SMOKIN SOMBRERO

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

Power ranking

#4851

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1465

peak 1465 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2018-05-26

latest 2021-08-13

Best ToY finish

#844

Master 2021

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 75%

overall standings

Best overall

658.7084 / 720

Master · Meat Scream BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

649.49 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 630.08 (+19.40)

Walk rate

10%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

171.4516

Pork Ribs · Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day

Consistency

±24.40

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.56 · weakest Brisket (152.82)

Road miles

307

mi across 10 mapped stops · furthest 33 mi

Schedule strength

60%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1576)

Purse competed for

$51K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 6 state-championship entries

Master avg

630.08 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (5 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.

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

Backdraft BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Backdraft BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−10.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.75 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 152.82
Chicken avg 163.56
0 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of JUSTUS BBQ COLORADO in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Greeley Blues Jam (2021-06-04).

last seen 2019-10-18
back 2021-06-04

Chicken nemesis

10 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

Backdraft BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Backdraft BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 10 shared chicken entries.

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.

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

BIG BULLY BBQ

#4835 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2018-08-10

⚔ Head-to-head

Back 40 BBQ

#4845 of the rated field

1465 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1465

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-10-10

⚔ Head-to-head

JOE'S SMOKIN' HOLE BBQ

#4858 of the rated field

1465 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

No shared contest yet.

Level with SMOKIN SOMBRERO on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2023-04-28

⚔ Head-to-head

FIRE AND DESIRE

#4860 of the rated field

1465 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1465

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 6 years before SMOKIN SOMBRERO's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Boondoxx BBQ

#4834 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2019-08-09

⚔ Head-to-head

SWEET SMOKE RING BBQ

#4837 of the rated field

1466 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1514

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1514 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2018-09-28

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Big Daddy's Backyard BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
Backdraft BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Lost Weekend Grill	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
PROUD SOULS BARBECUE	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
GRILLIN' BEAVERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
THE CELTIC PIG	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
WE'RE BURNIN DAYLIGHT BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
PORKY'S PIT CREW	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Frank's BBQ Trading Post	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
UNCLE J'S	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
HONEYMAN BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
CRUSH BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
WILD HOGS BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	0	167.4056	157.0968	163.56	top 68%
Pork Ribs	10	1	171.4516	124.3544	158.60	top 62%
Pork	10	0	167.3828	134.7884	155.10	top 78%
Brisket	10	0	167.4400	139.9200	152.82	top 75%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 82%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 64%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day	2	19	0	top 70%	2021-08-13

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3.2 yrs 2018-05-26 → 2021-08-13

Busiest season 2019 4 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 3 seasons in the data

Cooks most in CO 10 of 10 contests

Contests visited 9 1 of them cooked more than once

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

Strongest meat Chicken averages 163.56 · weakest Brisket (152.82)

Walk rate 10% a top-10 call in 1 of 10 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 10 contests

Master average 630.08 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 146 100–253 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 307 10 mapped stops · furthest 33 mi

Schedule strength 1576 average field rating faced — tougher than 60% of rated contests

Purse competed for $51,000 listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 6 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs 2019-10-18 → 2021-06-04

Power rating 1465 peak 1465 · #4851 of 6,413 rated

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

2018
May 26 First tracked contest CSU BBQ Showdown
May 26 Peak power rating (1489) CSU BBQ Showdown
2019
Apr 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.6856 LuLu's Brew & Que
Aug 9 First call Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day
Aug 9 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)171.4516 Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day
Oct 18 Career-best overall score658.7084 Meat Scream BBQ Competition
2021
Aug 13 10th tracked contest Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day
Aug 13 Most recent contest Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.1	Meat Scream BBQ Competition	2019-10-18
+1.5	Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day	2019-08-09
+1.4	Greeley Blues Jam	2021-06-04
+0.2	Meat Scream BBQ Competition at Halloween Harvest Festival	2018-10-19

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.5	CSU BBQ Showdown	2018-05-26
-10.9	Buskers, Brews & BBQ	2018-06-08
-8.8	BBBrew For Hope	2018-07-27
-6.4	National Western BBQ Throwdown	2019-01-11
-4.3	Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day	2021-08-13

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	2	0%	top 67%	90.5%	89.4%
2019	4	25%	top 67%	91.5%	89.7%
2018	4	0%	top 86%	89%	84.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-08-13	Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day 🏅 Milliken, CO	32 / 42 (634.7428)	31 (161.7144)	17 (166.8572)	30 (161.6456)	39 (144.5256)
2021-06-04	Greeley Blues Jam 🏅 Greeley, CO	19 / 33 (651.9320)	18 (167.3944)	18 (162.8804)	23 (160.5372)	19 (161.1200)
2019-10-18	Meat Scream BBQ Competition 🏅 Westminster, CO	21 / 46 (658.7084)	26 (165.6800)	12 (169.7028)	18 (167.3828)	34 (155.9428)
2019-08-09	Milliken BBQ Beef N Bean Day 🏅 Milliken, CO	19 / 30 (651.3600)	22 (162.8112)	9 (171.4516)	18 (162.2972)	23 (154.8000)
2019-04-26	LuLu's Brew & Que 🏅 Brighton, CO	28 / 40 (650.6856)	31 (163.9312)	15 (169.1200)	30 (159.9772)	30 (157.6572)
2019-01-11	National Western BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Denver, CO	34 / 38 (621.5888)	27 (164.5256)	28 (160.5372)	37 (150.2860)	35 (146.2400)
2018-10-19	Meat Scream BBQ Competition at Halloween Harvest Festival Westminster, CO	30 / 48 (641.0624)	41 (157.0968)	34 (158.8344)	36 (157.6912)	13 (167.4400)
2018-07-27	BBBrew For Hope Fort Collins, CO	31 / 35 (610.0568)	18 (165.1200)	30 (152.5028)	32 (151.8968)	35 (140.5372)
2018-06-08	Buskers, Brews & BBQ Aurora, CO	29 / 31 (588.8228)	22 (159.9656)	31 (124.3544)	31 (144.5140)	18 (159.9888)
2018-05-26	CSU BBQ Showdown Estes Park, CO	20 / 20 (591.8628)	13 (167.4056)	20 (149.7488)	20 (134.7884)	19 (139.9200)

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
2021 ↗	Master	#844 (148 pts)	#881 (153 pts)	#802 (193 pts)	#933 (128 pts)	#877 (148 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#948 (285 pts)	#1070 (250 pts)	#760 (435 pts)	#960 (305 pts)	#1100 (245 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1236 (190 pts)	#1104 (260 pts)	#1316 (190 pts)	#1302 (190 pts)	#1115 (255 pts)