THE SMOKING HILLS KS
Rating
1634
peak 1647 · rated over 27 contests
Contests
30
in the data
First seen
2019-03-15
latest 2026-06-05
Best ToY finish
#21
Master 2018
Grand champs
1
4 reserve
Category wins
7
15 podiums
Overall top-10s
10
of 30 contests
Avg finish
top 30%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
686.21 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 677.05 (+9.17)
Walk rate
53%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±31.40
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 171.21 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.01)
Road miles
5863
mi across 30 mapped stops · furthest 1439 mi
Schedule strength
54%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1549)
Purse competed for
$514K
listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 25 state-championship entries
Master avg
677.05 / 720
26 Master contests · 1 GC
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX has finished one call ahead of THE SMOKING HILLS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
GETTIN' BASTED has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
GETTIN' BASTED has come out ahead in 13 of their 16 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of LA PASADITA in 10 of their 12 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Big Blue BBQ Championship is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 6 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 1.6912 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin on The Harbor (2021-08-20).
😤 Brisket nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, GETTIN' BASTED has out-cooked them in 10 of 16 shared brisket entries.
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 3 of 64 at their very first tracked contest, Qlathe BBQ Championship (2019-03-15).
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Big Blue BBQ Championship (2021-06-04).
Teams like this (closest power rating, KS first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 20 | 10 | 10 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| UNFAMOUS DAVE'S | 16 | 11 | 5 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| LOVE 2 Q | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Fat&Dumb BBQ | 13 | 9 | 4 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE THIS BBQ MO | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| UNCLE BUB'S BBQ, LLC | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| T-MAC SMOKIN | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 27 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 159.3940 | 170.39 | top 39% |
| Pork Ribs | 27 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 179.4400 | 20.0000 | 165.01 | top 35% |
| Pork | 27 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 177.7028 | 161.6684 | 170.24 | top 42% |
| Brisket | 27 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 180.0000 🔥 | 161.6456 | 171.21 | top 31% |
“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 | 18 | 1 | top 30% |
| MO | 5 | 0 | top 26% |
| OK | 2 | 0 | top 43% |
| CA | 1 | 0 | — |
| CO | 1 | 0 | top 24% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 11% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 1 | top 29% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 31% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Blue BBQ Championship | 6 | 1 | 1 | top 18% | 2025-06-06 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 25 | 0 | top 19% | 2023-09-27 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST | 2 | 66 | 0 | top 53% | 2022-09-29 |
| Smokin on The Harbor (JUDGING FULL) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 25% | 2022-08-05 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (12 contests)
- Cooks mostly in KS (21 of 30 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (27 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Big Blue BBQ Championship (2019-05-31)
- Wins it all in 3% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 677.05 / 720
- 3 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-03-15 — First tracked contest · Qlathe BBQ Championship
- 📣 2019-03-15 — First call · Qlathe BBQ Championship
- 🔥 2019-03-23 — First perfect 180 (Chicken) · Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2
- 🏆 2019-05-31 — First Grand Championship · Big Blue BBQ Championship
- 🎖️ 2024-05-31 — 25th tracked contest · Big Blue BBQ Championship
- ⭐ 2024-10-30 — Career-best overall score (697.6916) · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- 📈 2025-10-24 — Peak power rating (1647) · 1st Annual Boost & BBQ
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.8 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | 2019-05-31 |
| +15 | Qlathe BBQ Championship | 2019-03-15 |
| +14.9 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | 2021-06-04 |
| +13.6 | BBQ, Bikes and Blues | 2019-04-26 |
| +12.9 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | 2022-06-03 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -16.9 | Grasshopper '19 | 2019-05-10 |
| -13.4 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | 2026-06-05 |
| -8.6 | Blues Brew & BBQ (NBBQL COMPETITOR Series) | 2019-04-05 |
| -8.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST | 2021-09-16 |
| -6 | Big Blue BBQ Championship | 2023-06-02 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 92.4% | 92.4% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 100% | top 25% | 96.4% | 95.9% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33% | top 13% | 96.9% | 96.1% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 35% | 96.7% | 94.9% |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60% | top 24% | 95.6% | 95.4% |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 50% | top 32% | 96.3% | 94.1% |
