TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ

TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 8th of 31 at the Fire On the Frontier BBQ Classic (2016). They are ranked #2719 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,719

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1513

peak 1513 · rated over 29 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 13, 2013

latest Jun 8, 2018 · 4.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#416

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

10% of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

686.9372 / 720

Master · Harper County Bullseye BBQ

Perfect 180s

Current form

659.90 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 649.69 (+10.21)

Walk rate

34%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Pork Ribs · Derby BBQ Festival

Consistency

±23.62

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 164.83 · weakest Chicken (159.64)

Road miles

3,084

across 29 mapped stops · furthest 205 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

Master avg

649.69 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

686.9372 career-best overall

95.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 686.9372 at Harper County Bullseye BBQ — 95.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 14, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Outhouse BBQ has finished one call ahead of TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 49%.

10 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 49%

A tough matchup

18–1 behind in the head-to-head

BUTCHER BBQ ahead in 95% of their meetings

BUTCHER BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 19 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.2 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.19 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 14%.

Chicken avg 159.64
Pork Ribs avg 164.83
2 calls in 29 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of EVIL MONKEY BBQ in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

14 of 19 shared pork ribs entries lost

BUTCHER BBQ ahead 74% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BUTCHER BBQ has out-cooked them in 14 of 19 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 3 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Rise N Swine has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 34% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 34% across 3 contests, versus top 60% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 60% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,084 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,084 miles across 29 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 205 miles to Fire On the Frontier BBQ Classic.

29 mapped stops
furthest 205 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
2018 ↗	Master	#1784 (95 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1950 (70 pts)	#1846 (95 pts)	#1310 (185 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#742 (507 pts)	#792 (497 pts)	#631 (647 pts)	#780 (517 pts)	#760 (512 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#416 (941 pts)	#552 (731 pts)	#359 (1,041 pts)	#266 (1,256 pts)	#329 (1,116 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#905 (357 pts)	#938 (367 pts)	#935 (377 pts)	#910 (397 pts)	#930 (372 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#929 (349 pts)	#980 (359 pts)	#797 (459 pts)	#811 (454 pts)	#1088 (294 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2603 (58 pts)	#2618 (58 pts)	#1566 (153 pts)	#2616 (58 pts)	#2629 (58 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

RED BARN BBQ

#2,736 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1530

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Apr 26, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

ALBURNT EINSWINE

#2,724 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1518

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ has cooked, 11 to 29, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 21, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

POK N DA RIBS

#2,713 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1528

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ)

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

rated over 10 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Smok'n Louie

#2,711 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1515

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to TRAVELIN' SMOKE BBQ)

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

rated over 7 contests
last seen Aug 7, 2015

⚔ Head-to-head

C&M BBQ

#2,735 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1522

30 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 17% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Sep 19, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Poker Porkers

#2,710 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1545

They've been 1545 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Sep 24, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Rise N Swine	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
BUTCHER BBQ	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
Three Hog Night Smokers	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
BUFFALO'S BBQ	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
GREAT PLAINS BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
Smoke-A-Holics	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKE N HOGS BBQ KS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
WICHITA SWINEMEN	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
BARRY & ERICA	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
DR. NORDY'S BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
Lucky D's BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
NAUGHTY NURSES BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	2	170.2972	142.8228	159.64	top 71%
Pork Ribs	29	4	176.5600	146.2288	164.83	top 51%
Pork	29	5	174.2744	129.6684	164.68	top 52%
Brisket	29	3	174.2628	129.0972	160.54	top 59%

“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)	18	0	top 61%
Large (40+)	11	0	top 59%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
OK	15	0	top 66%
KS	14	0	top 54%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Harper County Bullseye BBQ	3	9	top 34%	Oct 14, 2016
Derby BBQ Festival	2	12	top 38%	Jun 8, 2018
Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off	2	17	top 58%	Sep 15, 2017
Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ	2	18	top 37%	Apr 21, 2017
Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 2)	2	61	top 84%	Mar 25, 2017
CASA's Grab, Root and Growl BBQ	2	16	top 66%	Aug 12, 2016
Firelake BBQ Cook Off	2	35	top 70%	Mar 25, 2016
Derby BBQ Festival	2	20	top 73%	Sep 11, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 10 contests

Contests a season 4.8 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in OK 15 of 29 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 20 8 of them more than once

Opponents faced 511 finished ahead 510 times, behind 721

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

20181 milestone

Jun 8 Most recent contest Derby BBQ Festival

20172 milestones

Apr 21 25th tracked contest Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ
Apr 21 Peak power rating (1513) Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ

20162 milestones

Sep 9 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.5600 Derby BBQ Festival
Oct 14 Career-best overall score686.9372 Harper County Bullseye BBQ

20151 milestone

Sep 18 10th tracked contest Cherokee Strip BBQ Cookoff

20142 milestones

Sep 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.5028 Derby BBQ Festival
Oct 17 First overall top-10 Harper County Bullseye BBQ

20132 milestones

Sep 13 First tracked contest Cherokee Strip Cook-Off
Sep 13 First call Cherokee Strip Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.4	Harper County Bullseye BBQ	Oct 14, 2016
+11.6	Fire On the Frontier BBQ Classic	Jun 10, 2016
+9.7	Derby BBQ Festival	Sep 9, 2016
+9.5	Harper County Bullseye BBQ	Oct 17, 2014
+8.9	Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ	Apr 15, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11	Cherokee Strip Cook-Off	Sep 13, 2013
-9.6	Cowley County BBQ Contest	Jul 11, 2014
-8.6	Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1)	Mar 24, 2017
-8.6	Firelake BBQ Cook Off	Mar 27, 2015
-5.7	Derby BBQ Festival	Sep 11, 2015

