The heartbreaker
0.0116
points from the title
Came within 0.0116 points of the Grand Championship at Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off (2021-10-15).
KICKEN ASH AND MAKEN FLAMES
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1489
peak 1489 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
2017-08-25
latest 2022-06-16
Best ToY finish
#537
Master 2021
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 65%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
653.84 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 647.10 (+6.74)
Walk rate
46%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±18.73
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.31 · weakest Pork Ribs (158.63)
Road miles
5,495
mi across 13 mapped stops · furthest 1601 mi
Schedule strength
50%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)
Purse competed for
$64K
listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
647.10 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (9 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.
High-water mark
678.2168
career-best overall
94.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 678.2168 at Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off — 94.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2021-10-15
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
7 SINS BBQ has finished one call ahead of KICKEN ASH AND MAKEN FLAMES 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2018
their best year
2018 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 55%.
- 4 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 55%
A tough matchup
9–0
behind in the head-to-head
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ has come out ahead in 9 of their 9 shared contests.
The weak link
−7.7
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.68 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 17% of the time against 25%.
- Pork Ribs avg 158.63
- Chicken avg 166.31
- 2 calls in 12 entries
A strong matchup
4–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 80% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of FLAME THROWER BBQ CO. in 4 of their 5 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
8 of 9
shared chicken entries lost
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ ahead 89% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared chicken entries.
The long haul
5,495
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,495 miles across 13 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,601 miles to Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League.
- 13 mapped stops
- furthest 1,601 mi
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.
150 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3686 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1489
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#3674 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1489
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before KICKEN ASH AND MAKEN FLAMES's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3669 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1489
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#3692 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1489
No shared contest yet.
13 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Head-to-head#3719 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
No shared contest yet.
They turned up 5 years after KICKEN ASH AND MAKEN FLAMES did, first appearing in 2022.
⚔ Head-to-head#3717 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1489
No shared contest yet.
Level with KICKEN ASH AND MAKEN FLAMES 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Old Town Franklin BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Pops BBQ 22 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Saltworks BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BULL MARKET BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| THIN BLUE QUE | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| 7 SINS BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Cynical BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey and the Pirate | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PIRATES OF THE PIG | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| FU MAN QUE CREW | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 173.1656 | 149.1200 | 166.31 | top 48% |
| Pork Ribs | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 168.5372 | 146.8116 | 158.63 | top 73% |
| Pork | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 167.4400 | 150.7888 | 160.74 | top 68% |
| Brisket | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 173.7028 | 134.2968 | 161.13 | top 54% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 10 | 0 | top 63% |
| CO | 1 | 0 | top 51% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 77% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 18% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 67% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 58% | 2019-05-03 |
| Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 68% | 2019-04-26 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.8 yrs
2017-08-25 → 2022-06-16
Busiest season
2018
4 contests
Contests a season
2.2
across 6 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
CA
10 of 13 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Brisket
13 entries · 1 win · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 166.31 · weakest Pork Ribs (158.63)
