MASTERS OF FIRE

MASTERS OF FIRE is a competition barbecue team with 22 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 5th of 17 at the Transylvanian BBQ Festival (2019). They are ranked #2902 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,902

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1508

peak 1509 · rated over 22 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Feb 17, 2018

latest Sep 7, 2019 · 1.6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#232

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

18% of 22 contests

Avg finish

top 58%

overall standings

Best overall

682.2400 / 720

Master · Eastern BBQ Contest Day 2

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

644.58

last 5 Master vs avg 644.20 (+0.38)

Walk rate

68%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest

Consistency

±15.64

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.70 · weakest Brisket (158.36)

Road miles

5,421

across 22 mapped stops · furthest 661 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)

Master avg

644.20 / 720

22 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Chicken ×1
Pork ×1

On the rise

+33 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 33 points across 15 contests since Sep 22, 2018 — from 1476 up to 1508.

15 contests since Sep 22, 2018
now 1508

They almost always walk

68% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 15 of 22 contests

A top-10 category call in 68% of their 22 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

682.2400 career-best overall

94.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 682.2400 at Eastern BBQ Contest Day 2 — 94.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 20, 2019

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

PUREBBQ has finished one call ahead of MASTERS OF FIRE 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

16–0 behind in the head-to-head

BBQ+ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BBQ+ has come out ahead in 16 of their 16 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.34 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 14% of the time against 36%.

Brisket avg 158.36
Chicken avg 164.70
3 calls in 22 entries

Show 7 more storylines

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of THE BLAZIN' BARRELS NL in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

12 of 17 shared chicken entries lost

IQ - NETHERLANDS ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, IQ - NETHERLANDS has out-cooked them in 12 of 17 shared chicken entries.

Built for the big stage

Top 52% average finish in large fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 52% finish in large fields against top 71% in small ones.

Large (40+): top 52% (7)
Small (<20 teams): top 71% (4)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKEY THE BOAR has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 36% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 36% across 3 contests, versus top 58% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 58% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,421 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,421 miles across 22 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 661 miles to Transylvanian BBQ Festival.

22 mapped stops
furthest 661 mi

The metronome

±2.17% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.17% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.5% of a perfect score
22 contests

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
2019 ↗	Master	#232 (1,192 pts)	#82 (1,802 pts)	#295 (1,011 pts)	#182 (1,347 pts)	#211 (1,242 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1802 (92 pts)	#1289 (192 pts)	#1817 (102 pts)	#1918 (82 pts)	#1802 (102 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to MASTERS OF FIRE, each with one reason worth a look.

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

DUTCH BROS. SMOKERS

#2,889 of the rated field

1509 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1529

2–5 in 7 shared contests (29% to MASTERS OF FIRE)

These two have cooked 7 of the same contests — DUTCH BROS. SMOKERS ahead 5–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 7, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

Buurman & Buurman

#2,891 of the rated field

1509 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1517

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to MASTERS OF FIRE)

Fewer contests behind them than MASTERS OF FIRE has cooked, 6 to 22, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 6 contests
last seen Apr 13, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

THE BEARDED ONE BBQ

#2,911 of the rated field

1508 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1529

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 21 contests, alongside a 5% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Oct 22, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Slapshot BBQ

#2,914 of the rated field

1508 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1540

They've been 1540 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 20 contests
last seen May 10, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Beachdogs 502 BBQ

#2,903 of the rated field

1508 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1522

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

rated over 25 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Squeals like the First Time

#2,892 of the rated field

1508 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1508

They turned up 6 years after MASTERS OF FIRE did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
IQ - NETHERLANDS	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
UNCLE TONY'S COCKNEY Q	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
BUGHOUSE SMOKERS	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
BBQ+	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
PARKSTAD SMOKERS	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
ROKENDE REGAHS	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
DE VLIEGENDE HOLLANDER BBQ-TEAM	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
PUREBBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
White Squirrel BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
Osdorp Grillers (NL)	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
BBQ Team Laurentius	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
BUNCH OF SWINES	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
THE BLAZIN' BARRELS NL	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
Backcorner BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	22	8	2	3	180 🔥	144.5028	164.70	top 47%
Pork Ribs	22	4	0	0	176	140.4800	159.12	top 60%
Pork	22	8	2	3	180 🔥	143.9200	162.03	top 55%
Brisket	22	3	0	1	173.1200	145.7028	158.36	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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	top 71%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 58%
Large (40+)	7	top 52%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees	2	14	0	top 70%	Jun 29, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 13 contests

Contests a season 11 across 2 seasons in the data

Most contests held in BZ 1 of 22 contests

Contests visited 21 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 285 finished ahead 340 times, behind 396

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

20194 milestones

Jan 19 10th tracked contest W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Apr 20 Career-best overall score682.2400 Eastern BBQ Contest Day 2
Jun 8 Peak power rating (1509) Tony Stone BBQ Competition
Sep 7 Most recent contest Farm Meat De Vaartse Hoeve BBQ Contest

