The heartbreaker
3.9656
points from the title
Came within 3.9656 points of the Grand Championship at KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees (2018-06-23).
FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1562
peak 1588 · rated over 17 contests ⓘ
Best runs
3
straight top-10s
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
2015-08-15
latest 2022-09-10
Best ToY finish
#503
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
5
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
of 17 contests
Avg finish
top 39%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
621.18 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 640.47 (-19.29)
Walk rate
88%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
best run (overall)
Consistency
±52.72
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 165.29 · weakest Pork (157.94)
Road miles
951
mi across 17 mapped stops · furthest 75 mi
Schedule strength
30%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)
Purse competed for
$2K
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
Master avg
640.47 / 720
17 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (15 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.
Happy hunting ground
Top 9%
average finish here
KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees is their spot: an average finish in the top 9% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 2nd
- average top 9%
A multi-meat day
1
contests with 2+ category wins
They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees (2017-06-10).
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
They almost always walk
88%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 15 of 17 contests
A top-10 category call in 88% of their 17 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
686.9028
career-best overall
95.4% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 686.9028 at *EUregio Barbeque Festival — 95.4% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2017-08-19
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BBQ HIGHLANDER has finished one call ahead of FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2017
their best year
2017 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 3 category wins, at an average finish in the top 10%.
- 3 contests
- 3 overall top-10s
- 3 category wins
- average top 10%
A tough matchup
12–3
behind in the head-to-head
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ahead in 80% of their meetings
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ has come out ahead in 12 of their 15 shared contests.
The weak link
−7.4
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.35 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 41% of the time against 41%.
- Pork avg 157.94
- Chicken avg 165.29
- 7 calls in 17 entries
A strong matchup
7–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 78% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of TEAM BBQ SHOP LIMBURG in 7 of their 9 shared contests.
The comeback
2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" BBQ (2020-09-12).
- last seen 2018-09-22
- back 2020-09-12
Chicken nemesis
11 of 15
shared chicken entries lost
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ahead 73% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 15 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
BBQ+ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±7.32%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±7.32% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 89.0% of a perfect score
- best 95.4%
A June team
Top 19%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 19% across 3 contests, versus top 39% the rest of the year.
- 3 June contests
- top 39% the rest of the year
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.
53 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1525 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1562
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#1541 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1565
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1527 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1570
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 22 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1539 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1562
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 14 contests, alongside a 36% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#1534 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 62%
- Peak
- 1577
No shared contest yet.
Level with FIRE, SMOKE & FLAVOR on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#1532 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 63%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2015.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ | 15 | 3 | 12 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ+ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| IQ - NETHERLANDS | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Backcorner BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ WIESEL | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM BBQ SHOP LIMBURG | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| VIKING BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| PUREBBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| DE FILOUS | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| White Squirrel BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| BETER WORDT HET NIET BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| ROKENDE REGAHS | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| DRAGON BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKIN' PORKETEERS | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BAERL B Q (DE) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 17 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 177.1544 | 148.0000 | 165.29 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 174.8916 | 153.1428 | 164.08 | top 37% |
| Pork | 17 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 176.5944 | 20.0000 | 157.94 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 171.4172 | 142.2056 | 162.81 | top 39% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 36% |
| NR | 1 | 0 | top 36% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 0 | top 42% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 31% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *EUregio Barbeque Festival | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 55% | 2018-08-18 |
| KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 9% | 2018-06-23 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
7.1 yrs
2015-08-15 → 2022-09-10
Busiest season
2018
5 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 7 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
DE
1 of 17 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
15
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