| 2019 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 58% | top 28% | 96.7% | 93% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-05 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 23 / 25 (665.5772) | 25 (163.3944) | 20 (163.9772) | 22 (167.3828) | 12 (170.8228) |
| 2025-10-24 | 1st Annual Boost & BBQ 🏅 Odessa, MO | 11 / 25 (687.3832) | 24 (161.6916) | 5 (174.8572) | 18 (170.8344) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2025-06-06 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 2 / 29 (694.2056) | 17 (169.6800) | 10 (173.7028) | 7 (173.1200) | 1 (177.7028) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 24 / 444 (697.6916) | 89 (175.4056) | 21 (177.7144) | 118 (172.5600) | 87 (172.0116) |
| 2024-05-31 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 5 / 25 (686.2056) | 13 (170.8228) | 1 (179.4400) | 20 (162.8000) | 7 (173.1428) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 25 / 487 (695.9656) | 173 (170.8800) | 149 (171.9772) | 24 (177.7028) | 45 (175.4056) |
| 2023-06-02 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 18 / 28 (670.7428) | 20 (165.1200) | 21 (163.9772) | 5 (173.1200) | 13 (168.5256) |
| 2022-10-01 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 66 / 249 (687.9428) | 112 (171.9772) | 9 (177.7372) | 202 (166.2284) | 78 (172.0000) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 99 / 505 (684.4684) | 262 (167.3828) | 56 (175.4056) | 72 (174.2972) | 212 (167.3828) |
| 2022-08-05 | Smokin on The Harbor (JUDGING FULL) 🏅 Warsaw, MO | 10 / 25 (687.3944) | 15 (166.2400) | 5 (174.3088) | 11 (170.2856) | 6 (176.5600) |
| 2022-06-03 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 2 / 25 (688.4684) | 9 (170.8228) | 9 (171.4056) | 3 (173.1200) | 3 (173.1200) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 149 / 467 (176.5600) | 334 (160.5600) | 267 (164.5716) | 308 (161.6684) | 101 (170.8112) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 146 / 185 (669.0400) | 60 (173.1200) | 180 (155.9544) | 83 (170.8228) | 98 (169.1428) |
| 2021-08-20 | Smokin on The Harbor 🏅 Warsaw, MO | 2 / 19 (669.7944) | 10 (159.4284) | 2 (176.6400) | 3 (170.2744) | 6 (163.4516) |
| 2021-06-04 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 2 / 28 (693.1200) | 1 (177.7372) | 6 (173.1544) | 14 (168.5256) | 5 (173.7028) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 61 / 468 (683.3480) | 26 (176.0000) | 144 (168.5484) | 72 (172.5484) | 194 (166.2512) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 40 / 135 (689.6112) | 13 (177.7028) | 50 (171.4172) | 62 (170.8228) | 83 (169.6684) |
| 2019-06-21 | Silicon Valley BBQ Championship 🏅 Santa Clara, CA | 15 (671.3596) | 36 (159.3940) | 20 (164.5600) | 1 (177.1428) | 12 (170.2628) |
| 2019-06-14 | 26th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO | 13 / 55 (675.3256) | 6 (174.2628) | 27 (164.0000) | 16 (168.5372) | 15 (168.5256) |
| 2019-05-31 | Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS | 1 / 29 (696.5028) | 1 (180.0000) | 2 (174.8572) | 14 (167.3828) | 2 (174.2628) |
| 2019-05-10 | Grasshopper '19 🏅 DeSoto, KS | 53 / 53 (530.7540) | 31 (169.1084) | 53 (20.0000) | 29 (170.8228) | 21 (170.8228) |
| 2019-04-26 | BBQ, Bikes and Blues 🏅 Washington, MO | 3 / 39 (690.7772) | 3 (177.7144) | 4 (174.2628) | 26 (165.6800) | 12 (173.1200) |
| 2019-04-12 | Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS | 17 / 104 (686.2056) | 13 (175.4056) | 44 (166.8572) | 14 (173.1200) | 31 (170.8228) |
| 2019-04-05 | Blues Brew & BBQ (NBBQL COMPETITOR Series) Springfiled, MO | 8 (671.9884) | 10 (163.9656) | 9 (161.1544) | 4 (172.0228) | 3 (174.8456) |
| 2019-03-23 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 13 / 62 (689.6228) | 1 (180.0000) | 8 (174.8572) | 18 (173.1200) | 51 (161.6456) |
| 2019-03-22 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 48 / 74 (659.8512) | 46 (167.3828) | 50 (162.2744) | 55 (162.8112) | 31 (167.3828) |
| 2019-03-15 | Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 3 / 64 (694.2172) | 7 (175.4172) | 4 (177.7144) | 19 (169.6800) | 13 (171.4056) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #894 (60 pts) | #1209 (50 pts) | #974 (75 pts) | #912 (65 pts) | #792 (115 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #501 (374 pts) | #884 (149 pts) | #630 (304 pts) | #669 (244 pts) | #394 (554 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #655 (240 pts) | #840 (170 pts) | #595 (355 pts) | #895 (135 pts) | #737 (215 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #860 (148 pts) | #964 (138 pts) | #1071 (133 pts) | #681 (243 pts) | #852 (173 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #439 (495 pts) | #585 (355 pts) | #482 (515 pts) | #483 (465 pts) | #449 (510 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #316 (617 pts) | #386 (517 pts) | #388 (532 pts) | #424 (447 pts) | #433 (457 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #261 (1105 pts) | #200 (1280 pts) | #327 (960 pts) | #356 (930 pts) | #432 (780 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #21 (2524 pts) | #25 (2295 pts) | #32 (2187 pts) | #55 (2041 pts) | #4 (2649 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #27 (2485 pts) | #35 (2223 pts) | #5 (2560 pts) | #25 (2325 pts) | #18 (2475 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #31 (2456 pts) | #32 (2229 pts) | #10 (2492 pts) | #48 (2069 pts) | #17 (2451 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #35 (2372 pts) | #128 (1664 pts) | #73 (1949 pts) | #72 (1953 pts) | #28 (2344 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #109 (1974 pts) | #107 (1794 pts) | #56 (2006 pts) | #146 (1600 pts) | #173 (1569 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #32 (2511 pts) | #44 (2185 pts) | #17 (2405 pts) | #76 (1865 pts) | #50 (2143 pts) |