In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2022 — 1 Apr to 30 Apr.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
April 2022 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
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ put up 711.9772 at 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in April 2022.
First one ever
BIG RED BBQ won their first Grand Championship at 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2, in their 49th contest in the data.
- 2 Apr
Title defended
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ won Eastern BBQ Contest 2022-Day 1 again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2021–2022
- field of 19
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 8% chance
BIG RED BBQ won 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 over top-rated BIG POPPA SMOKERS as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 57 perfect 180s were handed out in April 2022.
- Chicken ×19
- Pork ×16
- Brisket ×15
- Pork Ribs ×7
Closest call
SLAPS BBQ edged GETTIN' SAUCED by 0.0116 at Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition.
- Master Series
Back on top
PEACE LOVE & SMOKINESS won Marietta River City BBQ — their first Grand Championship since June 2017, after 26 contests without one.
- last won June 2017
- 26 contests in between
Contest record
THUNDER HOG BBQ put up 707.9888 at Smoke on the Water — the best overall in 5 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 706.2400.
- old record 706.2400
- 4 earlier editions
Near sweep
THUNDER HOG BBQ won 3 of 4 meats at Smoke on the Water (chicken, pork ribs and pork), and the Grand Championship with them.
- Chicken
- Pork Ribs
- Pork
- and the GC
Biggest riser
Can Country Outlaw BBQ gained 44 rating points across 4 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 4 contests
- now #196 overall
State champions crowned
27 state championships were decided in April 2022. The biggest, Smoke in the Spring (94 teams), went to Last Call Heroes BBQ.
- Kansas
- Texas
- Iowa
- New Jersey
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
Best debut
Wise Smoke Ranch finished 1st at 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 213 new teams in Apr 2022
- field of 29
Best in the backyard
Fluffy Butt BBQ put up 356.5600 on the Backyard board at Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 11 Backyard boards in Apr 2022
- won it
Biggest blowout
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ won 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship by 16.0344 points over Meat Candy Q — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 37
Biggest field
Smoke in the Spring drew 94 teams, and Last Call Heroes BBQ won it.
- Osage City, KS
Milestone
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit cooked their 150th contest on record at New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES, with 10 Grand Championships along the way.
- 10 GCs along the way
Road warriors
Off The Rack BBQ cooked 7 contests in April 2022 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 6th
Won without a meat
SLAPS BBQ won Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 5th.
- field of 77
New on the calendar
Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition ran for the first time on record, drawing 77 teams, and Slaps BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Apr 2022
- Topeka, KS
Always the reserve
Country Boys BBQ finished second overall 2 times in April 2022 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 2 contests
Busiest weekend
11 sanctioned contests were cooked on 29 Apr alone.
- 29 Apr
Rep of the month
Clara Williams repped 5 contests in April 2022 — somebody has to run the table.
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship |
711.9772 |
| 2 | THUNDER HOG BBQ Smoke on the Water |
707.9888 |
| 3 | SmokinGhost BBQ Smokin' For Down Syndrome |
707.9772 |
| 4 | CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO. CCSFEST |
706.8112 |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship |
705.7488 |
| 6 | Organizer Portal Smokin' For Down Syndrome |
705.7028 |
| 7 | CLARK CREW BBQ 17th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ |
705.6800 |
| 8 | WOOD HOOK BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin |
704.5256 |
| 9 | GETTIN' BASTED Ozarks BBQ Fest |
703.9888 |
| 10 | D’Qued Barbeque Downtown BBQ Throwdown |
703.9544 |
| 11 | BIG RED BBQ 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 |
703.4172 |
| 12 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest (JUDGE'S FULL) |
703.3828 |
| 13 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 |
703.3712 |
| 14 | LADY OF Q 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 |
702.8572 |
| 15 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ BBQ Boogie & Blues |
702.8344 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×19 💯 | DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK Beats, Brews, & BBQ |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×7 💯 | Meat Candy Q 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship |
180 |
| Pork ×16 💯 | ACES HIGH BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
