Big Bear's BBQ

Big Bear's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 10 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 12th of 22 at the Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park (2021). They are ranked #5250 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,250

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1457

peak 1457 · rated over 9 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 2, 2014

latest Aug 27, 2021 · 7.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#417

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 10 contests

Avg finish

top 81%

overall standings

Best overall

673.6000 / 720

Master · Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge

Perfect 180s

Current form

663.24 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 650.84 (+12.40)

Walk rate

20%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1428

Pork Ribs · Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - BARRGH-B-Q on the Beach Pirateland

Consistency

±17.32

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.94 · weakest Brisket (159.59)

Road miles

5,152

across 9 mapped stops · furthest 4,347 mi

Schedule strength

84%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1611)

Purse competed for

$25K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

650.84 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

673.6000 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.6000 at Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 16, 2021

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Swine-O's has finished one call ahead of Big Bear's BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

7–1 behind in the head-to-head

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS ahead in 88% of their meetings

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has come out ahead in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.35 points below their pork, and turns into a call 22% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 159.59
Pork avg 164.94
2 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BUD WISER'S BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

6.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 6.6 years, then back at NC - BBQ Shoot Out Day 1 (Feb 19, 2021).

last seen Aug 2, 2014
back Feb 19, 2021

Pork nemesis

6 of 8 shared pork entries lost

ELITE BBQ SMOKERS ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ELITE BBQ SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared pork entries.

Show 5 more storylines

They cook the hard rooms

1611 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 84% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1611 power rating — a tougher draw than 84% of every rated contest in the data.

9 rated contests

Going the wrong way

-25 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 25 points across 8 contests since Feb 19, 2021 — from 1482 down to 1457.

8 contests since Feb 19, 2021
now 1457

An August team

Top 72% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 72% across 3 contests, versus top 81% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 81% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,152 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,152 miles across 9 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,347 miles to Smoke in the North.

9 mapped stops
furthest 4,347 mi

The metronome

±2.41% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.41% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.4% of a perfect score
10 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
2021 ↗	Master	#417 (441 pts)	#417 (481 pts)	#421 (496 pts)	#425 (446 pts)	#409 (491 pts)

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Big Bear's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

One Love BBQ

#5,232 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Apr 10, 2026

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Trash Panda BBQ

#5,260 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1457

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 Oct 30, 2024

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COSMIC SMOKE-N-BBQ LLC

#5,236 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

Level with Big Bear's BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jul 14, 2023

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UNCOMMON Q

#5,263 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2023

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Sweet Smokin' Jones

#5,255 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1457

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Sep 19, 2025

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BIG D BBQ

#5,243 of the rated field

1457 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1457

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 19, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
REDMULE'S BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Smoke Central BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Bald Hawg BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	1	0	171.4516	140	162.32	top 77%
Pork Ribs	9	1	0	173.1428	154.8344	164.42	top 71%
Pork	9	0	0	171.9772	154.3084	164.94	top 74%
Brisket	9	2	1	170.2744	146.7772	159.59	top 72%

“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)	1	top 80%
Medium (20–39)	7	top 82%
Large (40+)	1	top 70%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
SC	5	top 75%
NC	2	top 100%
FL	1	top 70%
EU	1	top 80%

More numbers

Busiest season 2021 8 contests

Contests a season 3.3 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in SC 6 of 10 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 9 a different one every time

Most-entered meat Chicken 10 entries · 0 wins · 1 call

Opponents faced 148 finished ahead 47 times, behind 208

Longest layoff 6.6 yrs Aug 2, 2014 → Feb 19, 2021

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

20215 milestones

Mar 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.1140 Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pirateland
Apr 16 Career-best overall score673.6000 Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge
Aug 20 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)173.1428 Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - BARRGH-B-Q on the Beach Pirateland
Aug 27 10th tracked contest Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park
Aug 27 Most recent contest Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park

20142 milestones

Aug 2 First call Smoke in the North
Aug 2 Peak power rating (1491) Smoke in the North

—1 milestone

First tracked contest BARRGH-B-Q on the Beach Pirateland - One Meat Chicken Challenge

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.6	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park	Aug 27, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.2	Smoke in the North	Aug 2, 2014
-8.5	NC - BBQ Shoot Out Day 1	Feb 19, 2021
-8.2	NC - BBQ Shoot Out Day 2	Feb 20, 2021
-7.2	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club	Mar 19, 2021
-6	Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival	Apr 9, 2021

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
—	1	0%	—	—	—
2021	8	13%	top 81%	93.6%	90.8%
2014	1	100%	top 80%	87.1%	87.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 27, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Myrtle Beach Travel Park 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	12 / 22 (672.5260)	8 (170.8800)	11 (168.5372)	18 (162.8344)	7 (170.2744)
Aug 20, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - BARRGH-B-Q on the Beach Pirateland 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	21 / 26 (665.0744)	19 (170.2628)	11 (173.1428)	12 (171.9772)	26 (149.6916)
Apr 16, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pine Ridge 🏅 Roebuck, SC	20 / 27 (673.6000)	18 (170.2628)	11 (171.9772)	25 (163.9772)	20 (167.3828)
Apr 9, 2021	Boss of the Sauce BBQ Festival 🏅 Jacksonville, FL	28 / 40 (656.4800)	29 (161.1084)	27 (165.1200)	21 (168.5600)	23 (161.6916)
Mar 19, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Dorchester Shrine Club 🏅 Summerville, SC	23 / 26 (648.5148)	15 (171.4516)	23 (161.1088)	16 (168)	26 (147.9544)
Mar 12, 2021	Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown - Pirateland 🏅 Myrtle Beach, SC	30 / 39 (654.1140)	34 (159.9656)	34 (162.8000)	28 (165.1200)	25 (166.2284)
Feb 20, 2021	NC - BBQ Shoot Out Day 2 Raleigh, NC	21 / 21 (634.1604)	21 (151.3716)	20 (159.3600)	15 (166.8572)	21 (156.5716)
Feb 19, 2021	NC - BBQ Shoot Out Day 1 🏅 Raleigh, NC	21 / 21 (626.1260)	21 (161.6916)	21 (154.8344)	19 (162.8228)	21 (146.7772)
Aug 2, 2014	Smoke in the North Olofstorp Sweden, EU	12 / 15 (626.9372)	14 (140)	10 (162.8800)	14 (154.3084)	3 (169.7488)
—	BARRGH-B-Q on the Beach Pirateland - One Meat Chicken Challenge Myrtle Beach, SC	—	12 (166.2400)	—	—	—

Big Bear's BBQ

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

Going the wrong way

An August 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)

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

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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)