Happy hunting ground
Top 16%
average finish here
Minnesota in May is their spot: an average finish in the top 16% across 2 visits.
- 2 visits
- best finish 5th
- average top 16%
Unknown Smokers
Unknown Smokers is a competition barbecue team with 37 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smokin in Steele (2023). They are ranked #3062 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1504
peak 1532 · rated over 29 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
37
in the data
First seen
May 10, 2019
latest Aug 15, 2026 · 7.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time
Category wins
2
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
10
27% of 37 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 58%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
331.74 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 326.31 (+5.43)
Walk rate
51%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.82
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 163.81 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.27)
Road miles
4,050
across 37 mapped stops · furthest 665 mi
Schedule strength
54%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1569)
Purse competed for
$143K
listed at 28 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 14 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
326.31 / 360
30 Backyard contests · 1 GC
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 ↗ | Backyard | #121 (377 pts) | #147 (302 pts) | #96 (562 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #128 (450 pts) | #103 (566 pts) | #133 (502 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | — | #951 (142 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #74 (739 pts) | #82 (729 pts) | #72 (794 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1317 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #96 (644 pts) | #114 (584 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1432 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #95 (495 pts) | #93 (527 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #135 (212 pts) | #111 (252 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #100 (85 pts) | #105 (65 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Unknown Smokers, each with one reason worth a look.
115 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,071 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1522
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Unknown Smokers)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Unknown Smokers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,063 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 12%
- Peak
- 1537
4–0 in 4 shared contests (100% to Unknown Smokers)
They've been 1537 at their best, 33 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,052 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1526
1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to Unknown Smokers)
Fewer contests behind them than Unknown Smokers has cooked, 8 to 37, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,064 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1508
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 35% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#3,047 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1523
Level with Unknown Smokers on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,076 of the rated field
- Contests
- 39
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1545
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Unknown Smokers'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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Ten Bones | 25 | 4 | 21 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 23 | 4 | 19 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 21 | 3 | 18 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Porket About It | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 17 | 9 | 8 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Bear BBQ | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Marty Party BBQ | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Furlongs Smoke & Seafood | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Lucky Shoes BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD BOD BARBEQUE | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 30 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 173.1428 | 146.7884 | 163.81 | top 57% |
| Pork Ribs | 34 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 177.1428 | 151.3828 | 162.27 | top 59% |
“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) | 12 | 0 | top 75% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 1 | top 48% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 44% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 6 | 9 | 0 | top 79% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 25% | May 30, 2025 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 22 | 0 | top 72% | Jun 13, 2025 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 24 | 0 | top 66% | Jun 14, 2025 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 61% | Apr 25, 2025 |
| Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 54% | Sep 7, 2024 |
| Minnesota in May | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 16% | May 10, 2024 |
| Minnesota in May (Backyard) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 39% | May 13, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
8 contests
Contests a season
4.6
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MN
23 of 37 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
15
8 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
34 entries · 2 wins · 12 calls
First title
Jun 2, 2023
Smokin in Steele
Opponents faced
415
finished ahead 575 times, behind 617
Longest layoff
1.4 yrs
May 10, 2019 → Oct 16, 2020
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20251 milestone
- Peak power rating (1532) Smokin' in Steele