17 entries · 2 wins · 7 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 165.29 · weakest Pork (157.94)
Walk rate
88%
a top-10 call in 15 of 17 contests
Overall top-10 rate
47%
8 of 17 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight contests
Master average
640.47
out of 720 · 17 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
243
400–226 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
951
17 mapped stops · furthest 75 mi
Schedule strength
1541
average field rating faced — tougher than 30% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$1,800
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
Longest layoff
2 yrs
2018-09-22 → 2020-09-12
Power rating
1562
peak 1588 · #1537 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2015
- First tracked contest EUregio BBQ Festival
- First call EUregio BBQ Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.4400 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015
- 2016
- First category win (Chicken) EUregio Barbecue Festival
- First overall top-10 EUregio Barbecue Festival
- 2017
- First overall podium *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- First Reserve Championship *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- First multi-meat day *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1544 *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- Career-best overall score686.9028 *EUregio Barbeque Festival
- 2018
- 10th tracked contest KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- Peak power rating (1588) KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees
- 2022
- Most recent contest Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" BBQ Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.4 | *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees | 2017-06-10 |
| +14 | *EUregio Barbeque Festival | 2017-08-19 |
| +12.9 | KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees | 2018-06-23 |
| +12.4 | KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018 | 2018-04-28 |
| +11.8 | 4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017 | 2017-09-22 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -17.6 | *EUregio Barbeque Festival | 2018-08-18 |
| -17.2 | Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" Barbeque Contest | 2021-09-11 |
| -3.2 | Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" BBQ Contest | 2022-09-10 |
| -2.5 | 5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 | 2018-09-22 |
| -2.3 | EUregio BBQ Festival | 2015-08-15 |
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 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 51% | 91.9% | 90.3% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 73% | 91.6% | 79.2% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 23% | 92.5% | 92.5% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 80% | top 42% | 94% | 87.6% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 100% | top 10% | 95.4% | 94% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 36% | 93% | 91.5% |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 44% | 90.5% | 88.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-09-10 | Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" BBQ Contest Dongen, 5106NC | 17 / 28 (638.1832) | 16 (164.5372) | 6 (166.8460) | 22 (155.9544) | 19 (150.8456) |
| 2022-06-25 | Riverland Smokers BBQ Contest 6669 MH Dodewaard, | 9 / 22 (661.6572) | 14 (164.5484) | 9 (166.2744) | 13 (163.9772) | 9 (166.8572) |
| 2021-10-23 | KCBS International BBQ contest Vuur en Vlees Liesselseweg, Deurne, 5752 SC | 14 / 30 (659.2912) | 18 (164.5256) | 21 (159.9656) | 18 (163.3828) | 4 (171.4172) |
| 2021-09-11 | Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" Barbeque Contest Dongen, 5106NC | 29 / 29 (480.5256) | 27 (151.3828) | — | 12 (164.0000) | 12 (165.1428) |
| 2020-09-12 | Farm Meat "De Vaartse Hoeve" BBQ Dongen, 5106NC | 7 / 31 (666.2516) | 14 (164.5600) | 21 (156.5372) | 3 (176.5944) | 6 (168.5600) |
| 2018-09-22 | 5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 Waltrop, | 39 / 73 (635.3600) | 26 (164.5600) | 24 (161.7372) | 11 (166.8572) | 63 (142.2056) |
| 2018-08-18 | *EUregio Barbeque Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren/NRW, 52525 | 32 / 32 (529.1316) | 7 (171.9772) | 1 (171.4744) | 32 (20.0000) | 9 (165.6800) |
| 2018-06-23 | KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees Deurne, 5753 PN | 2 / 22 (673.1200) | 4 (167.9772) | 5 (166.8572) | 6 (168.0000) | 2 (170.2856) |
| 2018-04-28 | KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018 Reichshof, 51580 | 3 / 32 (676.5944) | 9 (170.8572) | 7 (164.5828) | 4 (175.4172) | 12 (165.7372) |
| 2018-03-24 | Springbreak BBQ Contest Lommel Belgium , 3920 | 14 / 39 (639.3484) | 36 (148.0000) | 4 (166.8572) | 18 (159.4056) | 8 (165.0856) |
| 2017-09-22 | 4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017 Waltrop NRW, Germany, | 8 / 66 (666.3660) | 4 (173.1544) | 30 (161.7716) | 8 (171.4400) | 29 (160.0000) |
| 2017-08-19 | *EUregio Barbeque Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren/NRW, 52525 | 3 / 31 (686.9028) | 4 (173.7028) | 1 (174.8916) | 8 (171.4284) | 10 (166.8800) |
| 2017-06-10 | *KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees Deurne, 5753 PN | 2 / 24 (677.6688) | 1 (177.1544) | 18 (162.2400) | 1 (173.1200) | 10 (165.1544) |
| 2016-09-24 | 3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE | 24 / 67 (648.4912) | 47 (158.2400) | 49 (153.1428) | 4 (174.2856) | 19 (162.8228) |
| 2016-08-20 | EUregio Barbecue Festival Waldfeutch-Haaren/NRW, NR | 10 / 28 (669.6804) | 1 (176.5600) | 17 (162.8460) | 14 (168.5944) | 17 (161.6800) |
| 2015-09-25 | 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015 Herten, NRW, | 16 / 67 (651.4400) | 48 (157.7144) | 7 (168.0572) | 30 (160.5828) | 14 (165.0856) |
| 2015-08-15 | EUregio BBQ Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren / Nordrhein , | 14 / 22 (627.9544) | 15 (160.5372) | 8 (161.1888) | 19 (151.9656) | 14 (154.2628) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #740 (225 pts) | #827 (200 pts) | #690 (300 pts) | #890 (175 pts) | #776 (215 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #807 (164 pts) | #906 (144 pts) | #1247 (75 pts) | #726 (209 pts) | #566 (324 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #580 (161 pts) | #771 (111 pts) | #870 (76 pts) | #489 (231 pts) | #594 (171 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #503 (711 pts) | #598 (621 pts) | #405 (891 pts) | #576 (651 pts) | #508 (726 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #614 (635 pts) | #585 (690 pts) | #918 (425 pts) | #713 (580 pts) | #1076 (315 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1411 (193 pts) | #1034 (338 pts) | #1710 (153 pts) | #1108 (318 pts) | #1496 (183 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1293 (207 pts) | #1601 (157 pts) | #1082 (307 pts) | #1689 (137 pts) | #1306 (217 pts) |