High-water mark
673.1088
career-best overall
93.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 673.1088 at Smoke In the Springs — 93.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2019-04-12
DARKSIDE BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1498
peak 1505 · rated over 19 contests ⓘ
Contests
22
in the data
First seen
2013-08-17
latest 2022-04-08
Best ToY finish
#1141
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 22 contests
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
650.09 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 639.90 (+10.19)
Walk rate
36%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±16.14
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 164.14 · weakest Pork (156.55)
Road miles
8,193
mi across 22 mapped stops · furthest 948 mi
Schedule strength
38%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1550)
Purse competed for
$48K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 5 state-championship entries
Master avg
639.90 / 720
17 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
319.95 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
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.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (12 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BULLDOG BARBEQUE has finished one call ahead of DARKSIDE BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2019
their best year
2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 45%.
- 3 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 45%
A tough matchup
7–0
behind in the head-to-head
Boxer Q BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
Boxer Q BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
The weak link
−7.6
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.58 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 26%.
- Pork avg 156.55
- Chicken avg 164.14
- 1 calls in 17 entries
A strong matchup
5–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of SILVER FOX BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
The comeback
2.1 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2.1 years, then back at Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (2021-08-13).
- last seen 2019-07-12
- back 2021-08-13
Chicken nemesis
5 of 8
shared chicken entries lost
777 BBQ ahead 63% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, 777 BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 8 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
SMOKIN' USA has landed one call behind them 2 times.
An October team
Top 49%
average finish in October
Something about October: average finish in the top 49% across 3 contests, versus top 59% the rest of the year.
- 3 October contests
- top 59% the rest of the year
The long haul
8,193
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,193 miles across 22 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 948 miles to Winnipeg Barbeque and Blues Festival.
- 22 mapped stops
- furthest 948 mi
The metronome
±2.13%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±2.13% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 88.9% of a perfect score
- 22 contests
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3299 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1502
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 22, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#3275 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1498
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#3280 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1514
No shared contest yet.
24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#3268 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1565
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 5 years before DARKSIDE BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3300 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1503
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head#3281 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1507
No shared contest yet.
Level with DARKSIDE BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INDIGO PIG | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| 777 BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Boxer Q BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Showtime | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCK N BLUES BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE BUCKET BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| KC SMOKE DAWGS | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SILVER FOX BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE COLLAR BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| R U Rdy 4 BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 176.5828 | 152.5372 | 164.14 | top 48% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.7144 | 143.9884 | 158.50 | top 63% |
| Pork | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 170.8228 | 141.7028 | 156.55 | top 75% |
| Brisket | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 170.2972 | 142.8572 | 160.38 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 9 | 0 | top 63% |
| AR | 4 | 0 | top 62% |
| AL | 2 | 0 | top 28% |
| OK | 1 | 0 | top 71% |
| CA | 1 | 0 | top 65% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 55% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 62% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 57% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke in the Spring | 3 | 38 | 0 | top 68% | 2022-04-08 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
8.6 yrs
2013-08-17 → 2022-04-08
Busiest season
2018
4 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 9 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
9 of 22 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
17
1 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
19 entries · 1 win · 5 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 164.14 · weakest Pork (156.55)
Walk rate
36%
a top-10 call in 8 of 22 contests
Overall top-10 rate
9%
2 of 22 contests
Master average
639.90
