The heartbreaker
2.2744
points from the title
Came within 2.2744 points of the Grand Championship at Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Mar 27, 2026).
Wapatui Smokers
Wapatui Smokers is a competition barbecue team with 43 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #971 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1608
peak 1608 · rated over 35 contests
Contests
43
in the data
First seen
Oct 13, 2023
latest Aug 28, 2026 · 2.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
2 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
2
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
33% of 43 contests
Best top-10 run
7
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 46%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
341.90 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 335.44 (+6.46)
Walk rate
51%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.21
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 167.78 · weakest Chicken (167.72)
Road miles
4,830
across 43 mapped stops · furthest 440 mi
Schedule strength
60%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)
Purse competed for
$178K
listed at 38 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 16 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
335.44 / 360
32 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 | #30 (1,031 pts) | #48 (836 pts) | #12 (1,206 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | — | #360 (659 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #67 (755 pts) | #72 (751 pts) | #52 (916 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | — | #601 (335 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #109 (556 pts) | #84 (714 pts) | #117 (521 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1124 (111 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Wapatui Smokers, each with one reason worth a look.
33 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#966 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1608
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 31 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#970 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 5
- Top-10s
- 85%
- Peak
- 1617
Fewer contests behind them than Wapatui Smokers has cooked, 26 to 43, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#973 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1608
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#975 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1608
Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 11 years before Wapatui Smokers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#969 of the rated field
- Contests
- 61
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1643
They were already cooking in 2018, 5 years before Wapatui Smokers's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#967 of the rated field
- Contests
- 69
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1608
3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 22 | 9 | 13 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 22 | 3 | 19 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 20 | 5 | 15 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 18 | 3 | 15 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ MIKE | 17 | 9 | 8 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Bear BBQ | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| NECTAR OF THE HOGS | 13 | 5 | 7 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 12 | 3 | 8 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 32 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 177.7028 | 157.0512 | 167.72 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 40 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 180 🔥 | 142.2284 | 167.78 | top 44% |
“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) | 5 | 1 | top 46% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 0 | top 47% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 41% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 16 | 0 | top 57% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 | 13 | 0 | top 51% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 63% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 9 | 0 | top 43% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 19% | Mar 27, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 36% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off | 3 | 7 | 0 | top 70% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 21% | Aug 22, 2026 |
| Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 34% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 34% | Jul 19, 2025 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 39% | May 30, 2025 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 103% | Oct 15, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
15 contests
Contests a season
10.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
WI
15 of 43 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
15
13 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
40 entries · 2 wins · 20 calls
First title
Aug 22, 2026
Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
Opponents faced
455
finished ahead 746 times, behind 678
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20268 milestones
- First overall podium American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- First Reserve Championship American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- Career-best overall score352 Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge
- First Grand Championship Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Smokin Ribs for the Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Peak power rating (1608) Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Most recent contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
20251 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
20244 milestones
- First overall top-10 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score174.2628 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off
- First call Smokin in Steele
- 10th tracked contest Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS)
20231 milestone
- First tracked contest Bring'n Home the Bacon II (ONE MEAT RIBS)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.9 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge | Mar 27, 2026 |
| +15.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 20, 2026 |
| +14.9 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 22, 2026 |
| +13 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1) | Mar 28, 2025 |
| +10.2 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 3, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) | Oct 15, 2023 |
| -8.3 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Oct 13, 2023 |
| -5.9 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 5, 2024 |
| -5.7 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off | Mar 20, 2026 |
| -5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 14, 2025 |
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 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 86% | top 31% | 97.8% | 95.1% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 47% | top 44% | 96% | 93.3% |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27% | top 52% | 96.8% | 92.4% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 103% | 90% | 88.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) Cherry Valley, IL | 12 / 24 (334.7656) | 21 (157.0512) | 3 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) Cherry Valley, IL | 11 / 25 (345.0856) | 17 (168.5256) | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cherry Valley, IL | — | — | 1 (180) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 1 / 16 (350.8572) | 2 (177.7028) | 3 (173.1544) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 14 / 41 (344) | 12 (173.1200) | 17 (170.8800) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 16 / 37 (334.8116) | 26 (163.3944) | 6 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 13 / 40 (343.3944) | 19 (170.2744) | 9 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 7 (176.0344) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 15 / 24 (332.5488) | 19 (162.2628) | 7 (170.2860) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 9 / 42 (344.5832) | 10 (173.1200) | 10 (171.4632) | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2026 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Robert, MO | — | — | 2 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 2 / 26 (352) | 9 (173.7028) | 1 (178.2972) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 2 / 33 (349.6800) | 4 (177.7028) | 9 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 8 (167.4056) | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) Loves Park, IL | 5 / 17 (331.4056) | 9 (163.9884) | 5 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 7 / 20 (336.0232) | 6 (168.5716) | 9 (167.4516) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 7 / 17 (344.5372) | 8 (169.1200) | 4 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 12 / 36 (345.6684) | 13 (172.5600) | 13 (173.1084) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 26 / 36 (323.9084) | 29 (157.6684) | 20 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 13 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 27 / 36 (332.5144) | 16 (171.4172) | 35 (161.0972) | — | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 15 / 28 (329.0740) | 16 (163.3712) | 14 (165.7028) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 11 / 24 (332.5828) | 12 (165.7256) | 12 (166.8572) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 27 / 49 (328.4800) | 30 (162.8000) | 24 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2025 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 2) 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 8 / 25 (333.6460) | 4 (171.9888) | 9 (161.6572) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2025 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Robert, MO | — | — | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2025 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1) 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 5 / 27 (339.3600) | 11 (162.8000) | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 11 / 33 (345.1084) | 9 (173.1428) | 14 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 8 (171.4172) | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 20, 2024 | Dowagiac BBQ Competition and Summer Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Dowagiac, MI | 6 / 23 (341.7028) | 2 (176) | 13 (165.7028) | — | — |
| Jul 5, 2024 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 13 / 16 (328.5144) | 12 (161.6800) | 8 (166.8344) | — | — |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 20 / 37 (325.6116) | 12 (168.5372) | 23 (157.0744) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 19 / 41 (330.7772) | 17 (167.9656) | 23 (162.8116) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 26 (155.9200) | — | — |
| May 31, 2024 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 8 / 32 (323.3596) | 6 (163.4056) | 8 (159.9540) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 28 / 58 (328.5256) | 19 (169.7028) | 35 (158.8228) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 48 (142.2284) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 22 / 42 (334.2972) | 22 (168.5600) | 26 (165.7372) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 21 / 31 (331.9544) | 19 (166.2744) | 20 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 7 / 10 (174.2628) | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 23 / 24 (311.3600) | 22 (160.5256) | 23 (150.8344) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 23 / 21 (323.9772) | 20 (164.5372) | 25 (159.4400) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 20 (165.6800) | — | — |