Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
- Brisket ×1
When Pigs Fly Family BBQ
When Pigs Fly Family BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2025 and 2026. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Torry Island BBQ Showdown (2025). They are ranked #1223 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1585
peak 1591 · rated over 10 contests4 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
Jan 24, 2025
latest May 24, 2026 · 1.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
2
0 reserve · wins it all 14% of the time
Category wins
6
16 podiums
Overall top-10s
8
57% of 14 contests
Best top-10 run
8
straight overall top-10s · 2 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 30%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
333.41 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 337.32 (-3.91)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.98
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 171.98 · weakest Chicken (165.72)
Road miles
1,514
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 628 mi
Schedule strength
44%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)
Purse competed for
$145K
listed at 10 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
won from 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
679.30 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
337.32 / 360
10 Backyard contests · 2 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)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to When Pigs Fly Family BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
25 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,224 of the rated field
- Contests
- 54
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1585
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to When Pigs Fly Family BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team When Pigs Fly Family BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,220 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1585
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,226 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1597
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before When Pigs Fly Family BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,221 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1598
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 22 contests to 14.
⚔ Compare careers#1,225 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1594
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 26 contests, alongside a 42% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,222 of the rated field
- Contests
- 34
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1602
They were already cooking in 2020, 5 years before When Pigs Fly Family BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Going Yard BBQ | 9 | 7 | 1 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| Bourbon & Blues BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Kings BBQ Team | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Stewey Magoos BBQ | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Tillman's BBQ | 8 | 2 | 4 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| K & E's Little Smokers | 7 | 5 | 1 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Accutech BBQ | 7 | 4 | 2 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| BrewsCue | 7 | 3 | 3 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Bearded Monkeys Twisted Q | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Cold Beer BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| PIPKIN CREEK BBQ CO. | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 177.1544 | 157.0628 | 165.72 | top 41% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 178.2972 | 163.3828 | 170.92 | top 30% |
| Pork | 9 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 177.7144 | 162.8228 | 171.98 | top 21% |
| Brisket | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 180 🔥 | 165.0856 | 171.85 | top 24% |
“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) | 2 | 1 | top 13% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 1 | top 23% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 50% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torry Island BBQ Showdown | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 11% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Lakeland Pig Festival | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 33% | Jan 22, 2026 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
10 contests
Contests a season
7
across 2 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
FL
10 of 14 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
10
2 of them more than once
First title
Mar 14, 2025
Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
Opponents faced
390
finished ahead 454 times, behind 299
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- Peak power rating (1591) Torry Island BBQ Showdown
- 10th tracked contest Pitmasters in Paradise
- Career-best overall score680.9940 Pitmasters in Paradise
- Most recent contest 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026)
202510 milestones
- First tracked contest Lakeland Pig Festival
- First call Lakeland Pig Festival
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Lakeland Pig Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score333.0628 Lakeland Pig Festival
- First category win (Chicken) Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
- First overall top-10 Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
- First overall podium Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
- First Grand Championship Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
- First state championship Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
- First multi-meat day Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.4 | Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds | Mar 14, 2025 |
| +15.2 | Torry Island BBQ Showdown | Mar 21, 2025 |
| +14.4 | 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam | Jan 9, 2026 |
| +12.5 | Lakeland Pig Festival | Jan 22, 2026 |
| +11.9 | Plant City Pig Jam | Nov 21, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -6 | Pitmasters in Paradise | Apr 25, 2026 |
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 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 50% | top 36% | 97.8% | 93.7% |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 100% | top 20% | 95.9% | 94% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 47 / 82 (326.7428) | 47 (157.0628) | 32 (169.6800) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 90 / 117 (677.6000) | 112 (163.3828) | 81 (168.5372) | 35 (174.8572) | 54 (170.8228) |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 73 (161.0856) | — | — | — |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 66 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2026 | Pitmasters in Paradise 🏅 Auburndale, FL | 23 / 35 (680.9940) | 12 (174.2628) | 28 (167.3828) | 14 (174.2628) | 27 (165.0856) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Torry Island BBQ Showdown 🏅 Belle Glade, FL | 6 / 34 (336.5484) | 8 (161.1428) | 4 (175.4056) | — | — |
| Mar 13, 2026 | Jeepin 4 Justice 🏅 Shady Hills, FL | 3 / 15 (325.6000) | 3 (157.0628) | 2 (168.5372) | 2 (166.2400) | 1 (176.5600) |
| Feb 20, 2026 | Ribs on the Ridge 🏅 Haines City, FL | 9 / 32 (333.0856) | 8 (164.5256) | 7 (168.5600) | 4 (170.8228) | 1 (175.4056) |
| Jan 22, 2026 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 7 / 63 (345.0856) | 13 (169.6684) | 7 (175.4172) | 3 (177.1428) | 16 (165.6800) |
| Jan 9, 2026 | 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 St. Augustine, FL | 4 / 38 (352) | 5 (173.7028) | 3 (178.2972) | 11 (173.1200) | 9 (169.6916) |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 4 / 31 (345.0972) | 7 (170.8228) | 5 (174.2744) | 1 (177.7144) | 8 (167.3828) |
| Mar 21, 2025 | Torry Island BBQ Showdown 🏅 Belle Glade, FL | 1 / 26 (335.4288) | 2 (166.2744) | 1 (169.1544) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds 🏅 Dover, FL | 1 / 15 (340.5372) | 1 (177.1544) | 3 (163.3828) | 2 (162.8228) | 1 (176) |
| Jan 24, 2025 | Lakeland Pig Festival 🏅 Lakeland, FL | 22 / 40 (333.0628) | 44 (158.2172) | 3 (174.8456) | 17 (170.8228) | 2 (180) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.