The heartbreaker
2.8456
points from the title
Came within 2.8456 points of the Grand Championship at Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (Jul 20, 2024).
Skinny Pig BBQ
Skinny Pig BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 52 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 18 at the Paxton Swine n Dine (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion 4 times. They are ranked #491 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1679
peak 1679 · rated over 41 contests5 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
52
in the data
First seen
Jun 24, 2022
latest Sep 19, 2026 · 4.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
4 reserve
Category wins
5
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
24
46% of 52 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 39%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
344.65 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 336.70 (+7.96)
Walk rate
60%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±28.45
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.78 · weakest Brisket (153.82)
Road miles
6,737
across 52 mapped stops · furthest 593 mi
Schedule strength
65%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)
Purse competed for
$223K
listed at 45 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 19 state-championship entries
Master avg
640.85 / 720
4 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
336.70 / 360
38 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
In the record book (on 1 all-time board)
Where this team sits in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #25 (1,096 pts) | #13 (1,200 pts) | #48 (908 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #910 (118 pts) | #562 (328 pts) | #414 (570 pts) | #951 (113 pts) | #1031 (88 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #54 (919 pts) | #47 (998 pts) | #32 (1,067 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | #1147 (80 pts) | #1020 (120 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #57 (874 pts) | #68 (814 pts) | #70 (803 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #977 (120 pts) | #943 (141 pts) | #1189 (70 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #236 (154 pts) | #259 (134 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1240 (63 pts) | #1584 (58 pts) | #1379 (73 pts) | #1257 (68 pts) | #1601 (53 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Skinny Pig BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#493 of the rated field
- Contests
- 46
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 57%
- Peak
- 1708
They've been 1708 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#492 of the rated field
- Contests
- 82
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 48%
- Peak
- 1722
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 82 contests to 52.
⚔ Compare careers#490 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 72%
- Peak
- 1679
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 25 contests, alongside a 72% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#489 of the rated field
- Contests
- 116
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1747
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Skinny Pig BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#488 of the rated field
- Contests
- 45
- GCs
- 5
- Top-10s
- 78%
- Peak
- 1692
They were already cooking in 2016, 6 years before Skinny Pig BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#496 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 46%
- Peak
- 1682
Level with Skinny Pig BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 30 | 7 | 23 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 24 | 16 | 8 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 23 | 14 | 9 | 61% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 21 | 3 | 18 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Wapatui Smokers | 20 | 15 | 5 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 18 | 6 | 11 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 16 | 7 | 9 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ MIKE | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Bramble BBQ | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 13 | 10 | 3 | 77% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| DB BBQ | 13 | 6 | 6 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 44 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 178.8572 | 150.2288 | 170.78 | top 36% |
| Pork Ribs | 47 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 178.2972 | 155.3600 | 169.15 | top 42% |
| Pork | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 175.4172 | 147.9656 | 163.55 | top 58% |
| Brisket | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159.9772 | 150.8116 | 153.82 | top 89% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 6 | 0 | top 44% |
| Medium (20–39) | 28 | 0 | top 40% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 31% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 5 | 5 | 0 | top 53% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Puckaway Pigfest | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 68% | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 5 | 0 | top 40% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 7 | 0 | top 39% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 35% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 14% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 31% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 40% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 21% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 37% | Aug 16, 2025 |
| Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 22% | Jul 19, 2025 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | 2 | 22 | 0 | top 110% | Oct 15, 2023 |
| Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 65% | Jun 25, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
21 contests
Contests a season
10.4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
WI
17 of 52 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
23
13 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
47 entries · 3 wins · 22 calls
Opponents faced
646
finished ahead 1,131 times, behind 630
Longest layoff
1.2 yrs
Jun 25, 2022 → Sep 8, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- 50th tracked contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
- Career-best overall score680.4800 Puckaway Pigfest
- Peak power rating (1679) Paxton Swine n Dine (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Paxton Swine n Dine (BACKYARD ONLY)
20251 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
20245 milestones
