Score of the month
706.8228
Master overall, out of 720
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit put up 706.8228 at Lakeland Pig Festival — the highest overall of the month.
January 2023 in BBQ
Every sanctioned contest scored in January 2023 — 1 Jan to 31 Jan.
5contests scored
279teams competed
240top-ten calls
7perfect 180s
51biggest field
3states & provinces
107new teams
1Backyard board
Now on the newsstand
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
January 2023, set as a proper newspaper.
Every Grand Champion named, the month in figures across the top, the perfect 180s,
the box scores, and the calendar as classified notices.
Read the January 2023 edition →
The stories
First one ever
16th
contest — and their first GC
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM won their first Grand Championship at Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge, in their 16th contest in the data.
- 13 Jan
Upset of the month
10-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings gave them a 10% chance
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM won Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge over top-rated BIG POPPA SMOKERS as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
7
perfect scores handed out
Six judges, every card a 9: 7 perfect 180s were handed out in January 2023.
- Pork ×3
- Pork Ribs ×2
- Chicken ×1
- Brisket ×1
Closest call
0.0000
points between 1st and 2nd
STEVO'S BBQ TEAM edged LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ by 0.0000 at Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge.
- Master Series
Biggest riser
+21
power rating points
Two Drummer's Q-Crew gained 21 rating points across 1 contest — the biggest climb of the month.
- 1 contest
- now #5000 overall
Best debut
1st
in their very first contest
Belen Grill and Chill finished 1st at Panama BBQ Fest — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 107 new teams in Jan 2023
- field of 19
Best in the backyard
688.4800
Backyard overall, out of 360
Bourbon & Blues BBQ put up 688.4800 on the Backyard board at Lakeland Pig Festival — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 1 Backyard board in Jan 2023
- won it
Biggest field
51
teams at one contest
Lakeland Pig Festival drew 51 teams, and UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT won it.
- Lakeland
- FL
New on the calendar
45
teams at a brand-new contest
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge ran for the first time on record, drawing 45 teams, and STEVO'S BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 3 first editions in Jan 2023
- Bullhead City
- AZ
Rep of the month
3
contests worked
DEBRA GAGE repped 3 contests in January 2023 — somebody has to run the table.
The boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit Lakeland Pig Festival |
706.8228 |
| 2 | Kings BBQ Team Lakeland Pig Festival |
705.7032 |
| 3 | Fergolicious BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
702.2516 |
| 4 | Optimus Swine Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
699.3484 |
| 5 | GETTIN' BASTED Lakeland Pig Festival |
698.2516 |
| 6 | Optimus Swine Lakeland Pig Festival |
697.6456 |
| 7 | Two Drummer's Q-Crew Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
697.0744 |
| 8 | Ham Squad Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
696.5488 |
| 9 | Poppa Pig Lakeland Pig Festival |
696.5260 |
| 10 | Bushmaster BBQ SJV Winter Rub |
694.7884 |
| 11 | BAD AZZ MULE BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
694.7772 |
| 12 | B Team BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
693.6688 |
| 13 | KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
693.0744 |
| 14 | Pappy & Roleys Lakeland Pig Festival |
693.0744 |
| 15 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
692.5144 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×1 💯 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
180.0000 |
| Pork Ribs ×2 💯 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit Lakeland Pig Festival |
180.0000 |
| Pork ×3 💯 | Poppa Pig Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
180.0000 |
| Brisket ×1 💯 | Smokin' Ain't EZ Lakeland Pig Festival |
180.0000 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
| Team | Category | Contest |
|---|---|---|