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	100%	top 45%	92%	92%
2017	7	0	14%	top 64%	93.2%	91.2%
2016	10	2	50%	top 49%	95.4%	92%
2015	6	0	0%	top 70%	92%	88.9%
2014	4	1	50%	top 62%	91.2%	88.4%
2013	1	0	100%	top 91%	78.9%	78.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 8, 2018	Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS	18 / 40 (662.1600)	30 (160.5256)	23 (164.5256)	18 (166.8344)	5 (170.2744)
Sep 15, 2017	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	17 / 38 (665.5996)	11 (169.1084)	15 (167.4056)	19 (163.9656)	21 (165.1200)
Aug 11, 2017	Casa Grab, Root & Growl Woodward, OK	20 / 25 (658.2288)	21 (161.7144)	21 (161.1088)	18 (167.4400)	15 (167.9656)
Apr 28, 2017	Chisholm Trail BBQ Cook Off Wellington, KS	25 / 32 (642.1140)	27 (159.3828)	21 (163.9428)	28 (157.1084)	22 (161.6800)
Apr 21, 2017	Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	18 / 47 (671.3948)	32 (159.9544)	6 (174.8688)	21 (170.2972)	21 (166.2744)
Apr 7, 2017	Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS	41 / 100 (669.6572)	72 (162.2860)	30 (169.6800)	20 (172.5828)	42 (165.1084)
Mar 25, 2017	Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) Shawnee, OK	61 / 77 (655.8744)	71 (156.5372)	18 (173.7028)	51 (166.8344)	59 (158.8000)
Mar 24, 2017	Firelake BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Shawnee, OK	78 / 87 (635.8860)	85 (151.3828)	75 (158.2632)	74 (159.3944)	49 (166.8456)
Oct 14, 2016	Harper County Bullseye BBQ Harper, KS	9 / 38 (686.9372)	24 (167.9884)	15 (172.5944)	6 (172.5944)	4 (173.7600)
Sep 16, 2016	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	31 / 43 (646.1372)	22 (166.8456)	17 (167.3944)	38 (153.6572)	28 (158.2400)
Sep 9, 2016	Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS	12 / 38 (679.3372)	35 (154.8000)	4 (176.5600)	4 (174.2744)	11 (173.7028)
Aug 12, 2016	CASA's Grab, Root and Growl BBQ Woodward, OK	16 / 29 (641.5772)	26 (148.5372)	12 (165.6800)	16 (164.5600)	16 (162.8000)
Jul 29, 2016	Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ Iola, KS	28 / 36 (644.4684)	32 (152.5600)	28 (158.8456)	15 (166.8344)	15 (166.2284)
Jul 1, 2016	Hutchfest BBQ Cook-off Hutchinson, KS	24 / 38 (660.4460)	29 (164.5372)	33 (159.3716)	8 (171.4172)	22 (165.1200)
Jun 17, 2016	Eureka BBQ Bash Eureka, KS	15 / 26 (657.0972)	14 (166.2856)	16 (162.2860)	9 (167.9884)	17 (160.5372)
Jun 10, 2016	Fire On the Frontier BBQ Classic Hays, KS	8 / 31 (676.5144)	10 (168.5488)	14 (165.7028)	15 (168)	4 (174.2628)
Apr 15, 2016	Roberts Ranch Smokin Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	22 / 63 (668.5028)	39 (162.2744)	14 (169.1544)	19 (168.5484)	22 (168.5256)
Mar 25, 2016	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Shawnee, OK	35 / 66 (666.1600)	48 (162.7884)	39 (165.1088)	14 (173.7372)	45 (164.5256)
Oct 16, 2015	Harper County Bullseye BBQ Harper, KS	16 / 34 (662.3200)	12 (170.2972)	16 (166.8800)	30 (159.4400)	15 (165.7028)
Sep 18, 2015	Cherokee Strip BBQ Cookoff Ponca City, OK	26 / 32 (630.6396)	25 (154.7540)	19 (161.6800)	17 (163.4284)	28 (150.7772)
Sep 11, 2015	Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS	20 / 26 (631.3144)	22 (154.8228)	22 (154.2400)	11 (162.8344)	18 (159.4172)
Aug 7, 2015	CASA's Grab, Root and Growl BBQ Woodward, OK	20 / 26 (620.4804)	22 (153.1316)	20 (160.5944)	16 (164.5712)	24 (142.1832)
Apr 17, 2015	10th Annual Roberts Ranch Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK	38 / 75 (660.5484)	32 (167.4056)	48 (160.5828)	37 (167.3828)	34 (165.1772)
Mar 27, 2015	Firelake BBQ Cook Off Shawnee, OK	45 / 52 (634.2632)	49 (150.2628)	25 (167.4516)	45 (160.5600)	45 (155.9888)
Oct 17, 2014	Harper County Bullseye BBQ Harper, KS	9 / 30 (647.4516)	9 (164.5600)	5 (170.8916)	19 (155.9884)	18 (156.0116)
Sep 19, 2014	28th Annual Cherokee Strip Cookoff Ponca City, OK	25 / 41 (629.5088)	23 (163.9772)	29 (157.0744)	13 (167.3828)	34 (141.0744)
Sep 12, 2014	Derby BBQ Festival Derby, KS	26 / 38 (656.5028)	34 (158.8228)	11 (172)	13 (170.3084)	32 (155.3716)
Jul 11, 2014	Cowley County BBQ Contest Winfield, KS	18 / 20 (611.8748)	18 (152.5600)	18 (146.2288)	10 (168)	19 (145.0860)
Sep 13, 2013	Cherokee Strip Cook-Off Ponca City, OK	30 / 33 (567.8856)	32 (142.8228)	8 (166.2972)	32 (129.6684)	32 (129.0972)

TRAVELIN' SMOKE 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

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork Ribs nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October 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)