Score of the month
714.2628
Master overall, out of 720
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.
April 2026 in BBQ
Every sanctioned contest scored in April 2026 — 1 Apr to 30 Apr.
34contests scored
792teams competed
1,243top-ten calls
61perfect 180s
101biggest field
18states & provinces
121new teams
9Backyard boards
Now on the newsstand
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
April 2026, 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 April 2026 edition →
The stories
Hottest hand
2×
Grand Championships
DAWGS BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in April 2026.
First one ever
37th
contest — and their first GC
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
11-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
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
61
perfect scores handed out
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
0.0000
points between 1st and 2nd
BROCK'S BBQ edged Dogpatch Q by 0.0000 at Revolutionary BBQ Brawl.
- Backyard Series
Biggest riser
+39
power rating points
BBQ Hot Yard gained 39 rating points across 3 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 3 contests
- now #926 overall
Best debut
1st
in their very first contest
Brooklyn L. - ShowMeNoSmoke finished 1st at Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 121 new teams in Apr 2026
- field of 101
Best in the backyard
679.3600
Backyard overall, out of 360
BBQ MIKE put up 679.3600 on the Backyard board at Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 9 Backyard boards in Apr 2026
- won it
Biggest field
101
teams at one contest
Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) drew 101 teams, and Blind Fox BBQ won it.
- Osage City
- KS
Road warriors
10
contests cooked
Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ cooked 10 contests in April 2026 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 3rd
New on the calendar
48
teams at a brand-new contest
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
Busiest weekend
9
contests on one date
9 sanctioned contests were cooked on 24 Apr alone.
- 24 Apr
Rep of the month
5
contests worked
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 |
180.0000 |
| Pork Ribs ×11 💯 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
180.0000 |
| Pork ×16 💯 | Shucky Bey BBQ Smokin in the Valley |
180.0000 |
| Brisket ×12 💯 | SWIG-N-PIG Smoke on the Falls |
180.0000 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 37 more in April 2026.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| BBQ Hot Yard #926 | 1,612 | +39 |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ #1622 | 1,556 | +33 |
| Big Bear BBQ #705 | 1,640 | +31 |
| Cold Beer BBQ #3195 | 1,500 | +29 |
| Blind Fox BBQ #545 | 1,667 | +27 |
| ELJEFE SMOKE #190 | 1,761 | +26 |
| Grandpa Val's BBQ #379 | 1,705 | +26 |
| VH BBQ #5197 | 1,457 | +24 |
| The Antwerp Smokers #304 | 1,721 | +24 |
| DAWGS BBQ #257 | 1,737 | +23 |
| PJ's Magic Smoke #5962 | 1,434 | -21 |
| Nice Racks #954 | 1,609 | -22 |
| Grate Expectations #1303 | 1,578 | -22 |
| Connecticue #5682 | 1,445 | -22 |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ #69 | 1,827 | -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 | BBQ MIKE Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) |
679.3600 |
| 2 | T & S BBQ Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) |
674.2516 |
| 3 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) |
670.7544 |
| 4 | Big Bear BBQ Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) |
669.6228 |
| 5 | Rudes BBQ Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) |
669.6116 |
| 6 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) |
652.4688 |
| 7 | GO Handyman Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) |
608.5144 |
| 8 | DAWGS BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
360.0000 |
| 9 | BROCK'S BBQ Revolutionary BBQ Brawl |
354.2744 |
| 10 | Dogpatch Q Revolutionary BBQ Brawl |
354.2744 |
| 11 | Rudes BBQ Iowa State BBQ Championship |
353.7144 |
| 12 | Budget BBQ Smoke on the Falls |
353.7144 |
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, 43126 |
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, 4529 PW |
15 | Bunch of Swines |
| Spitsbroek on Fire III Eede Holland, 4529 PW |
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)
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