GORILLA ISLANDS

GORILLA ISLANDS is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 4th of 72 at the 5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship (2016). They are ranked #1053 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,053

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1600

peak 1600 · rated over 18 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 20, 2014

latest Mar 23, 2018 · 3.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#558

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

28% of 18 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 35%

overall standings

Best overall

689.6344 / 720

Master · Horse Town Brew n Que Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

672.26 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 675.02 (-2.76)

Walk rate

72%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship

Consistency

±9.97

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 169.47 · weakest Pork Ribs (167.66)

Road miles

2,343

across 18 mapped stops · furthest 372 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1568)

Master avg

675.02 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

72% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 13 of 18 contests

A top-10 category call in 72% of their 18 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

689.6344 career-best overall

95.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 689.6344 at Horse Town Brew n Que Festival — 95.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 29, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ has finished one call ahead of GORILLA ISLANDS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

15–1 behind in the head-to-head

Burnin and Lootin ahead in 94% of their meetings

Burnin and Lootin has come out ahead in 15 of their 16 shared contests.

A strong matchup

13–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 93% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of COOL GRILLING in 13 of their 14 shared contests.

Brisket nemesis

9 of 12 shared brisket entries lost

DG FIREHOUSE BBQ ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DG FIREHOUSE BBQ has out-cooked them in 9 of 12 shared brisket entries.

The metronome

±1.38% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.38% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.8% of a perfect score
18 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	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#1970 (70 pts)	#1893 (80 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#641 (602 pts)	#631 (647 pts)	#939 (402 pts)	#812 (482 pts)	#554 (727 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#558 (674 pts)	#558 (694 pts)	#648 (599 pts)	#500 (774 pts)	#480 (784 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#981 (320 pts)	#1430 (205 pts)	#1052 (315 pts)	#1372 (220 pts)	#924 (365 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to GORILLA ISLANDS, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Rio Good BBQ

#1,050 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1603

Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

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Smoke N Poke BBQ

#1,046 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 73%
Peak: 1604

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 73% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Oct 10, 2026

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RUBY CREEK BBQ

#1,051 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1600

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Jun 19, 2026

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POOH BEAR BBQ

#1,047 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1600

3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

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REED BOYZ BBQ

#1,054 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1617

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

rated over 28 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2018

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Sure Shot BBQ

#1,052 of the rated field

1600 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1600

They turned up 8 years after GORILLA ISLANDS did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Apr 10, 2026

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Burnin and Lootin	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
COOL GRILLING	14	13	1	93%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
Smokin it Up BBQ	13	8	5	62%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' HART'S	12	7	5	58%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
DG FIREHOUSE BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TWISTED BRISKET BBQ	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Sharpe's Woodshed	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
Porterhouse BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	18	4	1	176.5944	155.9544	168.87	top 44%
Pork Ribs	18	4	0	176.5944	157.6916	167.66	top 46%
Pork	18	4	0	178.8572	157.1200	169.02	top 39%
Brisket	18	9	1	175.4172	156.5372	169.47	top 32%

“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)	7	0	top 43%
Large (40+)	11	0	top 30%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CA	16	top 34%
NV	1	top 66%
AZ	1	top 27%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( JUDGES FULL)	2	10	0	top 36%	Nov 3, 2017
Horse Town Brew n Que Festival	2	11	0	top 29%	Jun 3, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 8 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 16 of 18 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 16 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 340 finished ahead 632 times, behind 284

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

20182 milestones

Mar 23 Peak power rating (1600) 7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
Mar 23 Most recent contest 7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship

20153 milestones

Mar 20 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
May 29 Career-best overall score689.6344 Horse Town Brew n Que Festival
Jul 24 10th tracked contest 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic

