BEAR'S-B-Q

BEAR'S-B-Q is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 10th of 40 at the America's Finest BBQ State Championship (2018). They are ranked #2450 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,450

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1522

peak 1522 · rated over 18 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 2, 2013

latest Oct 12, 2018 · 5.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#934

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

6% of 18 contests

Avg finish

top 54%

overall standings

Best overall

681.6228 / 720

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

Perfect 180s

Current form

670.53 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.59 (+12.94)

Walk rate

44%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Chicken · Temecula State BBQ Championship

Consistency

±16.62

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.53 · weakest Pork (161.84)

Road miles

769

across 18 mapped stops · furthest 89 mi

Schedule strength

38%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1550)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

657.59 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

On the rise

+28 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 28 points across 4 contests since Oct 13, 2017 — from 1494 up to 1522.

4 contests since Oct 13, 2017
now 1522

High-water mark

681.6228 career-best overall

94.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.6228 at 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship — 94.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Mar 20, 2015

Their season

2018 their best year

2018 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 29%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 29%

A tough matchup

18–0 behind in the head-to-head

LADY OF Q ahead in 100% of their meetings

LADY OF Q has come out ahead in 18 of their 18 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.7 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.69 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 17%.

Pork avg 161.84
Chicken avg 167.53
0 calls in 18 entries

A strong matchup

9–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of COOL GRILLING in 9 of their 12 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Newport Beach Winter Q (Jan 27, 2017).

last seen May 29, 2015
back Jan 27, 2017

Show 3 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

12 of 16 shared chicken entries lost

Burnin and Lootin ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Burnin and Lootin has out-cooked them in 12 of 16 shared chicken entries.

A March team

Top 40% average finish in March

Something about March: average finish in the top 40% across 3 contests, versus top 54% the rest of the year.

3 March contests
top 54% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.31% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.31% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% 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	#934 (315 pts)	#854 (390 pts)	#1205 (235 pts)	#1126 (250 pts)	#850 (395 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1016 (325 pts)	#824 (475 pts)	#945 (405 pts)	#1093 (320 pts)	#1076 (315 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1128 (255 pts)	#926 (375 pts)	#828 (435 pts)	#1172 (280 pts)	#1000 (330 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1340 (207 pts)	#1156 (282 pts)	#1405 (207 pts)	#1304 (237 pts)	#1093 (292 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BEAR'S-B-Q, each with one reason worth a look.

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

MACBBQ

#2,461 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1538

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BEAR'S-B-Q)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BEAR'S-B-Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jul 24, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKERS PURGATORY

#2,449 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 131
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1703

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BEAR'S-B-Q)

They've been 1703 at their best, 181 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 129 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

ACE BBQ

#2,447 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1522

Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

S&S Pit Crew

#2,451 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1535

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

rated over 20 contests
last seen Oct 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

RIDDLEQ'S

#2,456 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1541

Level with BEAR'S-B-Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

LINCOLN CITY BBQ COMPANY

#2,435 of the rated field

1522 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1522

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
LADY OF Q	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
Smokin it Up BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Sharpe's Woodshed	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
COOL GRILLING	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
FUNTIME BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
7 SINS BBQ	11	9	2	82%	⚔ compare
SMOKE HOUND BBQ	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
FU MAN QUE CREW	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
Meat Candy Q	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	18	3	1	177.1428	149.6456	167.53	top 44%
Pork Ribs	18	3	2	176.5600	151.9200	163.36	top 56%
Pork	18	0	0	171.4288	145.0856	161.84	top 63%
Brisket	18	3	0	173.1200	149.6344	164.85	top 45%

“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)	3	0	top 71%
Large (40+)	15	0	top 51%

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 5 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 18 of 18 contests

Contests visited 18 a different one every time

Opponents faced 358 finished ahead 491 times, behind 515

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs May 29, 2015 → Jan 27, 2017

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

20184 milestones

Sep 14 First overall top-10 America's Finest BBQ State Championship
Oct 12 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1428 Temecula State BBQ Championship
Oct 12 Peak power rating (1522) Temecula State BBQ Championship
Oct 12 Most recent contest Temecula State BBQ Championship

20152 milestones

Mar 20 Career-best overall score681.6228 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
May 29 10th tracked contest Horse Town Brew n Que Festival

20141 milestone

May 2 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.0400 Best of the Best BBQ Championship & Boat Show

