TROPICAL HEAT BBQ

TROPICAL HEAT BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 8th of 38 at the Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2 (2014). They are ranked #3323 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,323

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1497

peak 1543 · rated over 29 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 17, 2013

latest Mar 30, 2019 · 5.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#423

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

7% of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 56%

overall standings

Best overall

680.4912 / 720

Master · Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2

Perfect 180s

Current form

626.33 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 649.81 (-23.48)

Walk rate

66%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

179.4400

Brisket · California Honey Harvest Festival and BBQ Championship

Consistency

±30.72

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 166.23 · weakest Chicken (161.40)

Road miles

3,497

across 29 mapped stops · furthest 329 mi

Schedule strength

43%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1556)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.81 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

They almost always walk

66% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 29 contests

A top-10 category call in 66% of their 29 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

680.4912 career-best overall

94.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 680.4912 at Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2 — 94.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 9, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

All Sauced Up has finished one call ahead of TROPICAL HEAT BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 43%.

5 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 43%

A tough matchup

22–2 behind in the head-to-head

SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ has come out ahead in 22 of their 24 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.83 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 34%.

Chicken avg 161.40
Brisket avg 166.23
2 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

11–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 85% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 7 SINS BBQ in 11 of their 13 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

Brisket nemesis

16 of 22 shared brisket entries lost

ZZYZX BAR.B.Q ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ZZYZX BAR.B.Q has out-cooked them in 16 of 22 shared brisket entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PORKCHOP & BUBBAS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 39% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 39% across 5 contests, versus top 56% the rest of the year.

5 May contests
top 56% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,497 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,497 miles across 29 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 329 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

29 mapped stops
furthest 329 mi

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1226 (180 pts)	#1295 (180 pts)	#1285 (180 pts)	#1068 (255 pts)	#1006 (285 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1524 (120 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1520 (140 pts)	#1492 (145 pts)	#1012 (295 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1583 (170 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1657 (150 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1663 (142 pts)	#1670 (162 pts)	#1644 (167 pts)	#1764 (142 pts)	#963 (362 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#752 (466 pts)	#830 (436 pts)	#793 (461 pts)	#814 (446 pts)	#422 (891 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#423 (905 pts)	#598 (655 pts)	#291 (1,210 pts)	#206 (1,395 pts)	#418 (910 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1067 (266 pts)	#734 (446 pts)	#889 (356 pts)	#1193 (241 pts)	#870 (361 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to TROPICAL HEAT BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

107 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

Up In Smoke BBQ

#3,325 of the rated field

1497 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1519

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to TROPICAL HEAT BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team TROPICAL HEAT BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 40 contests
last seen Aug 22, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Solo Dolo BBQ

#3,326 of the rated field

1497 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to TROPICAL HEAT BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than TROPICAL HEAT BBQ has cooked, 10 to 29, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 13, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

Evening Wood

#3,316 of the rated field

1498 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1553

They've been 1553 at their best, 55 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Click & Q

#3,319 of the rated field

1498 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 57%
Peak: 1512

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 21 contests, alongside a 57% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

RJ'S BACKYARD COOKERS

#3,330 of the rated field

1497 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1497

Level with TROPICAL HEAT BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Jun 17, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Q SMOKE

#3,310 of the rated field

1498 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1570

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 51 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	24	2	22	8%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	22	2	20	9%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	22	2	20	9%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	21	3	18	14%	⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	21	3	18	14%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
Porterhouse BBQ	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
LEFT COAST Q	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
COOL GRILLING	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
DADDY O'S SMOKIN' BBQ	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
FUNTIME BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
TWISTED BRISKET BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Rooftop BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	2	0	1	170.2744	144.5368	161.40	top 65%
Pork Ribs	29	4	1	1	178.2972	150.2628	163.33	top 52%
Pork	29	7	1	2	177.1428	155.9998	164.42	top 51%
Brisket	29	10	1	3	179.4400	142.8570	166.23	top 37%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	10	0	top 54%
Large (40+)	19	0	top 57%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
CA	27	0	top 55%
NV	2	0	top 61%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
California Honey Harvest Festival & BBQ Championship	2	21	top 68%	Jun 9, 2017
Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship	2	25	top 61%	May 2, 2015
Dana Point State BBQ Championship	2	27	top 34%	Oct 2, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 9 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 27 of 29 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 26 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 498 finished ahead 710 times, behind 829

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20191 milestone

Mar 30 Most recent contest 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2

20181 milestone

Feb 23 25th tracked contest The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL)

20152 milestones

Jun 12 Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 California Honey Harvest Festival and BBQ Championship
Jun 12 Peak power rating (1543) California Honey Harvest Festival and BBQ Championship

20144 milestones

Jun 13 First category win (Pork) California Honey Harvest Festival & BBQ Championship
Jun 26 10th tracked contest High Desert Music Festival and BBQ Showdown
Aug 9 First overall top-10 Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2
Aug 9 Career-best overall score680.4912 Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2

20133 milestones

May 17 First tracked contest Bakersfield's Biggest Baddest BBQ Championship
May 17 First call Bakersfield's Biggest Baddest BBQ Championship
Oct 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.1200 Dana Point State BBQ Championship

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2	Aug 9, 2014
+10.4	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship	May 16, 2014
+10	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 1	Aug 8, 2014
+8	Dana Point State BBQ Championship	Oct 4, 2013
+6	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship	May 15, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.5	The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL)	Feb 23, 2018
-7.5	The Golden State Battle	Jan 25, 2019
-7.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Mar 28, 2014
-6	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	Mar 20, 2015
-5.1	5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	Apr 1, 2016