20144 milestones

Jun 20 First tracked contest 3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship
Jun 20 First call 3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship
Jun 20 First overall top-10 3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship
Jun 20 First overall past 90% of a perfect score682.2404 3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship	Jun 20, 2014
+13.4	5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	Apr 1, 2016
+11.4	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival	May 29, 2015
+11	6th Annual Vista Q Classic	Jul 25, 2014
+8.9	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( Judges Full)	Nov 11, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.8	West Coast BBQ Classic	May 8, 2015
-3	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship	May 6, 2016
-0.2	Stagecoach Days 1st Annual State BBQ Championship	Jun 19, 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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	0%	top 35%	93.2%	93.2%
2017	1	0	0%	top 46%	94%	94%
2016	6	3	83%	top 35%	95.5%	93.9%
2015	8	1	88%	top 39%	95.8%	93.5%
2014	2	1	50%	top 15%	94.8%	94.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Mar 23, 2018	7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	27 / 78 (671.3716)	31 (169.1428)	53 (163.3828)	23 (168.5600)	21 (170.2860)
Nov 3, 2017	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( JUDGES FULL) Indio, CA	16 / 35 (676.4572)	20 (167.9656)	16 (167.9772)	12 (171.9656)	15 (168.5488)
Nov 11, 2016	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( Judges Full) Indio, CA	10 / 38 (686.2400)	28 (163.3828)	6 (176.5944)	11 (171.4056)	9 (174.8572)
Jun 3, 2016	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	25 / 58 (670.7428)	35 (168.5256)	23 (169.1544)	15 (170.8228)	37 (162.2400)
May 6, 2016	Smokin In Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	23 / 35 (656.4800)	24 (165.1200)	23 (162.8000)	33 (157.1200)	9 (171.4400)
Apr 15, 2016	The Ultimate BBQ showdown East vs West VII Wildomar, CA	14 / 32 (675.8972)	2 (176.5944)	25 (164.5372)	9 (170.8228)	20 (163.9428)
Apr 1, 2016	5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arciadia, CA	4 / 72 (687.9544)	9 (172.5828)	10 (173.7144)	33 (166.2400)	3 (175.4172)
Mar 18, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Tucson, AZ	8 / 30 (679.8856)	12 (169.6800)	22 (164.5256)	14 (170.8228)	4 (174.8572)
Jul 24, 2015	7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic Vista, CA	18 / 54 (682.7656)	12 (174.2628)	22 (169.6916)	33 (166.2628)	9 (172.5484)
Jun 19, 2015	Stagecoach Days 1st Annual State BBQ Championship Banning, CA	17 / 29 (674.1600)	14 (171.9888)	23 (161.6456)	16 (168.5600)	7 (171.9656)
May 29, 2015	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	11 / 75 (689.6344)	9 (175.4288)	10 (174.2628)	23 (170.8228)	35 (169.1200)
May 8, 2015	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	38 / 57 (653.0288)	48 (155.9544)	24 (167.9772)	10 (172.5600)	44 (156.5372)
Apr 10, 2015	The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI Wildomar, CA	17 / 42 (674.1712)	25 (169.1428)	19 (169.1200)	22 (168.5256)	17 (167.3828)
Mar 27, 2015	Havasu Landing CA (JUDGES LIST IS FULL) Havasu Landing, CA	9 / 25 (672.4912)	9 (167.3828)	13 (165.7028)	10 (167.9656)	4 (171.4400)
Mar 20, 2015	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	27 / 100 (678.8000)	54 (167.4400)	35 (168.5600)	4 (178.8572)	58 (163.9428)
Feb 20, 2015	The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series Rancho Mirage, CA	19 / 49 (659.3032)	21 (167.9772)	39 (157.6916)	23 (163.9428)	8 (169.6916)
Jul 25, 2014	6th Annual Vista Q Classic Vista, CA	12 / 60 (678.7656)	14 (171.9772)	22 (167.3828)	24 (167.4056)	12 (172)
Jun 20, 2014	3rd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	7 / 65 (682.2404)	39 (165.1088)	4 (173.1544)	12 (169.7028)	4 (174.2744)

GORILLA ISLANDS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (7 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Brisket 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

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 — 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)