out of 720 · 17 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
319.95
out of 360 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
697
484–582 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
8,193
22 mapped stops · furthest 948 mi
Schedule strength
1550
average field rating faced — tougher than 38% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$48,400
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 5 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2.1 yrs
2019-07-12 → 2021-08-13
Power rating
1498
peak 1505 · #3283 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Winnipeg Barbeque And Blues Festival
- First call Winnipeg Barbeque And Blues Festival
- 2014
- First overall top-10 Grill Billies BBQ Show Down
- 2015
- First category win (Chicken) Smoke in the Spring
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.0056 Smoke in the Spring
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
- 2019
- Career-best overall score673.1088 Smoke In the Springs
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5828 Smoke In the Springs
- 2021
- Peak power rating (1505) Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
- 2022
- Most recent contest Smoke in the Spring
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.5 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ | 2019-05-03 |
| +8.5 | Smoke In the Springs | 2019-04-12 |
| +8.4 | Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ | 2021-08-13 |
| +8.1 | *Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship | 2017-10-06 |
| +6.4 | Smoke in the Spring | 2015-04-10 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -7.3 | Smoke in the Spring | 2022-04-08 |
| -6.6 | Smoke in the Spring | 2016-04-08 |
| -5.8 | Winnipeg Barbeque and Blues Festival | 2014-08-16 |
| -4.5 | Winnipeg Barbeque And Blues Festival | 2013-08-17 |
| -4.4 | *Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival | 2018-05-04 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 85% | 89.2% | 89.2% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 31% | 88.4% | 88.4% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 45% | 93.5% | 91.2% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 70% | 90.4% | 88.3% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 55% | 92% | 89.1% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 85.8% | 85.8% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75% | top 57% | 91.3% | 90.2% |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 58% | 88.2% | 87.4% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 65% | 86% | 86% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-08 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 80 / 94 (642.0916) | 79 (161.1316) | 92 (147.3372) | 40 (170.8228) | 66 (162.8000) |
| 2021-08-13 | Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL | 15 / 49 (318.2288) | 13 (163.4172) | 26 (154.8116) | — | — |
| 2019-07-12 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 42 / 59 (652.5488) | 22 (169.7028) | 32 (167.4516) | 55 (155.9656) | 44 (159.4288) |
| 2019-05-03 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL | 14 / 54 (321.6800) | 11 (161.7144) | 25 (159.9656) | — | — |
| 2019-04-12 | Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS | 40 / 104 (673.1088) | 9 (176.5828) | 28 (169.7144) | 64 (164.5600) | 64 (162.2516) |
| 2018-05-25 | *10th Annual Gillett Heritage Days Festival BBQ cook off Gillett, AR | 12 / 18 (650.8684) | 13 (164.5600) | 11 (163.4400) | 13 (165.1428) | 12 (157.7256) |
| 2018-05-04 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018-05-04 | *Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival Bixby, OK | 48 / 68 (631.8284) | 48 (159.3828) | 20 (169.1200) | 63 (147.9428) | 43 (155.3828) |
| 2018-04-07 | *Smoke on the Border Gravette, AR | 24 / 33 (623.7712) | 12 (168.0000) | 26 (152.5028) | 27 (158.7884) | 31 (144.4800) |
| 2017-10-06 | *Go Hog Wild Arkansas BBQ Championship Sheridan, AR | 9 / 25 (662.2856) | 6 (169.1656) | 12 (162.8572) | 10 (165.1200) | 10 (165.1428) |
| 2017-09-22 | Bikes, Blues and BBQ Fayetteville, AR | 28 / 38 (620.3088) | 23 (163.3828) | 32 (146.1944) | 32 (150.7772) | 21 (159.9544) |
| 2017-05-05 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016-05-06 | The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016-04-08 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 87 / 109 (617.6344) | 64 (162.2628) | 53 (162.8572) | 107 (141.7028) | 84 (150.8116) |
| 2015-10-09 | Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS | 16 / 33 (643.9432) | 20 (158.2628) | 11 (163.4748) | 25 (154.2400) | 9 (167.9656) |
| 2015-07-31 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 34 / 46 (646.2168) | 33 (162.2512) | 37 (158.8228) | 40 (154.8456) | 7 (170.2972) |
| 2015-06-12 | Fire on the Frontier BBQ Classic Hays, KS | 23 / 35 (650.8344) | 23 (165.1200) | 26 (162.2628) | 33 (154.8916) | 15 (168.5600) |
| 2015-04-10 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 38 / 97 (657.0056) | 1 (176.0000) | 71 (157.6800) | 66 (159.9428) | 37 (163.3828) |
| 2014-10-10 | Smoke on the Water at Lake Shawnee Topeka, KS | 23 / 37 (623.3140) | 31 (152.5372) | 36 (143.9884) | 18 (159.9656) | 5 (166.8228) |
| 2014-08-16 | Winnipeg Barbeque and Blues Festival Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, | 18 / 26 (628.5716) | 16 (158.8688) | 17 (159.3828) | 24 (149.7256) | 12 (160.5944) |
| 2014-06-13 | Grill Billies BBQ Show Down Niverville Manitoba Canada, | 6 / 14 (634.9368) | 9 (159.4284) | 9 (157.6912) | 12 (149.7600) | 2 (168.0572) |
| 2013-08-17 | Winnipeg Barbeque And Blues Festival Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA | 17 / 26 (618.9604) | 2 (166.8800) | 19 (151.9888) | 15 (157.2344) | 24 (142.8572) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1141 (231 pts) | #1041 (286 pts) | #1122 (256 pts) | #1219 (221 pts) | #1212 (226 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2274 (60 pts) | #2353 (60 pts) | #2349 (60 pts) | #2326 (60 pts) | #2345 (60 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1252 (223 pts) | #847 (428 pts) | #1240 (248 pts) | #1532 (178 pts) | #939 (368 pts) |