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	3	0	0	67%	top 75%	92.6%	90.9%
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 80%	91.7%	81.1%
2017	2	0	0	0%	top 66%	90.9%	90.3%
2016	2	0	1	50%	top 69%	92.1%	91.2%
2015	6	1	0	50%	top 51%	94%	92.1%
2014	9	1	2	78%	top 49%	94.5%	91.2%
2013	5	0	0	100%	top 43%	91.8%	89.1%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Mar 30, 2019	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA	34 / 47 (666.8112)	43 (161.6800)	27 (167.3828)	10 (173.7028)	30 (164.0456)
Mar 29, 2019	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA	48 / 70 (652.4796)	34 (166.8112)	47 (161.7028)	61 (157.1200)	29 (166.8456)
Jan 25, 2019	The Golden State Battle 🏅 Santa Ynez, CA	41 / 48 (645.0516)	48 (156.5372)	42 (158.8000)	39 (158.2516)	7 (171.4628)
Mar 23, 2018	7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	49 / 78 (660.4688)	58 (161.6572)	41 (165.6916)	20 (169.1544)	40 (163.9656)
Feb 23, 2018	The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL) Coachella, CA	46 / 47 (506.8344)	—	21 (170.3316)	46 (158.8000)	3 (177.7028)
Jun 9, 2017	California Honey Harvest Festival & BBQ Championship Fillmore, CA	26 / 39 (646.1716)	30 (157.1200)	15 (167.3944)	30 (157.1200)	19 (164.5372)
Mar 31, 2017	6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	50 / 77 (654.7428)	42 (168.5600)	50 (161.6572)	46 (162.8456)	46 (161.6800)
Jun 10, 2016	Califorina Honey Harvest Festival and BBQ Championship Fillmore, CA	19 / 27 (663.4288)	15 (170.2628)	14 (170.2744)	19 (164)	20 (158.8916)
Apr 1, 2016	5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arciadia, CA	48 / 72 (649.6112)	68 (153.6228)	68 (152.5028)	31 (166.2856)	1 (177.2000)
Oct 2, 2015	City of Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	48 / 75 (653.6112)	48 (165.1200)	69 (153.0856)	43 (165.1200)	24 (170.2856)
Jun 12, 2015	California Honey Harvest Festival and BBQ Championship Fillmore, CA	10 / 26 (677.0860)	9 (170.2744)	24 (157.0972)	8 (170.2744)	2 (179.4400)
May 29, 2015	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	33 / 75 (675.3372)	47 (163.9544)	45 (165.6800)	26 (169.7028)	12 (176)
May 15, 2015	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	17 / 53 (665.0860)	26 (164.0004)	11 (169.7028)	30 (162.2628)	8 (169.1200)
May 2, 2015	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	25 / 41 (655.2688)	32 (163.3828)	18 (164.5372)	29 (160.5144)	15 (166.8344)
Mar 20, 2015	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	69 / 100 (650.8004)	97 (146.2516)	47 (166.8572)	71 (161.0972)	5 (176.5944)
Oct 17, 2014	Blazin' BBQ Throwdown Lancaster, CA	16 / 29 (656.5484)	23 (158.2400)	20 (160.0228)	5 (173.1428)	15 (165.1428)
Oct 2, 2014	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	39 / 97 (667.3484)	76 (159.9656)	14 (172.5600)	65 (161.1200)	8 (173.7028)
Aug 9, 2014	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 2 Huntington Beach, CA	8 / 38 (680.4912)	19 (169.1200)	4 (173.1428)	8 (173.1200)	24 (165.1084)
Aug 8, 2014	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Day 1 Huntington Beach, CA	11 / 39 (677.0856)	32 (163.3944)	1 (178.2972)	21 (165.1084)	12 (170.2856)
Jun 26, 2014	High Desert Music Festival and BBQ Showdown Victorville, CA	19 / 30 (653.0056)	21 (158.2284)	21 (156.5372)	3 (175.4172)	13 (162.8228)
Jun 13, 2014	California Honey Harvest Festival & BBQ Championship Fillmore, CA	21 / 30 (654.2628)	25 (154.8456)	17 (159.4516)	1 (177.1428)	21 (162.8228)
May 16, 2014	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	13 / 56 (661.0856)	24 (164.5140)	6 (168.0116)	4 (171.4172)	27 (157.1428)
Apr 26, 2014	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	31 / 51 (649.0168)	21 (166.8112)	23 (164.5372)	40 (157.1084)	30 (160.5600)
Mar 28, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Sacramento, CA	22 / 29 (613.6796)	28 (144.5368)	25 (150.2628)	18 (160.0116)	16 (158.8684)
Oct 18, 2013	Cowboy Up at the PRCA Rodeo & BBQ Lancaster, CA	24 / 41 (644.5140)	29 (157.1428)	26 (156.5600)	25 (162.2284)	4 (168.5828)
Oct 4, 2013	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	27 / 99 (661.1200)	26 (168.5372)	56 (159.9656)	50 (159.4172)	4 (173.2000)
Jul 26, 2013	The Great American Cookoff Woodlake, CA	22 / 53 (639.4056)	40 (150.8456)	21 (161.1200)	28 (158.8684)	4 (168.5716)
Jun 14, 2013	California Honey Harvest Festival & KCBS BBQ Fillmore, CA	19 / 36 (641.7144)	13 (164.5714)	5 (169.1430)	19 (161.7142)	30 (146.2858)
May 17, 2013	Bakersfield's Biggest Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	23 / 65 (622.2850)	3 (169.1428)	32 (154.2854)	30 (155.9998)	44 (142.8570)

TROPICAL HEAT BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (11 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Brisket nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A May team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)