Sky High BBQ IL
Rating
1507
peak 1509 · rated over 13 contests
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
2023-09-15
latest 2026-05-24
Best ToY finish
#127
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
1
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 16 contests
Avg finish
top 57%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
666.39
last 5 Master vs avg 666.03 (+0.36)
Walk rate
44%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±10.96
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.09 · weakest Pork Ribs (163.81)
Road miles
2755
mi across 16 mapped stops · furthest 397 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)
Purse competed for
$60K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
666.03 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
339.68 / 360
4 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
⚔️ A tough matchup
THE BBQ BUS has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Drum Smoke BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, QUE U has out-cooked them in 6 of 6 shared chicken entries.
📅 A September team
Something about September: average finish in the top 49% across 5 contests, versus top 57% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025-09-19) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 19-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Rudes BBQ.
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BBQ BUS | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| C&M BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Shiggin aint easy | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Maestros | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Bleacher Bums BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| DB BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 178.2972 | 162.2516 | 170.09 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 173.7144 | 154.8112 | 163.81 | top 68% |
| Pork | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 171.9656 | 161.6572 | 166.38 | top 67% |
| Brisket | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 175.4172 | 159.9544 | 167.90 | top 52% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 5 | 1 | top 50% |
| MI | 4 | 0 | top 73% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 52% |
| WI | 1 | 0 | top 38% |
| IA | 1 | 0 | top 69% |
| KY | 1 | 0 | top 42% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 1 | top 63% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 67% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2 | 36 | 0 | top 71% | 2025-04-18 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (7 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (6 of 16 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (15 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025-09-19)
- Wins it all in 6% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 666.03 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 339.68 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2023-09-15 — First tracked contest · Saluting with Smoke Single Meat - Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- 📣 2023-09-15 — First call · Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES)
- ⭐ 2024-09-13 — Career-best overall score (676.4688) · Bands & BBQ at the Point
- 🏆 2025-09-19 — First Grand Championship · Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📈 2025-09-19 — Peak power rating (1509) · Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.6 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-19 |
| +14 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-09-05 |
| +8.3 | Brighton Barbeque Bash | 2025-08-22 |
| +3.3 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-08-17 |
| +1.4 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) | 2026-05-24 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.6 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) | 2023-09-15 |
| -7.5 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2025-04-18 |
| -7 | Saluting with Smoke - Honor Q Reboot | 2023-09-16 |
| -5.2 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2025-04-04 |
| -5 | Smoke in the Mitten | 2025-05-09 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 61% | 93.8% | 93% |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 43% | top 49% | 96.7% | 93.5% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 50% | 94% | 93.7% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 92% | 89.6% | 89.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-24 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) Lebanon, TN | 43 / 82 (331.9200) | 36 (169.1200) | 45 (162.8000) | — | — |
| 2026-05-23 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2026-04-17 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Coldwater, MI | 33 / 48 (675.3488) | 40 (165.7028) | 42 (163.9660) | 26 (170.2628) | 10 (175.4172) |
| 2025-09-19 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) Loves Park, IL | 1 / 17 (348.0000) | 2 (176.0000) | 3 (172.0000) | — | — |
| 2025-09-05 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 5 / 38 (342.8460) | 6 (170.8572) | 8 (171.9888) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Brighton Barbeque Bash 🏅 Oshkosh, WI | 11 / 29 (674.8000) | 13 (169.1200) | 3 (173.7144) | 17 (167.9656) | 16 (164.0000) |
| 2025-05-09 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 21 / 26 (662.1368) | 11 (171.9656) | 21 (158.8000) | 23 (162.2628) | 14 (169.1084) |
| 2025-05-09 | Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 17 (166.2628) | — | — |
| 2025-04-18 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 47 / 56 (653.5200) | 51 (164.5256) | 52 (158.8116) | 49 (162.8000) | 38 (167.3828) |
| 2025-04-04 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 34 / 49 (666.1604) | 18 (171.9772) | 39 (161.1088) | 21 (170.2628) | 37 (162.8116) |
| 2024-09-13 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 13 / 31 (676.4688) | 16 (171.4172) | 19 (166.2516) | 15 (167.9772) | 13 (170.8228) |
| 2024-08-17 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 13 / 26 (335.9660) | 8 (171.9888) | 17 (163.9772) | — | — |
| 2024-04-19 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 36 / 62 (674.7772) | 5 (178.2972) | 50 (161.0972) | 52 (161.6572) | 9 (173.7256) |
| 2023-09-16 | Saluting with Smoke - Honor Q Reboot 🏅 Yorkville, IL | 16 / 18 (645.0516) | 16 (168.0116) | 18 (154.8112) | 17 (162.2744) | 15 (159.9544) |
| 2023-09-15 | Saluting with Smoke (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 16 / 17 (640.3884) | 15 (162.2516) | 16 (158.7884) | 8 (171.9656) | — |
| 2023-09-15 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat - Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 21 (162.8000) | — | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #290 (60 pts) | #293 (60 pts) | #299 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #894 (60 pts) | #974 (60 pts) | #1013 (60 pts) | #929 (60 pts) | #712 (135 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #127 (452 pts) | #142 (417 pts) | #161 (372 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #542 (315 pts) | #532 (390 pts) | #459 (506 pts) | #597 (295 pts) | #556 (325 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #305 (111 pts) | #282 (146 pts) | #346 (91 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #770 (176 pts) | #638 (286 pts) | #931 (146 pts) | #834 (166 pts) | #662 (261 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1135 (88 pts) | #1206 (88 pts) | #1019 (147 pts) | #1199 (83 pts) | #1174 (93 pts) |