Score of the month
714.8572
Master overall, out of 720
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS put up 714.8572 at Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana — the highest overall of the month.
May 2026 in BBQ
Every sanctioned contest scored in May 2026 — 1 May to 31 May.
65contests scored
1,027teams competed
1,896top-ten calls
119perfect 180s
117biggest field
26states & provinces
211new teams
15Backyard boards
Now on the newsstand
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
May 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 May 2026 edition →
The stories
Hottest hand
2×
Grand Championships
WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ took 2 Grand Championships in May 2026.
First one ever
61st
contest — and their first GC
Big B BBQ Company won their first Grand Championship at Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES), in their 61st contest in the data.
- 1 May
Upset of the month
14-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings gave them a 14% chance
Click & Q won Het Belgisch Barbecue Weekend 7the Edition over top-rated BUNCH OF SWINES as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
119
perfect scores handed out
Six judges, every card a 9: 119 perfect 180s were handed out in May 2026.
- Chicken ×46
- Pork ×36
- Brisket ×21
- Pork Ribs ×16
Closest call
0.0000
points between 1st and 2nd
The Fat is Where It's At edged B'S QUE by 0.0000 at Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2).
- Master Series
Biggest riser
+31
power rating points
BBQ Hot Yard gained 31 rating points across 2 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 2 contests
- now #926 overall
Best debut
1st
in their very first contest
Keij Smokin Hot finished 1st at Het Belgisch Barbecue Weekend 8the Edition — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 211 new teams in May 2026
- field of 18
Best in the backyard
703.9656
Backyard overall, out of 360
Rough Cut Q put up 703.9656 on the Backyard board at Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 15 Backyard boards in May 2026
- won it
Biggest field
117
teams at one contest
8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) drew 117 teams, and Kings BBQ Team won it.
- Lebanon
- TN
Road warriors
10
contests cooked
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA cooked 10 contests in May 2026 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 1st
- 1 GC
New on the calendar
117
teams at a brand-new contest
8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) ran for the first time on record, drawing 117 teams, and Kings BBQ Team won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 12 first editions in May 2026
- Lebanon
- TN
Busiest weekend
13
contests on one date
13 sanctioned contests were cooked on 1 May alone.
- 1 May
Rep of the month
7
contests worked
CHARLIE BRINZA repped 7 contests in May 2026 — somebody has to run the table.
The boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×46 💯 | CROOKED PIGS Blue Compass RV BBQ Bash |
180.0000 |
| Pork Ribs ×16 💯 | B'S QUE Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) |
180.0000 |
| Pork ×36 💯 | MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ Bear-B-Q |
180.0000 |
| Brisket ×21 💯 | B'S QUE Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) |
180.0000 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
…and 95 more in May 2026.
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| BBQ Hot Yard #926 | 1,612 | +31 |
| Click & Q #2991 | 1,506 | +28 |
| Castleton Q #1170 | 1,588 | +28 |
| MEAN MOE'S BBQ #388 | 1,701 | +27 |
| Rub Sweat and Beers #2183 | 1,531 | +26 |
| SASSY SMOKE BBQ #876 | 1,618 | +25 |
| Brookside BBQ #1058 | 1,598 | +25 |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS #1007 | 1,604 | +25 |
| B'S QUE #249 | 1,740 | +24 |
| SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS #333 | 1,714 | +24 |
| This'll do it BBQ #4318 | 1,476 | -23 |
| BELGIAN BBQ TEAM FIVE Q #1167 | 1,588 | -24 |
| Deviant Smoke #599 | 1,658 | -24 |
| Seve et boucane | 1,474 | -26 |
| COOKLOUNGE BBQ #191 | 1,760 | -39 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| BEER TIME BBQ | 10 | — | 2 |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ | 10 | — | 14 |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 9 | — | 2 |
| BBQ Maestros | 9 | — | 4 |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | 9 | — | 5 |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 9 | — | 6 |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 8 | — | 2 |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 8 | — | 2 |
| Meat Monarchy | 8 | — | 4 |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 8 | — | 5 |
| SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| BAD ROOSTER BBQ | 7 | — | 3 |
| MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | 7 | — | 4 |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 7 | — | 4 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| CHARLIE BRINZA | 7 | 3 |
| JEANNE TITUS | 7 | 3 |
| BUNNY TUTTLE | 5 | 1 |
| CRAIG MAIDENS | 5 | 2 |
| DAVE ROGERS | 5 | 2 |
| HEATHER MAIDENS | 5 | 2 |
| PEG ROGERS | 5 | 2 |
| REGINA BODNAR | 5 | 2 |
| ABIGAIL NICHOLS | 4 | 1 |
| BILL WRIGHT | 4 | 1 |
| CAROL BIGLER | 4 | 2 |
| CLARA WILLIAMS | 4 | 1 |
| EUGENE WICKHAM | 4 | 2 |
| HAYMO GUTWENIGER | 4 | 2 |
| JAKE NICHOLS | 4 | 1 |
| JOHN SCHARFFBILLIG | 4 | 2 |
| JONATHAN B WILLIAMS | 4 | 1 |
| KIM WRIGHT | 4 | 1 |
| LAURIE TWETEN | 4 | 2 |
| LUCA FAMIGLI | 4 | 2 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 9 | 243 |
| New York | 4 | 66 |
| Alberta | 4 | 61 |
| Missouri | 4 | 45 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 145 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 65 |
| Indiana | 3 | 55 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 40 |
| Ontario | 3 | 29 |
| GG | 3 | 16 |
| Georgia | 2 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 76 |
| Michigan | 2 | 39 |
| Alabama | 2 | 28 |
| PZ | 2 | 16 |
| NO | 2 | 9 |
| Oregon | 1 | 34 |
| Nevada | 1 | 33 |
| Iowa | 1 | 31 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 30 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (65 in May 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.