 | +33 |
| BOGGS HOG BBQ No. 31 in the power rankings |
1,861 | +33 |
| Smoking OCD No. 1,170 in the power rankings |
1,589 | +31 |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q No. 506 in the power rankings |
1,675 | -34 |
| SLAPS BBQ No. 4 in the power rankings |
1,947 | -38 |
| THE BBQ BUS No. 195 in the power rankings |
1,758 | -39 |
| SMOKING BUTT HEADS No. 197 in the power rankings |
1,758 | -50 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA No. 23 in the power rankings |
1,871 | -52 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLAPS BBQ | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| BOGGS HOG BBQ | 8 | — | 5 |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 7 | — | 2 |
| PIGGIN' WHISKEY O.G | 7 | — | 3 |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 7 | — | 4 |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 7 | — | 8 |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| LEM'S MEAT VARNISH | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 6 | — | 2 |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 6 | — | 4 |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | 6 | — | 12 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 6 | — | 17 |
| WHO CARES BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Rothrock | 4 | 2 |
| Alex Jr Brown | 4 | 1 |
| Doug Reid | 4 | 2 |
| Louise Weidner | 4 | 1 |
| Dena Milhous | 3 | 2 |
| Ron Milhous | 3 | 2 |
| Bob McKinnon | 2 | 1 |
| Bunny Tuttle | 2 | 1 |
| Del Anderson | 2 | 1 |
| Karen Jane Williams | 2 | 1 |
| Michael Eberle | 2 | 1 |
| Ralph Williams | 2 | 1 |
| Rich Tuttle | 2 | 1 |
| Terri McKinnon | 2 | 1 |
| Cindy Juhl | 1 | 1 |
| Craig Maidens | 1 | 1 |
| Dave Rogers | 1 | 1 |
| Dennis Polson | 1 | 1 |
| Heather Maidens | 1 | 1 |
| Janet Appleton | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 130 |
| Virginia | 3 | 80 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 65 |
| Wyoming | 2 | 42 |
| Kansas | 1 | 104 |
| Indiana | 1 | 69 |
| Iowa | 1 | 66 |
| Georgia | 1 | 62 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 59 |
| Missouri | 1 | 38 |
| Florida | 1 | 34 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 24 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Smoketoberfest Ottumwa, IA |
66 | Iowa Smokey D's BBQ |
| Best of the Midwest BBQ Union Grove, WI |
50 | Shiggin Ain't Easy BBQ |
| Smoke & Soul Fest-Day 1 Casper, WY |
41 | SLAPS BBQ |
| Smoke & Soul Fest-Day 2 Casper, WY |
41 | SLAPS BBQ |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 West Salem, WI |
40 | PIGTAILERS BBQ |
| Columbia Elks Lodge # 594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO |
38 | Shake N Bake BBQ |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 West Salem, WI |
33 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS BBQ |
| The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA |
33 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS |
| Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA |
33 | Smoke Me Silly |
| Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Galax Galax, VA |
25 | Muttley Crew BBQ |
| Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club Summerville, SC |
24 | Who Cares BBQ |
| Bonifay All American Smoker Competition Bonifay, FL |
18 | SMOKE ME SILLY |
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Every contest scored (23 in October 2020)
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.