Walk rate
46%
a top-10 call in 6 of 13 contests
Overall top-10 rate
8%
1 of 13 contests
Master average
647.10
out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
304
173–355 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
5,495
13 mapped stops · furthest 1,601 mi
Schedule strength
1564
average field rating faced — tougher than 50% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$63,600
listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 7 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
1.2 yrs
2020-04-06 → 2021-06-04
Power rating
1489
peak 1489 · #3701 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2017
- First tracked contest Grills N Grills
- 2018
- First call Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.5028 Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship
- 2021
- 10th tracked contest 2nd Annual Throwdown in the Vineyards
- First category win (Brisket) Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- First overall top-10 Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- First overall podium Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- First Reserve Championship Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- Career-best overall score678.2168 Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- Career-best single call (Brisket)173.7028 Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- Peak power rating (1495) Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off
- 2022
- Most recent contest Frisco BBQ Challenge
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.2 | Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off | 2021-10-15 |
| +4 | Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship | 2018-05-04 |
| +3.1 | Frisco BBQ Challenge | 2022-06-16 |
| +2.8 | *Temecula State BBQ Championship | 2018-10-12 |
| +1 | 4th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship | 2018-09-14 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.4 | Grills N Grills | 2017-08-25 |
| -9.1 | 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship | 2022-04-29 |
| -6.2 | 5th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship | 2019-09-20 |
| -4.9 | Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship | 2019-04-26 |
| -2.4 | 2nd Annual Throwdown in the Vineyards | 2021-06-04 |
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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 69% | 91.6% | 89.8% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 44% | 94.2% | 92.4% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 77% | — | — |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 89.8% | 89.1% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 55% | 92.4% | 90.9% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 96% | 83.3% | 83.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-16 | Frisco BBQ Challenge 🏅 Frisco, CO | 19 / 37 (659.3256) | 19 (168.0000) | 16 (165.6800) | 29 (155.9772) | 9 (169.6684) |
| 2022-04-29 | 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 25 / 29 (634.2748) | 9 (171.4172) | 26 (152.0344) | 27 (158.8572) | 27 (151.9660) |
| 2021-10-15 | Lassen Annual BBQ Cook-off 🏅 Susanville, CA | 2 / 11 (678.2168) | 2 (173.1656) | 7 (164.5372) | 6 (166.8112) | 1 (173.7028) |
| 2021-06-04 | 2nd Annual Throwdown in the Vineyards 🏅 Murphy, CA | 20 / 29 (651.8512) | 25 (158.8228) | 10 (168.5372) | 24 (156.5256) | 10 (167.9656) |
| 2020-04-06 | Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League unrated washington, MO | 84 / 109 (157.7600) | — | — | — | 84 (157.7600) |
| 2019-09-20 | 5th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship 🏅 | 35 / 44 (645.5312) | 38 (158.7768) | 39 (157.0972) | 22 (166.8228) | 25 (162.8344) |
| 2019-05-03 | Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship 🏅 Elk Grove, CA | 19 / 27 (646.2628) | 14 (168.5484) | 27 (146.8116) | 14 (167.4400) | 13 (163.4628) |
| 2019-04-26 | Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 35 / 48 (632.4460) | 22 (166.2856) | 32 (161.1088) | 38 (150.7888) | 33 (154.2628) |
| 2018-10-12 | *Temecula State BBQ Championship Temecula, CA | 24 / 46 (665.0400) | 12 (171.9656) | 39 (160.5600) | 28 (165.6800) | 23 (166.8344) |
| 2018-09-14 | 4th Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA | 25 / 43 (653.0856) | 17 (169.1428) | 30 (159.4056) | 26 (163.4172) | 27 (161.1200) |
| 2018-05-04 | Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship Elk Grove, CA | 16 / 35 (656.5028) | 11 (169.7028) | 20 (161.0972) | 25 (157.7372) | 8 (167.9656) |
| 2018-04-20 | Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship Lodi, CA | 30 / 48 (642.6972) | 8 (170.8228) | 45 (149.0744) | 32 (159.9428) | 25 (162.8572) |
| 2017-08-25 | Grills N Grills penn Valley, CA | 26 / 27 (599.9424) | 25 (149.1200) | 24 (157.6572) | 18 (158.8684) | 27 (134.2968) |
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 | #925 (144 pts) | #782 (229 pts) | #992 (159 pts) | #1125 (114 pts) | #804 (199 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #537 (315 pts) | #589 (290 pts) | #640 (270 pts) | #717 (210 pts) | #492 (390 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1165 (202 pts) | #1091 (242 pts) | #1341 (172 pts) | #1101 (242 pts) | #1139 (232 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #979 (290 pts) | #699 (510 pts) | #1101 (265 pts) | #1159 (240 pts) | #926 (345 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2935 (52 pts) | #2920 (52 pts) | #2830 (57 pts) | #2114 (87 pts) | #2914 (52 pts) |