WATER HAWGS BBQ

WATER HAWGS BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 26 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 9th of 36 at the Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) (2018). They are ranked #2562 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,562

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1518

peak 1521 · rated over 15 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 3, 2015

latest Jul 19, 2019 · 3.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#683

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

8% of 26 contests

Avg finish

top 58%

overall standings

Best overall

688.4800 / 720

Master · Roman Roast on the River

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

671.65 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 667.98 (+3.67)

Walk rate

31%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 2

Consistency

±12.11

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 170.03 · weakest Brisket (165.26)

Road miles

2,411

across 26 mapped stops · furthest 307 mi

Schedule strength

84%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1612)

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

667.98 / 720

15 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

High-water mark

688.4800 career-best overall

95.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 688.4800 at Roman Roast on the River — 95.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 11, 2018

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

UNCLE BUD'S BBQ has finished one call ahead of WATER HAWGS BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–1 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKE ON THIS ahead in 89% of their meetings

SMOKE ON THIS has come out ahead in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.77 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 13% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 165.26
Chicken avg 170.03
2 calls in 15 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Stewbabys BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

8 of 9 shared chicken entries lost

SMOKE ON THIS ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMOKE ON THIS has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

They cook the hard rooms

1612 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 84% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1612 power rating — a tougher draw than 84% of every rated contest in the data.

15 rated contests

The metronome

±1.68% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.68% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.8% of a perfect score
26 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
2019 ↗	Master	#1779 (87 pts)	#1879 (87 pts)	#1815 (97 pts)	#2024 (62 pts)	#1648 (117 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#683 (498 pts)	#564 (663 pts)	#759 (473 pts)	#720 (503 pts)	#678 (538 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1467 (175 pts)	#1435 (195 pts)	#1480 (185 pts)	#1579 (165 pts)	#1424 (195 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1105 (282 pts)	#1004 (352 pts)	#1173 (282 pts)	#803 (487 pts)	#1168 (277 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2026 (80 pts)	#2094 (80 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#1695 (135 pts)	#2079 (80 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to WATER HAWGS BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BUNCH OF BUTTS

#2,555 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1518

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to WATER HAWGS BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team WATER HAWGS BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Nov 15, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG MO FROM AHO

#2,559 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1521

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to WATER HAWGS BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 20 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Mar 23, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

SLOWLY BUTT SMOKIN

#2,558 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1559

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to WATER HAWGS BBQ)

Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 26, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Oct 11, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

DEEP SOUTH BBQ

#2,572 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 78
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1603

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to WATER HAWGS BBQ)

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 78 contests, alongside a 22% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 76 contests
last seen Jul 6, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

THIRD SWINES CHARM

#2,580 of the rated field

1518 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1518

They turned up 8 years after WATER HAWGS BBQ did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 13 contests
last seen May 29, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

ROCK N SMOKE

#2,554 of the rated field

1519 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1532

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 3 years before WATER HAWGS BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 13 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RUNWAY SMOKE	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
K-TOWN DADDY'S BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Bubba Q	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
ATLANTA BBQ STORE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SWINE DINING GA	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Under the Radar	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW GA	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
ROAST BEAST BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	15	4	1	180 🔥	163.9428	170.03	top 50%
Pork Ribs	15	1	0	173.7028	158.2856	166.48	top 59%
Pork	15	4	1	178.8572	156.5488	166.21	top 59%
Brisket	15	2	0	173.1200	155.3600	165.26	top 57%

“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)	9	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 61%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
GA	11	0	top 57%
TN	4	0	top 63%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Que'n in Cumming (Day 2)	2	32	0	top 79%	Nov 19, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 7 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 21 of 26 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 14 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 304 finished ahead 238 times, behind 355

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

20193 milestones

Feb 1 Peak power rating (1521) Brasstown Valley Resort BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)
Mar 1 25th tracked contest Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
Jul 19 Most recent contest Piggin in the Park

20183 milestones

May 11 Career-best overall score688.4800 Roman Roast on the River
Jul 14 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 2
Aug 24 First overall top-10 Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)

20153 milestones

Oct 3 First call Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier)
Oct 3 First overall past 90% of a perfect score673.5884 Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier)
Nov 20 10th tracked contest The National BBQ Cup