- First overall top-10 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- 10th tracked contest Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score328.4800 Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD)
20222 milestones
- First tracked contest Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One)
- First call Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 8, 2024 |
| +14.7 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 20, 2024 |
| +12.6 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 22, 2025 |
| +12.4 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 13, 2025 |
| +12.4 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | Apr 25, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.6 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | Jul 12, 2025 |
| -11.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 14, 2025 |
| -10.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Oct 13, 2023 |
| -9.8 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | Jun 25, 2022 |
| -9.6 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | Oct 15, 2023 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 71% | top 28% | 98.1% | 95.3% |
| 2025 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 56% | top 38% | 96.8% | 91.6% |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 63% | top 33% | 97.1% | 94.3% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 101% | 91.2% | 88.5% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 65% | 89% | 86.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Paxton Swine n Dine (BACKYARD ONLY) Paxton, IL | 2 / 18 (353.1428) | 1 (177.1428) | 5 (176) | — | — |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Puckaway Pigfest 🏅 Montello, WI | 11 / 23 (680.4800) | 6 (174.2628) | 4 (174.2744) | 12 (171.9656) | 17 (159.9772) |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) Cherry Valley, IL | 7 / 24 (345.6800) | 12 (170.2628) | 5 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) Cherry Valley, IL | 10 / 25 (345.1200) | 8 (173.1200) | 10 (172) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cherry Valley, IL | — | — | 11 (166.2744) | — | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) 🏅 Troy, IL | 4 / 32 (343.3944) | 3 (173.1200) | 6 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 1) 🏅 Troy, IL | 4 / 26 (335.9200) | 16 (161.6572) | 3 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 31, 2026 | Cruisin' and BBQin' 🏅 Hampton, IA | 2 / 26 (347.3828) | 2 (175.4172) | 6 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 11 / 28 (345.1088) | 14 (169.6916) | 5 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 5 / 27 (347.4172) | 4 (176) | 12 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 15 / 41 (342.8572) | 15 (172) | 18 (170.8572) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 8 / 37 (341.6456) | 12 (170.8112) | 8 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 25 / 40 (337.6684) | 25 (166.8228) | 14 (170.8456) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 9 (173.1316) | — | — |
| May 29, 2026 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 5 / 25 (344.5716) | 9 (172) | 6 (172.5716) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | BBQ Fest - Chippewa Falls, WI (BACKYARD ONLY) Chippewa Falls, WI | 3 / 21 (346.2628) | 1 (176.5600) | 7 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 14 / 24 (333.0512) | 12 (169.6800) | 19 (163.3712) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 8 / 42 (345.0856) | 6 (176.5600) | 20 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 23 / 125 (340.5028) | 22 (171.9772) | 29 (168.5256) | 30 (167.3828) | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 7 (178.8572) | — | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 12 (176.0116) | — | — |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) Loves Park, IL | 2 / 17 (345.0972) | 3 (171.9656) | 1 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 5 / 31 (348.5372) | 9 (175.4056) | 9 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 8 / 20 (334.9144) | 8 (168) | 10 (166.9144) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 6 / 17 (345.0856) | 9 (168.5256) | 2 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 14 / 16 (334.7772) | 12 (169.6800) | 12 (165.0972) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 13 / 18 (337.6572) | 9 (170.8112) | 12 (166.8460) | 12 (159.3828) | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 7 / 26 (343.9428) | 6 (173.1200) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 9 / 36 (346.8112) | 16 (169.6684) | 1 (177.1428) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 31 / 36 (169.6800) | 12 (169.6800) | — | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 26 (164.5256) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 7 / 36 (346.8572) | 5 (176.5828) | 11 (170.2744) | — | — |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 23 / 70 (342.8232) | 12 (174.2744) | 33 (168.5488) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 21 (172.5484) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 33 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 5 / 24 (343.9656) | 2 (177.1428) | 13 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 11 / 49 (344.5372) | 5 (175.4172) | 18 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Sep 6, 2024 | Puckaway Pigfest 🏅 Montello, WI | 27 / 37 (647.8288) | 13 (171.9772) | 30 (159.3716) | 23 (165.6684) | 35 (150.8116) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 9 / 26 (340.5144) | 5 (173.1200) | 13 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Jul 20, 2024 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 2 / 23 (349.7028) | 11 (171.4056) | 1 (178.2972) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Miles, IA | 5 / 11 (343.9660) | 5 (171.9772) | 5 (171.9888) | 3 (175.4172) | — |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 8 / 40 (338.2628) | 5 (171.4172) | 15 (166.8456) | — | — |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 5 / 37 (342.2284) | 5 (173.1084) | 8 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 14 / 41 (336.5144) | 13 (170.2628) | 13 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 19 (163.4288) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 22 / 24 (328.4800) | 15 (167.9772) | 19 (160.5028) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 27 / 21 (314.7428) | 25 (159.3828) | 27 (155.3600) | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Puckaway Pigfest 🏅 Montello, WI | 23 / 28 (624.4112) | 24 (155.9200) | 21 (158.3204) | 22 (157.0968) | 25 (153.0740) |
| Jun 25, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 32 / 32 (610.6976) | 32 (150.2288) | 29 (161.0972) | 31 (147.9656) | 31 (151.4060) |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 11 / 36 (320.5264) | 10 (158.8576) | 8 (161.6688) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.