In this edition
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2026 — 1 Apr to 30 Apr.
Covering KCBS-sanctioned contests
April 2026 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
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN put up 714.2628 at Smoke on the Falls — the highest overall of the month.
Hottest hand
DAWGS BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in April 2026.
First one ever
Double Barrel Smokers won their first Grand Championship at Pitmasters in Paradise, in their 37th contest in the data.
- 25 Apr
Upset of the month
The ratings gave them a 11% chance
STL-High on the Hog won Knox Co. 4-H/FFA Ring of Smoke over top-rated JANKY LEG BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
Six judges, every card a 9: 61 perfect 180s were handed out in April 2026.
- Chicken ×22
- Pork ×16
- Brisket ×12
- Pork Ribs ×11
Closest call
BROCK'S BBQ edged Dogpatch Q by 0.0000 at Revolutionary BBQ Brawl.
- Backyard Series
Back on top
Accutech BBQ won The Downtown BBQ Showdown — their first Grand Championship since January 2019, after 30 contests without one.
- last won January 2019
- 30 contests in between
Contest record
Blind Fox BBQ put up 709.7028 at Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) — the best overall in 14 editions of the contest on record, past the old mark of 708.6060.
- old record 708.6060
- 13 earlier editions
Biggest riser
BBQ Hot Yard gained 39 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 3 contests
- now #819 overall
State champions crowned
22 state championships were decided in April 2026. The biggest, Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) (101 teams), went to Blind Fox BBQ.
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Iowa
- Texas
- Florida
- Alabama
Best debut
Brooklyn L. - ShowMeNoSmoke finished 1st at Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 119 new teams in Apr 2026
- field of 101
Best in the backyard
DAWGS BBQ put up 360.0000 on the Backyard board at Iowa State BBQ Championship — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 9 Backyard boards in Apr 2026
- won it
Biggest blowout
WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ won Iowa State BBQ Championship by 12.6056 points over Sugar Shack — the widest winning margin of the month.
- field of 42
Biggest field
Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) drew 101 teams, and Blind Fox BBQ won it.
- Osage City, KS
Milestone
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ cooked their 200th contest on record at Smoke on the Falls, with 5 Grand Championships along the way.
- 5 GCs along the way
Road warriors
Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ cooked 10 contests in April 2026 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 3rd
Won without a meat
Blind Fox BBQ won Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) without winning a single meat — their best category finish was 3rd.
- field of 101
New on the calendar
GLBBQA Spring Fling ran for the first time on record, drawing 48 teams, and Que U won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 9 first editions in Apr 2026
- Coldwater, MI
Always the reserve
Rudes BBQ finished second overall 2 times in April 2026 without a Grand Championship — one place short every time.
- 3 contests
Busiest weekend
9 sanctioned contests were cooked on 24 Apr alone.
- 24 Apr
Rep of the month
Regina Bodnar repped 5 contests in April 2026 — somebody has to run the table.
The Boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN Smoke on the Falls |
714.2628 |
| 2 | RAZORRACKS Southaven Springfest |
713.1316 |
| 3 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
709.7028 |
| 4 | Blind Fox BBQ Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) |
709.7028 |
| 5 | Double Barrel Smokers Pitmasters in Paradise |
707.4520 |
| 6 | QUE U GLBBQA Spring Fling |
707.4056 |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) |
707.3944 |
| 8 | Accutech BBQ The Downtown BBQ Showdown |
706.8344 |
| 9 | Electro-Que-ted Southaven Springfest |
706.2748 |
| 10 | Kings BBQ Team The Downtown BBQ Showdown |
705.7144 |
| 11 | COOL HAND QUE Smoke on the Falls |
705.6916 |
| 12 | GETTIN' BASTED Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) |
705.1088 |
| 13 | GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) |
705.1088 |
| 14 | CHOOCHOO BBQ Smoke on the Falls |
704.5372 |
| 15 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) |
704.5372 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×22 💯 | WOOD HOOK BBQ Smokin in the Valley |
180 |
| Pork Ribs ×11 💯 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
180 |
| Pork ×16 💯 | Shucky Bey BBQ Smokin in the Valley |