20186 milestones

Feb 17 First tracked contest Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival- BBQ on Ice
Feb 17 First call Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival- BBQ on Ice
Oct 13 First category win (Pork) Tallya BBQ Festival
Oct 13 First overall top-10 Tallya BBQ Festival
Oct 13 First perfect 180 (Pork) Tallya BBQ Festival
Oct 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score674.1824 Tallya BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	Eastern BBQ Contest Day 2	Apr 20, 2019
+13	Tallya BBQ Festival	Oct 13, 2018
+11	Transylvanian BBQ Festival	May 18, 2019
+9.6	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018	Sep 22, 2018
+9.3	Meat the East	Apr 13, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.6	Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival- BBQ on Ice	Feb 17, 2018
-9.4	Regahfest 2018 Green	Aug 25, 2018
-9.1	Austrian BBQ Festival BARBECUE on ICE	Feb 16, 2019
-5.8	KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees	Jun 23, 2018
-5.4	Smoke and Fire Festival	Aug 17, 2019

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)
2019	13	0	3	3	69%	top 54%	94.8%	89.9%
2018	9	0	1	1	67%	top 64%	93.6%	88.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 7, 2019	Farm Meat De Vaartse Hoeve BBQ Contest Dongen	9 / 38 (665.6116)	1 (177.1428)	25 (158.2288)	8 (170.8228)	21 (159.4172)
Aug 31, 2019	3rd International Suydersee BBQ Contest Zeewolde Flevoland	19 / 31 (623.8168)	12 (166.2284)	30 (140.4800)	24 (154.2400)	11 (162.8684)
Aug 17, 2019	Smoke and Fire Festival Maldon, Essex	12 / 16 (639.3832)	3 (170.8572)	15 (148.5716)	11 (161.6572)	10 (158.2972)
Jun 29, 2019	KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees Deurne	14 / 22 (646.7656)	8 (166.8344)	12 (161.1428)	14 (158.8000)	12 (159.9884)
Jun 8, 2019	Tony Stone BBQ Competition Hoofddorp	30 / 55 (647.3144)	35 (162.8000)	37 (158.8460)	28 (163.9656)	27 (161.7028)
May 18, 2019	Transylvanian BBQ Festival Covasna County	5 / 17 (661.6572)	5 (168.5600)	16 (149.1316)	1 (170.8456)	2 (173.1200)
May 11, 2019	Beer,Fries & BBQ VI Kapermolenpark, Hasselt	30 / 49 (634.1716)	19 (167.9772)	29 (156.0116)	45 (143.9200)	12 (166.2628)
Apr 20, 2019	Eastern BBQ Contest Day 2 Ninove	5 / 29 (682.2400)	4 (171.9772)	4 (176)	8 (171.4516)	15 (162.8112)
Apr 19, 2019	Eastern BBQ Contest Day 1 Ninove	16 / 25 (628.4460)	16 (159.4056)	19 (150.8232)	15 (158.8344)	12 (159.3828)
Apr 13, 2019	Meat the East Hengelo	13 / 41 (658.1484)	13 (168.5256)	20 (159.3828)	2 (174.2972)	30 (155.9428)
Mar 30, 2019	Spring Break BBQ Contest Lommel	28 / 40 (634.6400)	7 (169.1200)	33 (151.9200)	37 (150.7772)	14 (162.8228)
Feb 16, 2019	Austrian BBQ Festival BARBECUE on ICE Weissensee	11 / 12 (640.9828)	12 (151.9084)	7 (166.8572)	11 (162.8572)	11 (159.3600)
Jan 19, 2019	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	19 / 30 (647.9084)	1 (180)	18 (163.3828)	27 (147.4172)	25 (157.1084)
Oct 13, 2018	Tallya BBQ Festival Tallya	7 / 38 (674.1824)	15 (165.0968)	7 (170.2744)	1 (180)	27 (158.8112)
Sep 22, 2018	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 Waltrop	22 / 73 (643.9660)	43 (159.9772)	15 (164.5372)	9 (168)	51 (151.4516)
Sep 1, 2018	2nd International Suydersee BBQ Contest Zeewolde Flevoland	24 / 44 (639.8056)	21 (165.0740)	14 (167.4172)	28 (159.9772)	34 (147.3372)
Aug 25, 2018	Regahfest 2018 Green The Hague	33 / 35 (619.2344)	31 (155.9656)	24 (158.2516)	31 (151.9200)	27 (153.0972)
Aug 25, 2018	RegahFest 2018 Yellow The Hague	24 / 29 (631.4172)	25 (158.2628)	22 (158.2744)	10 (169.1772)	29 (145.7028)
Jun 23, 2018	KCBS International BBQ Contest Vuur en Vlees Deurne	17 / 22 (628.4456)	17 (158.2284)	13 (157.0972)	10 (165.7716)	19 (147.3484)
May 19, 2018	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp	37 / 60 (634.7888)	31 (162.8456)	45 (154.8460)	37 (159.9772)	29 (157.1200)
Apr 14, 2018	Meat The East Hengelo	24 / 34 (642.1596)	34 (144.5028)	6 (169.1428)	19 (162.2512)	8 (166.2628)
Feb 17, 2018	Meat, Smoke & Beer Festival- BBQ on Ice Weissensee	15 / 17 (647.3600)	4 (172.0116)	13 (160)	17 (157.6800)	13 (157.6684)

MASTERS OF FIRE

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

On the rise

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Built for the big stage

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)