In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in October 2025 — 1 Oct to 31 Oct.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
October 2025 in BBQ
The recap: every contest scored, every story, every board
Inside
The Stories
By invitation only
Kings BBQ Team won Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY), best of 90 invited teams; BOGGS HOG BBQ took reserve. An invite-only field, so it leaves the power rating alone and goes straight into the record book.
- top score 710.8684
- 2 invitationals in Oct 2025
- not in the power rating
Score of the month
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
Kermit's Ex put up 712.5484 at Balloons and Barbeque — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
Leaning Jowler BBQ took 3 Grand Championships in October 2025.
First one ever
Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ won their first Grand Championship at Page County Heritage Festival - Backyard BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY), in their 82nd contest in the data.
- 11 Oct
Title defended
BOGGS HOG BBQ won Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) again — back-to-back Grand Championships at the same contest.
- 2023–2025
- field of 31
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 7% chance
BREWS BEFORE Q'S won Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild over top-rated GETTIN' BASTED as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 85 perfect 180s were handed out in October 2025.
- Chicken ×23
- Pork Ribs ×22
- Pork ×22
- Brisket ×18
Closest call
Damn Fine Beef & Swine edged Squealin N Dealin BBQ by 0.5484 at Meat Inferno.
- Master Series
Back on top
Sweet Bayou BBQ won VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition — their first Grand Championship since April 2017, after 7 contests without one.
- last won April 2017
- 7 contests in between
Contest record
OM BBQ put up 709.6800 at Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) — the best overall in 6 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 707.4288.
- old record 707.4288
- 5 earlier editions
Biggest riser
TEAM CRAWFORD gained 45 rating points across 4 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 4 contests
- now #650 overall
State champions crowned
18 state championships were decided in October 2025. The biggest, Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (53 teams), went to OMBBQ.
- Missouri
- North Dakota
- North Carolina
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- New Jersey
Best debut
Brisket Broads finished 1st at DMV Kosher Brisket BBQ Competition (COMPETITOR SERIES) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 173 new teams in Oct 2025
- field of 7
Best in the backyard
Electro-Que-ted put up 358.8572 on the Backyard board at Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 12 Backyard boards in Oct 2025
- won it
Biggest blowout
Squealin N Dealin BBQ won Smoke on the Water by 9.7600 points over Damn Fine Beef & Swine — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 30
Biggest field
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) drew 90 teams, and Kings BBQ Team won it.
- Lynchburg, TN
Milestone
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO cooked their 200th contest on record at 1st Annual Boost & BBQ, with 17 Grand Championships along the way.
- 17 GCs along the way
Road warriors
Electro-Que-ted cooked 8 contests in October 2025 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
Won without a meat
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY won The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 2nd.
- field of 32
New on the calendar
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown ran for the first time on record, drawing 45 teams, and Smoke Central won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in Oct 2025
- Rocky Mount, NC
Always the reserve
MACHETE BOYS BBQ finished second overall 2 times in October 2025 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 2 contests
Busiest weekend
12 sanctioned contests were cooked on 3 Oct alone.
- 3 Oct
Rep of the month
Carol Bigler repped 6 contests in October 2025 — somebody has to run the table.
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kermit's Ex Balloons and Barbeque |
712.5484 |
| 2 | BREWS BEFORE Q'S Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild |
711.9888 |
| 3 | JANKY LEG BBQ La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown |
710.8460 |
| 4 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ Happy Basset 5th Annual BBQ Competition |
710.8112 |
| 5 | OM BBQ Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) |
709.6800 |
| 6 | BOGGS HOG BBQ Red White & Que - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (Day 1) |
709.1544 |
| 7 | JANKY LEG BBQ Happy Basset 5th Annual BBQ Competition |
708.5256 |
| 8 | BrewsCue Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild |
706.2400 |
| 9 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) |
706.2400 |
| 10 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine Meat Inferno |
705.6800 |
| 11 | Dooms Day BBQ Balloons and Barbeque |
705.1432 |
| 12 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ Meat Inferno |
705.1316 |
| 13 | Smoke Central BBQ Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown |
705.1200 |
| 14 | GETTIN' BASTED Rock Lane Presents Grills Gone Wild |
705.0972 |
| 15 | MUDVILLE BBQ Hub City BBQ Fest (formerly TN River BBQ Fest) |
704.5372 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×23 💯 | MAN MEAT BBQ Meat Inferno |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×22 💯 | Bocephus BBQ Meat Inferno (One Meat Ribs) |
180 |
| Pork ×22 💯 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine Meat Inferno |
180 |
