SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES

SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 5th of 32 at the Barbecue on the Bow (2014). They are ranked #4248 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,248

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1478

peak 1506 · rated over 16 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 14, 2014

latest May 25, 2019 · 4.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1449

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

19% of 16 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 59%

overall standings

Best overall

659.3028 / 720

Master · These Were the Days BBQ Showdown

Perfect 180s

Current form

621.28 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 613.78 (+7.50)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.8456

Chicken · These Were the Days BBQ Showdown

Consistency

±47.85

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.95 · weakest Brisket (152.60)

Road miles

2,979

across 16 mapped stops · furthest 469 mi

Schedule strength

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1512)

Master avg

613.78 / 720

16 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

A tough matchup

15–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMELLAQUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMELLAQUE has come out ahead in 15 of their 15 shared contests.

The weak link

−11.4 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 11.35 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 53%.

Brisket avg 152.60
Chicken avg 163.95
3 calls in 16 entries

A strong matchup

7–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 70% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of MOTLEY QUE in 7 of their 10 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

9 of 14 shared chicken entries lost

SMELLAQUE ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMELLAQUE has out-cooked them in 9 of 14 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Northlands Pitmasters has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 44% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 44% across 5 contests, versus top 59% the rest of the year.

5 June contests
top 59% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Porkapalooza BBQ Festival every year from 2014 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 7th

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1804 (82 pts)	#1520 (132 pts)	#1988 (67 pts)	#1922 (77 pts)	#1712 (107 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1449 (182 pts)	#1303 (232 pts)	#1991 (107 pts)	#1619 (162 pts)	#1869 (127 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Saltworks BBQ

#4,241 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1500

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 20, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

WOODBROTHERS BBQ

#4,230 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

20 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Oct 15, 2021

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JERIMIAH JOHNSON MOUNTAIN MAN BBQ

#4,238 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1507

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

rated over 21 contests
last seen May 27, 2023

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Q-THIS

#4,239 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1478

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Apr 26, 2019

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62nd St BBQ

#4,233 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1478

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2024

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Three Stooges bbq

#4,237 of the rated field

1478 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1502

They turned up 5 years after SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 25, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
SMELLAQUE	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKAPALOOZA	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Smoky Butt BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
MOTLEY QUE	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
YOU NEED A BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
Northlands Pitmasters	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
THE DEVIL MADE ME Q IT	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' SAUCED BBQ CANADA	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
BBQ TEAM NAIT	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SUPER BBQ BROS. CANADA	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SAUCY DAWG BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
HOUSE OF Q	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	15	8	2	174.8456	145.1200	163.95	top 37%
Pork Ribs	16	2	0	168.5828	138.8000	152.71	top 68%
Pork	16	3	0	166.8456	138.2172	154.76	top 59%
Brisket	16	3	0	166.8112	142.7884	152.60	top 60%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 61%
Medium (20–39)	12	top 64%
Large (40+)	2	top 26%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CA	4	top 37%
AB	3	top 67%
SK	1	top 80%
BC	1	top 86%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	5	7	0	top 44%	Jun 16, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 2.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 4 of 16 contests · 4 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 12 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 204 finished ahead 215 times, behind 257

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

20191 milestone

May 25 Most recent contest Heritage Heat Western Smokin BBQ

20161 milestone

Sep 3 10th tracked contest BBQ on the Bow

20152 milestones

Aug 8 Career-best overall score659.3028 These Were the Days BBQ Showdown
Aug 8 Career-best single call (Chicken)174.8456 These Were the Days BBQ Showdown

20145 milestones

Jun 14 First tracked contest Porkapalooza BBQ Festival
Aug 30 First call Barbecue on the Bow
Aug 30 First overall top-10 Barbecue on the Bow
Aug 30 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.8572 Barbecue on the Bow
Aug 30 Peak power rating (1506) Barbecue on the Bow

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 18, 2016
+12.3	Barbecue on the Bow	Aug 30, 2014
+6.5	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 16, 2018
+5.7	Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown	Aug 6, 2016
+3.9	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 10, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.3	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch	May 14, 2016
-11	Barn Burner BBQ	Mar 21, 2015
-8.7	These Were the Days BBQ Showdown	Aug 8, 2015
-8.2	Heritage Heat Western Smokin BBQ	May 25, 2019
-6.6	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 14, 2014

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)
2019	1	0	100%	top 82%	83.9%	83.9%
2018	2	0	50%	top 46%	87.5%	87.5%
2017	3	0	67%	top 63%	86.7%	85.7%
2016	4	2	50%	top 58%	88.8%	81.2%
2015	4	0	50%	top 66%	91.6%	87%
2014	2	1	50%	top 44%	91.5%	87.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 25, 2019	Heritage Heat Western Smokin BBQ Mountain View, AB	18 / 22 (604.4228)	9 (162.8456)	21 (142.7772)	19 (145.6684)	13 (153.1316)
Jun 16, 2018	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton	18 / 51 (630.2736)	18 (162.2856)	14 (162.2512)	24 (154.8684)	33 (150.8684)
May 12, 2018	Smokin Q at Lynwood Ranch Aldersyde	17 / 30 (630.2856)	9 (163.4284)	5 (168.5828)	25 (152.5600)	29 (145.7144)
Jul 7, 2017	BBQ on the Elbow at the Calgary Stampede Calgary	17 / 23 (616.9252)	14 (159.9544)	16 (155.3712)	15 (152.4912)	16 (149.1084)
Jun 10, 2017	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton	17 / 39 (624.4692)	3 (173.1200)	33 (143.4060)	9 (159.9772)	31 (147.9660)
May 13, 2017	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Okotoks, AB	24 / 34 (608.9944)	4 (168.5716)	29 (141.6456)	33 (138.2172)	7 (160.5600)
Sep 3, 2016	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	26 / 35 (621.0408)	13 (161.7260)	30 (147.3372)	27 (153.6916)	19 (158.2860)
Aug 6, 2016	Those Were The Days BBQ Showdown North Battleford, Saskatchewan, CA	7 / 17 (635.4632)	6 (162.8800)	12 (157.7144)	13 (156.5600)	8 (158.3088)
Jun 18, 2016	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton, CA	7 / 42 (639.4740)	4 (169.7256)	10 (162.8800)	12 (160.5712)	30 (146.2972)
May 14, 2016	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Aldersyde, Alberta Canada	34 / 34 (442.7200)	—	28 (151.9316)	25 (148)	32 (142.7884)
Sep 5, 2015	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, AB	17 / 35 (632.4684)	12 (169.1200)	20 (153.0856)	24 (151.9656)	15 (158.2972)
Aug 8, 2015	These Were the Days BBQ Showdown North Battleford, SK	12 / 15 (659.3028)	5 (174.8456)	15 (156.5372)	11 (161.1088)	7 (166.8112)
Jun 19, 2015	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton Alberta	15 / 30 (626.2056)	17 (158.2744)	17 (154.8112)	8 (163.4172)	15 (149.7028)
Mar 21, 2015	Barn Burner BBQ Yarrow, BC	18 / 21 (588.5372)	19 (145.1200)	20 (138.8000)	11 (155.4400)	12 (149.1772)
Aug 30, 2014	Barbecue on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	5 / 32 (658.8572)	3 (172.5944)	15 (160.5256)	7 (166.8456)	11 (158.8916)
Jun 14, 2014	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton Alberta Canada	21 / 29 (601.0288)	18 (154.8112)	24 (145.7032)	13 (154.7884)	19 (145.7260)

SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES

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)

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

A standing appointment

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)