180 |
| Brisket ×15 💯 | Organizer Portal Smokin' For Down Syndrome |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 33 more in April 2022.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Apr 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ No. 196 in the power rankings |
1,758 | +44 |
| COOKLOUNGE BBQ No. 171 in the power rankings |
1,770 | +43 |
| SmokinGhost BBQ No. 227 in the power rankings |
1,749 | +37 |
| PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY No. 356 in the power rankings |
1,710 | +35 |
| Ash Kickin' BBQ No. 439 in the power rankings |
1,690 | +34 |
| West Coast BBQ Shop No. 862 in the power rankings |
1,621 | +32 |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ No. 649 in the power rankings |
1,650 | +31 |
| Country Boys BBQ No. 1,048 in the power rankings |
1,600 | +30 |
| Kith n' Kin No. 254 in the power rankings |
1,740 | +30 |
| MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ No. 982 in the power rankings |
1,607 | +29 |
| Bayshore BBQ No. 5,998 in the power rankings |
1,434 | -21 |
| BiBerQ Mieming | 1,478 | -22 |
| ACK-QUE No. 547 in the power rankings |
1,669 | -23 |
| BUNCH OF SWINES No. 78 in the power rankings |
1,819 | -26 |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ No. 530 in the power rankings |
1,671 | -31 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off The Rack BBQ | 7 | — | 6 |
| SCORE ONE SMOKIN' | 6 | — | 7 |
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Organizer Portal | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 5 | — | 2 |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 5 | — | 2 |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 5 | — | 3 |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 5 | — | 3 |
| GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | 5 | — | 9 |
| Meat Candy Q | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| BIG RED BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Clara Williams | 5 | 2 |
| Bunny Tuttle | 4 | 3 |
| Ed Young | 4 | 2 |
| Jeff Chambers | 4 | 1 |
| Jonathan B Williams | 4 | 2 |
| Larry Voth | 4 | 2 |
| Louise Weidner | 4 | 1 |
| Lynda Voth | 4 | 2 |
| Rich Tuttle | 4 | 3 |
| Bill Jones | 3 | 2 |
| Bob McKinnon | 3 | 2 |
| Charlie Brinza | 3 | 1 |
| Dave Rogers | 3 | 1 |
| Debra Gage | 3 | 2 |
| Forrest Bruce | 3 | 1 |
| Ian Schmidt | 3 | 1 |
| Janet Appleton | 3 | 1 |
| Jeanne Titus | 3 | 1 |
| Julie Poe | 3 | 1 |
| Maria Lohman | 3 | 2 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 6 | 162 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 74 |
| California | 4 | 73 |
| Alabama | 3 | 122 |
| Missouri | 3 | 95 |
| Iowa | 3 | 93 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 71 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 42 |
| Indiana | 2 | 61 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 58 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 57 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 59 |
| Texas | 1 | 56 |
| Georgia | 1 | 55 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 28 |
| Ohio | 1 | 25 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluffy Butt BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) |
356.5600 |
| 2 | Swine-O-licious BBQ Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) |
354.2628 |
| 3 | Barking Pig BBQ Smoke on the Falls |
353.7144 |
| 4 | HESSHOGS Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin (Backyard) |
351.9656 |
| 5 | Ham Squad Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition |
350.2628 |
| 6 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) |
349.1200 |
| 7 | HELL ON SQUEALS Smoke on the Falls |
348.5256 |
| 8 | Thin Blue Swine Smoke on the Falls |
348.5256 |
| 9 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) |
347.9772 |
| 10 | RIBLIFE Smoke on the Falls |
347.9772 |
| 11 | UGLY BABY BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) |
346.8344 |
| 12 | HESS HOGS 4 Smoke on the Falls |
345.0856 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition Topeka, KS |
77 | Slaps BBQ |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship Altoona, IA |
48 | Porkrastinators |
| Masters in May Bancroft, WI |
43 | LUCKY'S Q |
| 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA |
37 | Loot N' Booty BBQ |
| Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition Stem, NC |
36 | Smokin Skullies |
| Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (Backyard) Florence, AL |
34 | Furlongs Smoke & Seafood |
| 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship Lodi, CA |
29 | Meat Candy Q |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) Altoona, IA |
27 | Damn Fine Beef and Swine |
| 17th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK |
26 | Clark Crew BBQ |
| Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival Brookhaven, MS |
25 | Heavy Smoke |
| Masters in May (One Meat Ribs) Bancroft, WI |
24 | RISKY BRISKET BBQ |
| Fire at the Foothills (BACKYARD ONLY) Chelsea, AL |
20 | RibLife |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (45 in April 2022)
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.