180 |
| Brisket ×12 💯 | SWIG-N-PIG Smoke on the Falls |
180 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 37 more in April 2026.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| BBQ Hot Yard No. 819 in the power rankings |
1,626 | +39 |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ No. 1,683 in the power rankings |
1,553 | +33 |
| Big Bear BBQ No. 708 in the power rankings |
1,640 | +31 |
| Cold Beer BBQ No. 3,231 in the power rankings |
1,500 | +29 |
| Blind Fox BBQ No. 460 in the power rankings |
1,686 | +27 |
| ELJEFE SMOKE No. 150 in the power rankings |
1,777 | +26 |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ No. 375 in the power rankings |
1,707 | +26 |
| VH BBQ No. 5,249 in the power rankings |
1,457 | +24 |
| The Antwerp Smokers No. 304 in the power rankings |
1,724 | +24 |
| DAWGS BBQ No. 261 in the power rankings |
1,737 | +23 |
| PJ's Magic Smoke No. 5,758 in the power rankings |
1,444 | -21 |
| Nice Racks No. 961 in the power rankings |
1,609 | -22 |
| Grate Expectations No. 1,321 in the power rankings |
1,578 | -22 |
| Connecticue No. 5,720 in the power rankings |
1,445 | -22 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ No. 57 in the power rankings |
1,840 | -34 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | 10 | — | 3 |
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 7 | — | 3 |
| Red & Black BBQ Shack | 7 | — | 8 |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| House of Que | 5 | — | 2 |
| BEER TIME BBQ | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| BrewsCue | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Rough Cut Q | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 4 | — | 2 |
| The Swine Doctor's BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 4 | — | 2 |
| American Barbecue Company | 4 | — | 3 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| Regina Bodnar | 5 | 2 |
| Bill Wright | 4 | 1 |
| David Dyche | 4 | 2 |
| Jeff Chambers | 4 | 1 |
| Kim Wright | 4 | 1 |
| Becky Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Charlie Brinza | 3 | 3 |
| Dave Druetzler | 3 | 2 |
| Jeanne Titus | 3 | 3 |
| Jo Dyche | 3 | 2 |
| Larry Voth | 3 | 3 |
| Bill Jones | 2 | 2 |
| Dave Rogers | 2 | 1 |
| Lynda Voth | 2 | 2 |
| Marianne Van Galen | 2 | — |
| Mayco Van Galen | 2 | — |
| Peg Rogers | 2 | 1 |
| Rachel Harper | 2 | 1 |
| Wayne Harper | 2 | 1 |
| Alan Rothrock | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4 | 48 |
| Connecticut | 4 | 37 |
| Kansas | 3 | 150 |
| Florida | 3 | 83 |
| Missouri | 2 | 50 |
| Ohio | 2 | 20 |
| Iowa | 1 | 78 |
| Alabama | 1 | 67 |
| Michigan | 1 | 48 |
| Texas | 1 | 41 |
| Virginia | 1 | 40 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 33 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 33 |
| California | 1 | 29 |
| Nevada | 1 | 29 |
| Colorado | 1 | 27 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 24 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 24 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAWGS BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
360 |
| 2 | BROCK'S BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl |
354.2744 |
| 3 | Dogpatch Q Revolutionary BBQ Brawl |
354.2744 |
| 4 | Rudes BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
353.7144 |
| 5 | Budget BBQ Smoke on the Falls |
353.7144 |
| 6 | Pork Life Smoke on the Falls |
352.0116 |
| 7 | DAWGS BBQ Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) |
352 |
| 8 | Chester's Twisted Que Iowa State BBQ Championship |
351.9772 |
| 9 | Baptized by Smoke Smoke on the Falls |
351.9772 |
| 10 | Rough Cut Q New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) |
349.7028 |
| 11 | Rollin Smoke BBQ Smoke on the Falls |
349.1200 |
| 12 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) |
348.5828 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| GLBBQA Spring Fling Coldwater, MI |
48 | Que U |
| BBQ Expo Master's Challenge Parma, Italy |
42 | I Cinghiali |
| Pitmasters in Paradise Auburndale, FL |
35 | Double Barrel Smokers |
| Smokin in the Valley Linn Valley, KS |
31 | Triple H BBQ |
| The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown Las Vegas, NV |
29 | Meat Candy Q |
| Knox Co. 4-H/FFA Ring of Smoke Edina, MO |
25 | STL-High on the Hog |
| Spitsbroek on Fire IV Eede Holland, Netherlands |
15 | Bunch of Swines |
| Spitsbroek on Fire III Eede Holland, Netherlands |
11 | The Antwerp Smokers |
| World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES) Memphis, TN |
— | — |
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Every contest scored (34 in April 2026)
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.