20141 milestone

Apr 25 First tracked contest BBQ Boogie & Blues (SBBQA)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.2	Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)	Aug 24, 2018
+10.9	Roman Roast on the River	May 11, 2018
+7.6	The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig	Jul 14, 2017
+4.3	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier)	Oct 3, 2015
+2.6	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival	Oct 12, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.7	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 1	Jul 13, 2018
-5.4	Que'n in Cumming (Day 2)	Nov 19, 2016
-4	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	Mar 1, 2019
-2.2	Que'n in Cumming (Day 1)	Nov 18, 2016
-1.5	Roman Roast on the River	May 12, 2017

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	3	1	33%	top 54%	93.2%	92.8%
2018	5	1	80%	top 55%	95.6%	93.6%
2017	2	0	0%	top 51%	93.9%	92.8%
2016	6	0	33%	top 71%	93.5%	91.6%
2015	7	0	14%	top 51%	93.6%	93.6%
2014	3	0	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 19, 2019	Piggin in the Park 🏅 Jasper, GA	10 / 25 (671.2796)	9 (170.2512)	12 (168.5256)	15 (165.0856)	11 (167.4172)
Mar 1, 2019	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	34 / 62 (666.7316)	36 (166.8228)	21 (169.7144)	40 (163.9544)	31 (166.2400)
Feb 1, 2019	Brasstown Valley Resort BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Young Harris, GA	18 / 27 (666.1256)	18 (169.6684)	16 (165.0972)	23 (161.6684)	12 (169.6916)
Oct 12, 2018	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival Lyons, GA	15 / 26 (671.3372)	22 (163.9772)	8 (171.4172)	20 (163.9656)	9 (171.9772)
Aug 24, 2018	Great American BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Franklin, TN	9 / 36 (682.7884)	11 (173.7028)	18 (167.9772)	6 (172.5484)	13 (168.5600)
Jul 14, 2018	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 2 Jamestown, TN	23 / 32 (682.7428)	3 (180)	14 (173.7028)	29 (161.6572)	23 (167.3828)
Jul 13, 2018	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In Day 1 Jamestown, TN	36 / 40 (643.8056)	31 (163.9428)	27 (164.5488)	39 (158.1940)	33 (157.1200)
May 11, 2018	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	12 / 39 (688.4800)	6 (176.5600)	34 (164.5372)	10 (174.2628)	8 (173.1200)
Jul 14, 2017	The Georgia Smithfield Guinea Pig Cummings, GA	16 / 41 (675.8624)	21 (169.1084)	18 (168.5484)	16 (169.6800)	17 (168.5256)
May 12, 2017	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	23 / 37 (659.8284)	14 (169.6800)	19 (163.9544)	30 (162.2284)	18 (163.9656)
Nov 19, 2016	Que'n in Cumming (Day 2) Cumming, GA	32 / 37 (652.9484)	28 (166.2400)	26 (166.2284)	28 (165.1200)	36 (155.3600)
Nov 18, 2016	Que'n in Cumming (Day 1) Cumming, GA	34 / 47 (652.9600)	32 (167.3828)	31 (166.2284)	43 (156.5488)	35 (162.8000)
Jul 8, 2016	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off and Cruise In Jamestown, TN	14 / 22 (673.0288)	5 (176.5600)	14 (166.2516)	13 (167.4056)	15 (162.8116)
May 13, 2016	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 29, 2016	BBQ Boogie & Blues (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Mar 4, 2016	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival (GBC Qualifier) Lawrenceville, GA	36 / 59 (658.2400)	34 (165.6800)	49 (158.2856)	2 (178.8572)	49 (155.4172)
Nov 20, 2015	The National BBQ Cup Cumming, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Nov 13, 2015	Smokin' Up The Saddle Club (GBC Qualifier) Chatsworth, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 3, 2015	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	21 / 41 (673.5884)	21 (170.8228)	33 (162.2400)	10 (172)	21 (168.5256)
Aug 28, 2015	Hawgin on Lanier (GBC Qualifier) Gainesville, GA	—	—	—	—	—
May 8, 2015	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 24, 2015	BBQ Boogie & Blues (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Mar 6, 2015	Smokin In The Square Pensacola, FL	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 18, 2014	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA) Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
May 9, 2014	Roman Roast on the River (SBBQA) Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 25, 2014	BBQ Boogie & Blues (SBBQA) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—

WATER HAWGS BBQ

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 (9 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

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, averaged over 5 contests — 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)