20242 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.1428 Smokin in Steele
- 25th tracked contest Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20235 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smokin in Steele
- First overall podium Smokin in Steele
- First Grand Championship Smokin in Steele
- First state championship Smokin in Steele
- Career-best overall score347.4284 Smokin in Steele
20221 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD)
20194 milestones
- First tracked contest Minnesota in May
- First call Minnesota in May
- First overall top-10 Minnesota in May
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score325.6688 Minnesota in May
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.6 | Smokin in Steele | Jun 2, 2023 |
| +16.5 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2024 |
| +14.1 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2019 |
| +12.6 | Smokin in Steele | May 31, 2024 |
| +11.7 | B-Dale BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 5, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.6 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 20, 2022 |
| -11.4 | Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD) | Jul 15, 2022 |
| -11.2 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 13, 2025 |
| -11.1 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -10.4 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 19, 2023 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 57% | 94.6% | 93.5% |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38% | top 78% | 93.5% | 90.2% |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 63% | top 45% | 95.9% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 54% | 96.5% | 91.4% |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29% | top 64% | 94.3% | 88.7% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 59% | 89.3% | 86.9% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 55% | 84.9% | 84.9% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 11% | 90.5% | 90.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 16 / 18 (333.1544) | 17 (158.8688) | 6 (174.2856) | — | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Chippewa Valley Ribfest (BACKYARD ONLY) Montevideo, MN | 7 / 14 (336.5372) | 7 (168.5372) | 6 (168) | — | — |
| May 29, 2026 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 8 / 25 (340.5716) | 20 (164.5372) | 2 (176.0344) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 13 / 17 (329.0628) | 11 (167.9656) | 14 (161.0972) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 17 / 17 (319.3716) | 17 (159.3944) | 14 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (One Meat Ribs) Spencer, IA | — | — | 7 (170.2628) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 28 / 36 (317.6116) | 23 (164.5372) | 27 (153.0744) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 37 / 36 (318.2628) | 39 (158.8228) | 36 (159.4400) | — | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 12 / 28 (336.5712) | 7 (171.4284) | 15 (165.1428) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 16 / 24 (327.9656) | 7 (169.7028) | 21 (158.2628) | — | — |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 8 / 18 (331.3600) | 9 (167.9772) | 7 (163.3828) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 9 / 18 (334.2856) | 8 (170.8800) | 12 (163.4056) | — | — |
| Jul 5, 2024 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 9 / 16 (334.8228) | 6 (171.4400) | 11 (163.3828) | — | — |
| May 31, 2024 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 5 / 32 (341.7144) | 5 (164.5716) | 1 (177.1428) | — | — |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 46 / 47 (331.9428) | 47 (162.8000) | 29 (169.1428) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 5 / 58 (345.1428) | 9 (173.1428) | 7 (172) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 47 (153.6456) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 19 / 30 (328.5372) | 10 (170.2972) | 25 (158.2400) | — | — |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 15 / 16 (314.8228) | 14 (161.1200) | 14 (153.7028) | — | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Fillmore County Fair BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Preston, MN | 13 / 15 (321.6916) | 10 (167.4172) | 15 (154.2744) | — | — |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 1 / 29 (347.4284) | 7 (170.2856) | 1 (177.1428) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 14 / 59 (333.1428) | 8 (170.3200) | 22 (162.8228) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 26 (165.1316) | — | — |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 15 / 15 (309.1200) | 15 (147.4056) | 10 (161.7144) | — | — |
| Aug 5, 2022 | B-Dale BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 5 / 21 (339.4632) | 10 (170.2744) | 7 (169.1888) | — | — |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Bourbon, Brews & BBQ (BACKYARD) Bancroft, IA | 13 / 14 (318.1944) | 11 (164.5256) | 13 (153.6688) | — | — |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 12 / 33 (309.7368) | 11 (157.7028) | 14 (152.0340) | — | — |
| May 13, 2022 | Minnesota in May (Backyard) Cambridge, MN | 26 / 38 (319.4284) | 25 (162.8800) | 30 (156.5484) | — | — |
| May 13, 2022 | Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) Cambridge, MN | — | — | 33 (153.0856) | — | — |
| May 13, 2022 | Minnesota in May (Masters) 🏅 Cambridge, MN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 21, 2021 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 12 / 18 (321.6572) | 15 (160.5372) | 10 (161.1200) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI | 24 / 45 (316.5372) | 23 (157.1316) | 20 (159.4056) | — | — |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 30 / 52 (299.8856) | 31 (146.7884) | 28 (153.0972) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 22 / 40 (305.6800) | 18 (154.2972) | 22 (151.3828) | — | — |
| May 10, 2019 | Minnesota in May 🏅 | 6 / 57 (325.6688) | 16 (158.8344) | 4 (166.8344) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.