FIRE PIGS BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1921

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1541

peak 1541 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-09-15

latest 2019-03-23

Best ToY finish

#720

Master 2018

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 50%

overall standings

Best overall

677.0744 / 720

Master · BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.59 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 655.70 (+5.89)

Walk rate

36%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4056

Pork · BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)

Consistency

±11.44

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.12 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.34)

Road miles

1,200

mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 243 mi

Schedule strength

78%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1600)

Purse competed for

$21K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

655.70 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

On the rise

+42 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 42 points across 7 contests since 2018-03-23 — from 1499 up to 1541.

7 contests since 2018-03-23
now 1541

High-water mark

677.0744 career-best overall

94.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 677.0744 at BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) — 94.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
2019-03-23

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE ahead in 100% of their meetings

OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.77 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 10% of the time against 30%.

Pork Ribs avg 161.34
Chicken avg 167.12
1 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

5–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of GRATEFUL 'QUE in 5 of their 6 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

6 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

GRATE SMOKE ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GRATE SMOKE has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±1.59% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.59% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.1% of a perfect score
11 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.

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

BERGISCHE ROSTAROMEN

#1916 of the rated field

1542 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1559

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2021-10-02

⚔ Head-to-head

BELLY RUB'N BBQ

#1915 of the rated field

1542 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1545

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 29% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2017-04-14

⚔ Head-to-head

Burnt Plow BBQ

#1925 of the rated field

1541 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1541

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 8 years after FIRE PIGS BBQ did, first appearing in 2025.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2026-06-12

⚔ Head-to-head

FIRE & ICE BBQ

#1927 of the rated field

1541 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1541

No shared contest yet.

Level with FIRE PIGS BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2017-06-02

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKING BAD

#1922 of the rated field

1541 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1542

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2020-09-18

⚔ Head-to-head

PORKARITAVILLE

#1919 of the rated field

1542 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1544

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2017-09-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GRATE SMOKE	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
HAMTOWN SMOKERS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
3N1 Q	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
GRATEFUL 'QUE	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY DOG BBQ	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE BAR-B-QUE	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Smoke-A-Holics	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
Serial Griller	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
GREAT WHITE BBQ	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
DIRTY POSSUM BBQ	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	3	1	174.2972	157.6572	167.12	top 44%
Pork Ribs	10	1	0	167.4172	149.1088	161.34	top 58%
Pork	10	1	1	175.4056	150.8000	161.72	top 54%
Brisket	10	3	1	173.7144	157.6572	165.52	top 43%

“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	Avg finish
VA	6	top 51%
NC	2	top 52%
WV	1	top 37%
DE	1	top 46%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	4	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 45%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
*Currituck Heritage Festival	2	9	0	top 52%	2018-11-02

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 1.5 yrs 2017-09-15 → 2019-03-23

Busiest season 2018 5 contests

Contests a season 3.7 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in VA 7 of 11 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 9 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 10 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 167.12 · weakest Pork Ribs (161.34)

Walk rate 36% a top-10 call in 4 of 11 contests

Overall top-10 rate 9% 1 of 11 contests

Master average 655.70 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 229 237–216 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,200 11 mapped stops · furthest 243 mi

Schedule strength 1600 average field rating faced — tougher than 78% of rated contests

Purse competed for $21,000 listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Power rating 1541 peak 1541 · #1921 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Apr 28 First tracked contest 4th Annual Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition
Sep 15 First call *Currituck Heritage Festival
Sep 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7428 *Currituck Heritage Festival
2018
Nov 2 First overall top-10 *Currituck Heritage Festival
2019
Mar 22 10th tracked contest BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1)
Mar 23 Career-best overall score677.0744 BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)
Mar 23 Career-best single call (Pork)175.4056 BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)
Mar 23 Peak power rating (1541) BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)
Mar 23 Most recent contest BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.9	BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2)	2019-03-23
+9.1	*Currituck Heritage Festival	2018-11-02
+9	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2018-06-15
+5.8	Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition	2018-04-27
+4.1	Boo-B-Que	2017-10-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-2.3	*Devon Grube Memorial BBQ Classic	2017-10-06
-1.7	*Currituck Heritage Festival	2017-09-15
-1.2	BBQ Gives Back	2018-03-23

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	2	0	50%	top 39%	94%	92.4%
2018	5	1	20%	top 47%	93.2%	91.1%
2017	4	0	50%	top 61%	90.6%	90.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-03-23	BBQ Gives Back-IV (DAY 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	12 / 52 (677.0744)	37 (165.0972)	25 (165.7144)	2 (175.4056)	10 (170.8572)
2019-03-22	BBQ Gives Back-III (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	35 / 63 (654.1488)	32 (166.2400)	49 (158.2516)	14 (167.3944)	33 (162.2628)
2018-11-02	*Currituck Heritage Festival Currituck, NC	9 / 25 (670.7656)	7 (169.7028)	8 (167.4172)	17 (161.0856)	6 (172.5600)
2018-06-15	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	22 / 59 (663.2912)	20 (168.5600)	14 (167.3828)	43 (158.2056)	16 (169.1428)
2018-05-18	*Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off Chesapeake, VA	14 / 27 (642.6740)	15 (164.5256)	19 (159.3828)	21 (154.2400)	13 (164.5256)
2018-04-27	Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lenexa, VA	19 / 45 (660.4576)	11 (171.9772)	19 (167.3944)	24 (162.2400)	32 (158.8460)
2018-03-23	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	50 / 75 (642.1600)	53 (161.1428)	68 (151.9660)	23 (165.6800)	38 (163.3712)
2017-10-20	Boo-B-Que Rehobeth Beach, DE	32 / 69 (652.4576)	9 (171.9772)	61 (149.1088)	46 (157.6572)	3 (173.7144)
2017-10-06	*Devon Grube Memorial BBQ Classic Virginia Beach, VA	16 / 23 (643.2572)	19 (157.6572)	11 (163.4056)	12 (164.5372)	16 (157.6572)
2017-09-15	*Currituck Heritage Festival Powells Point, NC	17 / 25 (650.7428)	3 (174.2972)	14 (163.4172)	22 (150.8000)	15 (162.2284)
2017-04-28	4th Annual Pickin N Pullin BBQ competition Lanexa, VA	—	—	—	—	—

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1211 (185 pts)	#1593 (120 pts)	#1575 (120 pts)	#840 (375 pts)	#1227 (195 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#720 (467 pts)	#678 (532 pts)	#729 (492 pts)	#904 (357 pts)	#713 (502 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1195 (243 pts)	#871 (448 pts)	#1178 (283 pts)	#1291 (238 pts)	#887 (428 pts)