| Cooters N Smoke | Pork Ribs | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| Optimus Swine | Pork | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | Pork | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| Smokin' Ain't EZ | Brisket | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | Pork Ribs | Lakeland Pig Festival |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | Chicken | Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
| Poppa Pig | Pork | Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest |
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Jan 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Two Drummer's Q-Crew #5000 | 1,462 | +21 |
| Denim Dan the BBQ Man #2277 | 1,527 | +18 |
| Cherry Anchor BBQ #366 | 1,708 | +17 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ #1242 | 1,582 | +16 |
| Belen Grill and Chill #2098 | 1,534 | +16 |
| The Smoked Biscuit Company #3098 | 1,503 | +16 |
| STEVO'S BBQ TEAM #314 | 1,719 | +16 |
| Weekend Warrior BBQ #2087 | 1,535 | +15 |
| ROOSTERS BULLS & BOARS #1603 | 1,557 | +15 |
| Slightly Sauced #1449 | 1,568 | +15 |
| FOCUS REMODELS | 1,486 | -14 |
| BBQ Love Club | 1,492 | -14 |
| Bien Pega'o | 1,484 | -16 |
| SWAMP BOYS #650 | 1,648 | -16 |
| Phil the Grill #1913 | 1,542 | -17 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimus Swine | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 2 | — | 5 |
| Ramblin Fork BBQ Co | 2 | — | 5 |
| Poppa Pig | 2 | — | 6 |
| UNCLE TOAD'S COMPETITION BBQ | 2 | — | 6 |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 2 | — | 8 |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 2 | — | 9 |
| ROOSTERS BULLS & BOARS | 2 | — | 9 |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 2 | — | 10 |
| Mad Dog BBQ | 2 | — | 11 |
| SCORE ONE SMOKIN' | 2 | — | 12 |
| HOT WACHULA'S | 2 | — | 13 |
| Accutech BBQ | 2 | — | 15 |
| K & E's Little Smokers | 2 | — | 22 |
| Belen Grill and Chill | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| DEBRA GAGE | 3 | 1 |
| WILLIAM GAGE | 3 | 1 |
| CHARLIE BRINZA | 2 | 1 |
| MARIA LOHMAN | 2 | — |
| WAYNE LOHMAN | 2 | — |
| ALAN ROTHROCK | 1 | 1 |
| BILL JONES | 1 | 1 |
| BUNNY TUTTLE | 1 | 1 |
| CAROL BIGLER | 1 | 1 |
| CAROLYN WELLS | 1 | 1 |
| DAVE ROGERS | 1 | 1 |
| JEANNE TITUS | 1 | 1 |
| JULIE COOK | 1 | 1 |
| KELLY MCINTOSH | 1 | 1 |
| MARIANNE VAN GALEN | 1 | — |
| MAYCO VAN GALEN | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL WINTER | 1 | 1 |
| MIKE GARRETSON | 1 | 1 |
| PEG ROGERS | 1 | 1 |
| RANDY G BIGLER | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 2 | 169 |
| Arizona | 1 | 62 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 31 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
688.4800 |
| 2 | Denim Dan the BBQ Man Lakeland Pig Festival |
687.8968 |
| 3 | Barely Sober BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
686.2288 |
| 4 | The Smoked Biscuit Company Lakeland Pig Festival |
683.3028 |
| 5 | Ramblin Fork BBQ Co Lakeland Pig Festival |
681.6000 |
| 6 | Space Station BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
679.3140 |
| 7 | VETERAN PORK PULLERS Lakeland Pig Festival |
678.1484 |
| 8 | The Rusty Pig Lakeland Pig Festival |
675.9544 |
| 9 | RING OF FIRE BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
675.3144 |
| 10 | Shaken-Baken Lakeland Pig Festival |
673.0744 |
| 11 | Sons of Hamarchy Lakeland Pig Festival |
671.9084 |
| 12 | BIG RED BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
671.3028 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Bullhead City, AZ |
45 | STEVO'S BBQ |
| SJV Winter Rub Omaha, NE |
31 | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Panama BBQ Fest Panama City, |
19 | Belen Grill and Chll |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (5 in January 2023)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion | High score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panama BBQ Fest 2023-01-28 · Panama City, |
19 | Belen Grill and Chll RC: Los Smokies |
670.7996 |
| Lakeland Pig Festival 2023-01-27 · Lakeland, FL |
51 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT RC: Kings BBQ Team |
706.8228 |
| SJV Winter Rub 2023-01-27 · Omaha, NE |
31 | Bushmaster BBQ RC: AMERICAN FIRE BBQ |
694.7884 |
| Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 2023-01-13 · Bullhead City, AZ |
45 | STEVO'S BBQ RC: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ |
691.3716 |
| Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 2023-01-13 · Lake Wales, FL |
26 | Optimus Swine RC: Two Drummers Q Crew |
699.3484 |
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.