A multi-meat day
1
contest 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 Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off (Jul 7, 2023).
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 1st
Bear's Den BBQ
Bear's Den BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 21 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off (2023). They are ranked #3239 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Bears Den BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1500
peak 1516 · rated over 6 contests9 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
21
in the data
First seen
Jul 7, 2023
latest Aug 15, 2026 · 3.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 5% of the time
Category wins
3
4 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
14% of 21 contests
Avg finish
top 79%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
661.56 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 663.23 (-1.67)
Walk rate
38%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.43
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 167.92 · weakest Brisket (161.32)
Road miles
20,023
across 21 mapped stops · furthest 3,198 mi
Schedule strength
41%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1554)
Purse competed for
$65K
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Master avg
663.23 / 720
9 Master contests · 1 GC
Backyard avg
319.70 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #1020 (60 pts) | #483 (405 pts) | #540 (373 pts) | #960 (95 pts) | #1051 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #598 (268 pts) | #590 (318 pts) | #623 (308 pts) | #625 (268 pts) | #599 (278 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #649 (248 pts) | #681 (258 pts) | #734 (248 pts) | #677 (248 pts) | #670 (258 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bear's Den BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
117 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,243 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1501
Fewer contests behind them than Bear's Den BBQ has cooked, 6 to 21, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#3,235 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1512
They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before Bear's Den BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#3,241 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1500
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Bear's Den BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,237 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1505
Level with Bear's Den BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,236 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1500
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Bear's Den BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,249 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1513
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Bear's Den BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked & Furious | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke Central BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Damn Fine Beef & Swine | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Kith n' Kin | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Optimus Swine | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 179.4400 | 151.3828 | 165.77 | top 74% |
| Pork Ribs | 16 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 173.7144 | 154.2744 | 165.43 | top 72% |
| Pork | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 176 | 159.3484 | 167.92 | top 65% |
| Brisket | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 173.7372 | 152.5144 | 161.32 | top 84% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 1 | top 64% |
| Medium (20–39) | 2 | 0 | top 51% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 93% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 51% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 70 | 0 | top 99% | May 25, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
7 contests
Contests a season
5.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
8 of 21 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
10
2 of them more than once
First title
Jul 7, 2023
Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
Opponents faced
339
finished ahead 72 times, behind 611
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)179.4400 Alaska Grown BBQ Competition (One Meat CHICKEN)
- Most recent contest Alaska Grown BBQ Competition (One Meat CHICKEN)
20251 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025)
202310 milestones
- First tracked contest Break Up Shake Up BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First call Break Up Shake Up BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- First category win (Pork) Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- First overall top-10 Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- First overall podium Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- First Grand Championship Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- First multi-meat day Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score695.4288 Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- Career-best overall score695.4288 Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
- Peak power rating (1516) Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.1 | Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off | Jul 7, 2023 |
| +4 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 15, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.7 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown | Jul 26, 2024 |
| -3.8 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) | May 2, 2026 |
| -1.6 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 5, 2025 |
| -1.5 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown | Jun 21, 2025 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29% | top 70% | 92.9% | 91.6% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14% | top 83% | 92.8% | 90.7% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 98% | 92.2% | 91.6% |
| 2023 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 100% | top 56% | 96.6% | 93.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2026 | Alaska Grown BBQ Competition (One Meat CHICKEN) Palmer, AK | — | 1 (179.4400) | — | — | — |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Alaska Grown BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Palmer, AK | — | — | 4 (170.2628) | — | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 13 / 30 (322.3088) | 11 (168.0344) | 22 (154.2744) | — | — |
| May 2, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 New Paltz, NY | 43 / 59 (669.0860) | 60 (159.3944) | 14 (173.7144) | 18 (172.5944) | 46 (163.3828) |
| May 1, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated New Paltz, NY | 40 / 43 (665.6116) | 34 (167.9888) | 16 (172.5600) | 35 (167.4172) | 42 (157.6456) |
| May 1, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) New Paltz, NY | — | 15 (154.2628) | — | — | — |
| May 1, 2026 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) New Paltz, NY | — | — | 18 (161.1088) | — | — |
| Sep 5, 2025 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 22 / 38 (317.0972) | 19 (161.1316) | 25 (155.9656) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eagle River, AK | 6 / 8 (668.4796) | 7 (167.4284) | 8 (163.9428) | 6 (166.2856) | 5 (170.8228) |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 70 / 70 (648.9256) | 70 (162.8116) | 70 (158.2400) | 40 (171.9656) | 70 (155.9084) |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 103 / 106 (660.3884) | 62 (170.8344) | 77 (169.6684) | 93 (165.1200) | 104 (154.7656) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 43 (151.3828) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 51 (157.0860) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eagle River, AK | 8 / 8 (660.9252) | 7 (169.6684) | 8 (163.3828) | 8 (159.3484) | 7 (168.5256) |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 80 / 81 (663.8056) | 66 (170.8228) | 75 (165.0856) | 77 (165.0972) | 79 (162.8000) |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 112 / 118 (652.9828) | 86 (169.7028) | 58 (170.8344) | 114 (159.9312) | 117 (152.5144) |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 78 / 81 (649.0172) | 80 (154.2400) | 65 (166.2628) | 7 (175.4172) | 80 (153.0972) |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Smoky Hayes BBQ Competition & Cook-Off Delta Junction, AK | 1 / 6 (695.4288) | 4 (172.5600) | 2 (173.1316) | 1 (176) | 1 (173.7372) |
| Apr 29, 2023 | Break Up Shake Up BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Palmer, AK | — | 5 (172.5484) | — | — | — |
| Apr 29, 2023 | Break Up Shake Up BBQ Contest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Palmer, AK | — | — | 6 (171.4172) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.