They almost always walk
60%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 9 of 15 contests
A top-10 category call in 60% of their 15 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
DEAD PIG WALKING
DEAD PIG WALKING is a competition barbecue team with 15 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 49 at The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series (2015), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1537 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1562
peak 1565 · rated over 15 contests
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
Mar 15, 2013
latest Mar 29, 2019 · 6 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
20% of 15 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 40%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
673.87 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 666.33 (+7.54)
Walk rate
60%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±15.32
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.79 · weakest Brisket (163.44)
Road miles
767
across 15 mapped stops · furthest 69 mi
Schedule strength
38%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
666.33 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #1955 (60 pts) | #1976 (70 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #1578 (120 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2274 (60 pts) | #2353 (60 pts) | #2349 (60 pts) | #2326 (60 pts) | #2228 (80 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #576 (639 pts) | #399 (944 pts) | #442 (854 pts) | #597 (649 pts) | #744 (494 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #898 (365 pts) | #1103 (300 pts) | #802 (455 pts) | #619 (625 pts) | #833 (415 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1335 (180 pts) | #1551 (150 pts) | #1310 (215 pts) | #1419 (180 pts) | #1191 (240 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to DEAD PIG WALKING, each with one reason worth a look.
54 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,530 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1562
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,551 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1568
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,550 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 47%
- Peak
- 1588
17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 47% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,533 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1562
Level with DEAD PIG WALKING on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#1,536 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 62%
- Peak
- 1577
They turned up 6 years after DEAD PIG WALKING did, first appearing in 2019.
⚔ Compare careers#1,552 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1567
Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| COOL GRILLING | 13 | 12 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| LADY OF Q | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| TWISTED BRISKET BBQ | 11 | 10 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
| RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Burnin and Lootin | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| ZZYZX BAR.B.Q | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| LEFT COAST Q | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKETEERS | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN MO'S BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin it Up BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 177.1544 | 154.8568 | 167.79 | top 43% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 174.2744 | 151.4286 | 167.79 | top 33% |
| Pork | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 156.5712 | 167.30 | top 37% |
| Brisket | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 171.9884 | 154.8000 | 163.44 | top 51% |
“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) | 4 | 0 | top 48% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 37% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 55% | Sep 13, 2015 |
| West Coast BBQ Classic | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 52% | May 8, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2015
7 contests
Contests a season
3
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
CA
15 of 15 contests
Contests visited
13
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
302
finished ahead 489 times, behind 283
Longest layoff
3.1 yrs
Feb 19, 2016 → Mar 29, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20191 milestone
- Most recent contest 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1
20157 milestones
- First overall top-10 The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series
- First overall podium The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series
- First Reserve Championship The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series
- 10th tracked contest 4th Annual VC Music Fest & BBQ
- Career-best overall score692.5488 The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
- Career-best single call (Pork)177.7144 The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
- Peak power rating (1565) The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
20142 milestones
- First call 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.8744 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
20131 milestone
- First tracked contest 2nd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.9 | The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series | Feb 20, 2015 |
| +9.8 | 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship | Mar 21, 2014 |
| +6.9 | Dana Point State BBQ Championship | Oct 2, 2014 |
| +6.7 | The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship | Sep 11, 2015 |
| +5.9 | 2nd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship | Mar 15, 2013 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -6.7 | The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship | Sep 13, 2015 |
| -4.5 | West Coast BBQ Classic | May 8, 2015 |
| -1.7 | The Pig (Guinea Pig) | Feb 19, 2016 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 39% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 60% | 91.7% | 91.7% |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 71% | top 42% | 96.2% | 93.9% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 31% | 93.6% | 92% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 40% | 89% | 88.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 2019 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 27 / 70 (670.7428) | 23 (169.6684) | 25 (167.9772) | 13 (171.9772) | 49 (161.1200) |
| Feb 19, 2016 | The Pig (Guinea Pig) Indio, CA | 29 / 48 (660.4344) | 36 (161.6800) | 27 (165.1088) | 29 (166.2284) | 21 (167.4172) |
| Sep 13, 2015 | The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship 🏅 Lake Elsinore, CA | 17 / 22 (667.3484) | 12 (172.5484) | 13 (169.6800) | 14 (168.5484) | 18 (156.5716) |
| Sep 11, 2015 | The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship 🏅 Lake Elsinore, CA | 9 / 28 (692.5488) | 8 (175.4172) | 10 (171.9772) | 4 (177.7144) | 18 (167.4400) |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Newport Beach Barbecue Contest Newport Beach, CA | 10 / 29 (678.2744) | 8 (172.5828) | 6 (172.5716) | 15 (163.4400) | 11 (169.6800) |
| Jun 5, 2015 | 4th Annual VC Music Fest & BBQ Valley Center, CA | 12 / 25 (680.5372) | 4 (177.1544) | 2 (174.2744) | 13 (168) | 19 (161.1084) |
| May 8, 2015 | West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA | 37 / 57 (653.6228) | 12 (172.0228) | 19 (169.1200) | 45 (157.6800) | 49 (154.8000) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI Wildomar, CA | 15 / 42 (676.5028) | 4 (175.4400) | 15 (169.1316) | 23 (167.9656) | 26 (163.9656) |
| Feb 20, 2015 | The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series Rancho Mirage, CA | 2 / 49 (685.6912) | 9 (170.8456) | 7 (170.2972) | 3 (172.5600) | 5 (171.9884) |
| Oct 2, 2014 | Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA | 27 / 97 (673.5884) | 43 (168.5256) | 16 (171.9772) | 5 (177.1428) | 74 (155.9428) |
| Jun 20, 2014 | 3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA | 23 / 65 (667.3484) | 33 (166.8572) | 16 (168.5600) | 9 (171.4056) | 35 (160.5256) |
| May 9, 2014 | West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA | 23 / 59 (654.1828) | 43 (159.3828) | 21 (165.1200) | 6 (168.5484) | 25 (161.1316) |
| Mar 21, 2014 | 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 16 / 69 (655.8744) | 36 (162.8000) | 16 (165.6916) | 34 (157.7028) | 6 (169.6800) |
| Jun 21, 2013 | 2nd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA | 32 / 70 (637.7140) | 55 (154.8568) | 54 (151.4286) | 19 (164) | 14 (167.4286) |
| Mar 15, 2013 | 2nd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 19 / 57 (640.5708) | 35 (157.1426) | 12 (164) | 30 (156.5712) | 18 (162.8570) |