| Brisket ×18 💯 | Shark Q Meat Inferno |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 61 more in October 2025.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| TEAM CRAWFORD No. 650 in the power rankings |
1,650 | +45 |
| Wee Daddy's BBQ No. 754 in the power rankings |
1,633 | +37 |
| BrewsCue No. 266 in the power rankings |
1,734 | +34 |
| Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ No. 408 in the power rankings |
1,696 | +34 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ No. 154 in the power rankings |
1,777 | +27 |
| HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY No. 1,129 in the power rankings |
1,592 | +24 |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ No. 103 in the power rankings |
1,806 | +24 |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ No. 196 in the power rankings |
1,758 | +24 |
| MACHETE BOYS BBQ No. 481 in the power rankings |
1,681 | +24 |
| SMOAKWOOD No. 2,593 in the power rankings |
1,517 | +23 |
| Too Sauced BBQ No. 288 in the power rankings |
1,727 | -22 |
| LOCAL SMOKE BBQ No. 2,016 in the power rankings |
1,538 | -23 |
| Big Butts BBQ No. 1,934 in the power rankings |
1,542 | -23 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ No. 1,184 in the power rankings |
1,588 | -28 |
| BUNCH OF SWINES No. 78 in the power rankings |
1,819 | -30 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Que-ted | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| BrewsCue | 7 | — | 2 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 7 | — | 2 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 7 | — | 3 |
| Take It Easy BBQ | 7 | — | 3 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 6 | — | 2 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 6 | — | 3 |
| Wee Daddy's BBQ | 6 | — | 3 |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | 6 | — | 4 |
| LEE LA Q | 6 | — | 8 |
| BIGG SMOAK BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Damn Fine Beef & Swine | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 5 | — | 2 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Carol Bigler | 6 | 2 |
| Randy G Bigler | 6 | 2 |
| Andreas Schnoell | 5 | — |
| Jeff Chambers | 5 | 2 |
| Alan Rothrock | 4 | 3 |
| Eva Schnoell | 4 | — |
| Karen Jane Williams | 4 | 2 |
| Ralph Williams | 4 | 2 |
| Regina Bodnar | 4 | 1 |
| Bill Jones | 3 | 3 |
| Charlie Brinza | 3 | 3 |
| Dave Rogers | 3 | 2 |
| Doug Reid | 3 | 2 |
| Eugene Wickham | 3 | 2 |
| Maria Lohman | 3 | 3 |
| Peg Rogers | 3 | 2 |
| Sarah Wickham | 3 | 2 |
| Wayne Lohman | 3 | 3 |
| Alex Jr Brown | 2 | 2 |
| Brenda Black | 2 | 2 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 8 | 172 |
| Alabama | 7 | 98 |
| Kansas | 4 | 61 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 61 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 112 |
| Georgia | 2 | 85 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 47 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 37 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 10 |
| Maryland | 1 | 68 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 45 |
| Louisiana | 1 | 33 |
| Alberta | 1 | 25 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 25 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 23 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 15 |
| Virginia | 1 | 9 |
| Manitoba | 1 | 5 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electro-Que-ted Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) |
358.8572 |
| 2 | Rollin Smoke BBQ Roast N Boast |
357.7028 |
| 3 | HESSHOGS Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) |
356 |
| 4 | RUCKING FADICULOUS BBQ Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) |
355.4400 |
| 5 | 931 BBQ Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) |
355.4288 |
| 6 | Rudes BBQ Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) |
354.8456 |
| 7 | Hickory Hangover WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) |
354.2744 |
| 8 | BBQ MIKE Stover Rock Island Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) |
354.2628 |
| 9 | NORALA BBQ TEAM Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) |
354.2628 |
| 10 | Rollin Smoke BBQ Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) |
354.2628 |
| 11 | Wee Daddy's BBQ Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) |
354.2628 |
| 12 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) |
353.1200 |
By invitation (invite-only fields)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Oct 10, 2025 · Lynchburg, TN |
90 | Kings BBQ Team |
| Royal Oak Invitational Oct 16, 2025 · Roswell, GA |
36 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Carolina BBQ Throwdown Rocky Mount, NC |
45 | Smoke Central |
| La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown La Belle, MO |
39 | Janky Leg BBQ |
| The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cleveland, AL |
28 | Rollin Smoke BBQ |
| The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Cleveland, AL |
27 | Lee La Q |
| Hub City BBQ Fest (formerly TN River BBQ Fest) Jackson, TN |
25 | Mudville BBQ |
| 1st Annual Boost & BBQ Odessa, MO |
25 | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO |
| The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT PORK) Cleveland, AL |
24 | 931 BBQ |
| Happy Basset 5th Annual BBQ Competition Topeka, KS |
23 | Can Country Outlaw BBQ |
| "Spooky Q" 1792 Monticello, KY |
23 | Scuffletown Smokers |
| V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition Szerencs, Hungary |
21 | Szendo Smoke BBQ Team |
| Gladstone Smokefest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Gladstone, MO |
17 | Ming St. Meats |
| Battle for the Bones BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Birmingham, AL |
17 | 2 Men and a Pig |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (48 in October 2025)
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.