TAILWIND BBQ

TAILWIND BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 11th of 28 at the Recovery Fest 2013 (2013). They are ranked #5358 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,358

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1455

peak 1455 · rated over 11 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 10, 2013

latest Sep 7, 2018 · 5.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1305

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 73%

overall standings

Best overall

646.3204 / 720

Master · 12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

624.68 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 616.53 (+8.15)

Walk rate

36%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

170.9028

Brisket · 10th Annual Recovery Fest

Consistency

±17.34

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 155.30 · weakest Pork (152.80)

Road miles

406

across 11 mapped stops · furthest 42 mi

Schedule strength

43%

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

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

616.53 / 720

11 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (5 found in their record)

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

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BBQ UNPLUGGED has finished one call ahead of TAILWIND BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE ahead in 100% of their meetings

OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Chillin & Grillin in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

11 of 11 shared chicken entries lost

OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has out-cooked them in 11 of 11 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±2.41% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.41% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 85.6% of a perfect score
11 contests

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1669 (119 pts)	#1760 (114 pts)	#1490 (149 pts)	#1596 (124 pts)	#1570 (124 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#2212 (60 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#2095 (90 pts)	#2230 (65 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1305 (216 pts)	#1311 (241 pts)	#1105 (306 pts)	#1472 (206 pts)	#1216 (261 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2105 (69 pts)	#2190 (64 pts)	#1919 (114 pts)	#2813 (54 pts)	#2042 (89 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1555 (157 pts)	#1512 (187 pts)	#1836 (132 pts)	#1574 (172 pts)	#928 (362 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1716 (123 pts)	#1670 (138 pts)	#1880 (108 pts)	#2489 (68 pts)	#1141 (253 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

Dewey Smokem & Howe

#5,356 of the rated field

1455 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1455

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

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Meat Your Maker

#5,363 of the rated field

1455 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1455

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 7, 2026

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Boo Boo Bus BBQ

#5,357 of the rated field

1455 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1510

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 13, 2026

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BLIND SWINE BBQ

#5,370 of the rated field

1454 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1454

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2024

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HOGZILLA NORTH CAROLINA

#5,353 of the rated field

1455 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1455

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 3 years before TAILWIND BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

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BORDER BBQ

#5,348 of the rated field

1455 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1455

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Oct 3, 2015

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
JD'S SMOKIN MISFITS	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
LIL WILL'S LONE STAR QUE	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
LIFE IS GOOD BUT BBQ IS BETTER	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SWEET N SASSY BBQ COMPANY	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Rocks Money Pit BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Serial Griller	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
KNOB HILL	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
JAM'N HAMS	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	2	0	166.2972	143.9998	155.30	top 71%
Pork Ribs	11	1	0	166.3316	130.8000	153.47	top 67%
Pork	11	0	0	163.4172	138.8570	152.80	top 77%
Brisket	11	3	2	170.9028	141.0516	154.95	top 53%

“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)	6	0	top 68%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 79%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ Jamboree	2	47	0	top 79%	May 9, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in VA 11 of 11 contests

Contests visited 10 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 230 finished ahead 111 times, behind 343

Longest layoff 1 yrs Sep 5, 2014 → Sep 11, 2015

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

20182 milestones

Mar 23 10th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back
Sep 7 Most recent contest 14th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship

20161 milestone

Sep 9 Career-best overall score646.3204 12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship

20141 milestone

Sep 5 Career-best single call (Brisket)170.9028 10th Annual Recovery Fest

20133 milestones

May 10 First tracked contest BBQ Jamboree
Sep 6 First call Recovery Fest 2013
Sep 6 Peak power rating (1496) Recovery Fest 2013

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+4.7	Recovery Fest 2013	Sep 6, 2013
+0.8	12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship	Sep 9, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.9	BBQ Gives Back	Mar 23, 2018
-8.7	BBQ Jamboree	May 10, 2013
-8.5	Que & Cruz	Sep 30, 2016
-8.4	BBQ Jamboree	May 9, 2014
-4.2	11th Annual Recovery Fest	Sep 11, 2015

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	2	0%	top 89%	86.2%	85.3%
2017	1	0%	top 72%	86.7%	86.7%
2016	3	67%	top 73%	89.8%	87.8%
2015	1	0%	top 76%	85.9%	85.9%
2014	2	50%	top 71%	85.6%	84.6%
2013	2	50%	top 59%	86.4%	83.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 7, 2018	14th Annual Recovery Fest/8th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA	24 / 29 (620.9944)	25 (155.9544)	18 (162.2516)	23 (153.6684)	23 (149.1200)
Mar 23, 2018	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	71 / 75 (606.6404)	62 (157.6916)	63 (153.6572)	64 (154.2400)	72 (141.0516)
Apr 28, 2017	4th Annual Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lanexa, VA	33 / 46 (624.4232)	34 (157.6572)	44 (145.6344)	19 (163.4172)	24 (157.7144)
Sep 30, 2016	Que & Cruz Louisa, VA	27 / 31 (625.0284)	30 (151.4168)	24 (159.3716)	28 (151.9772)	10 (162.2628)
Sep 9, 2016	12th Annual Recovery Fest/7th Annual BBQ State Championship 🏅 Richmond, VA	15 / 25 (646.3204)	10 (166.2972)	9 (166.3316)	17 (163.3944)	21 (150.2972)
Apr 29, 2016	3rd Annual Pickin' N Pullin Lanexa, VA	34 / 48 (626.0912)	37 (155.3484)	15 (166.2400)	45 (150.8228)	35 (153.6800)
Sep 11, 2015	11th Annual Recovery Fest Richmond, VA	22 / 29 (618.2060)	23 (154.2972)	13 (161.1316)	29 (149.0856)	18 (153.6916)
Sep 5, 2014	10th Annual Recovery Fest Richmond, VA	20 / 32 (616)	14 (157.7372)	30 (130.8000)	17 (156.5600)	2 (170.9028)
May 9, 2014	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	51 / 64 (602.1028)	55 (149.0628)	56 (143.9428)	43 (151.9428)	19 (157.1544)
Sep 6, 2013	Recovery Fest 2013 Richmond, VA	11 / 28 (622.2744)	9 (158.8800)	14 (153.7144)	22 (146.8000)	2 (162.8800)
May 10, 2013	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	47 / 60 (573.7136)	50 (143.9998)	45 (145.1426)	55 (138.8570)	35 (145.7142)

TAILWIND 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

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (5 found in their record)

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

The metronome

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

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 — 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)