20132 milestones

Aug 2 First tracked contest 5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic
Aug 2 First call 5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.4	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship	Mar 20, 2015
+9.9	America's Finest BBQ State Championship	Sep 14, 2018
+9.9	7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship	Mar 23, 2018
+8.3	Temecula State BBQ Championship	Oct 12, 2018
+7.2	Del Mar BBQ Championship	Aug 18, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.5	4th Annual Golden Acorn Casino BBQ Championship	Aug 23, 2013
-7.2	6th Annual Vista Q Classic	Jul 25, 2014
-6.9	3rd Annual VC Music Fest & BBQ	Jun 6, 2014
-3.5	West Coast BBQ Classic	May 8, 2015
-3	6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship	Mar 31, 2017

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	3	1	67%	top 29%	94.3%	94%
2017	5	0	40%	top 60%	92.8%	91.5%
2015	4	0	50%	top 48%	94.7%	92.9%
2014	4	0	25%	top 65%	91.3%	89.4%
2013	2	0	50%	top 72%	89.1%	88%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 12, 2018	Temecula State BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	15 / 46 (679.3140)	3 (177.1428)	31 (165.6800)	33 (164.5256)	10 (171.9656)
Sep 14, 2018	America's Finest BBQ State Championship 🏅 San Diego, CA	10 / 40 (677.0172)	18 (167.3828)	14 (168.5372)	11 (171.4288)	9 (169.6684)
Mar 23, 2018	7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	23 / 78 (673.0288)	27 (170.2628)	42 (165.6916)	43 (165.0972)	14 (171.9772)
Oct 13, 2017	OC BBQ Competition Costa Messa, CA	36 / 56 (654.7660)	32 (166.2744)	35 (163.9428)	45 (158.2744)	24 (166.2744)
Aug 18, 2017	Del Mar BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	20 / 52 (668.5028)	16 (170.2628)	21 (168.5600)	29 (165.0972)	23 (164.5828)
Jun 2, 2017	Horse Town Brew B Que Festival ( Judges Full) Norco, CA	37 / 57 (660.9712)	8 (176.5600)	53 (151.9200)	21 (170.8228)	37 (161.6684)
Mar 31, 2017	6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	53 / 77 (650.7316)	65 (158.2628)	39 (166.2400)	60 (157.6916)	28 (168.5372)
Jan 27, 2017	Newport Beach Winter Q Newport, CA	35 / 56 (657.5316)	18 (170.8344)	9 (173.7028)	50 (154.7772)	41 (158.2172)
May 29, 2015	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	30 / 75 (676.5600)	6 (176.5600)	21 (172.0228)	61 (160)	41 (167.9772)
May 8, 2015	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	40 / 57 (649.6000)	30 (167.3828)	49 (154.2288)	46 (157.1428)	17 (170.8456)
Apr 10, 2015	The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs West VI Wildomar, CA	24 / 42 (666.7200)	21 (170.8228)	32 (162.8116)	17 (169.7028)	27 (163.3828)
Mar 20, 2015	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	23 / 100 (681.6228)	44 (169.1200)	3 (176.5600)	61 (162.8228)	15 (173.1200)
Oct 2, 2014	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	52 / 97 (657.0512)	15 (173.1428)	79 (157.6800)	36 (167.9772)	66 (158.2512)
Jul 25, 2014	6th Annual Vista Q Classic Vista, CA	48 / 60 (640.4456)	20 (170.2856)	48 (154.8116)	58 (145.0856)	15 (170.2628)
Jun 6, 2014	3rd Annual VC Music Fest & BBQ Valley Center, CA	26 / 32 (627.2340)	30 (149.6456)	29 (153.6456)	19 (159.9656)	18 (163.9772)
May 2, 2014	Best of the Best BBQ Championship & Boat Show Lake Elsinore, CA	12 / 27 (649.0400)	15 (163.4284)	16 (155.9544)	14 (162.8344)	5 (166.8228)
Aug 23, 2013	4th Annual Golden Acorn Casino BBQ Championship Campo, CA	23 / 26 (624.9484)	12 (166.2284)	18 (155.9772)	24 (153.1084)	21 (149.6344)
Aug 2, 2013	5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic Vista, CA	26 / 46 (641.5428)	40 (151.9200)	3 (172.5828)	14 (166.8228)	38 (150.2172)

BEAR'S-B-Q

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 (10 found in their record)

On the rise

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

A March team

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

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)