Big Bear BBQ MN
Rating
1616
peak 1616 · rated over 35 contests
Best runs
5
straight top-10s
Contests
39
in the data
First seen
2019-02-22
latest 2026-08-15
Best ToY finish
#45
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
2
0 reserve
Category wins
2
10 podiums
Overall top-10s
17
of 39 contests
Avg finish
top 41%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
341.68 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 359.15 (-17.47)
Walk rate
54%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
5
best run (overall)
Consistency
±85.04
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 168.51 · weakest Brisket (165.70)
Road miles
8377
mi across 39 mapped stops · furthest 1199 mi
Schedule strength
71%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1567)
Purse competed for
$239K
listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
GCs in 20 state-championship entries
Master avg
668.47 / 720
5 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
359.15 / 360
30 Backyard contests · 2 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
FENDER BENDER BBQ has finished one call ahead of Big Bear BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
Marty Party BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
DAWGS BBQ has come out ahead in 21 of their 25 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Ambition Que in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Smokin' in Steele is their spot: an average finish in the top 10% across 2 visits.
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 101-team field at Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT).
😤 Pork Ribs nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, DAWGS BBQ has out-cooked them in 18 of 28 shared pork ribs entries.
📅 A May team
Something about May: average finish in the top 25% across 8 contests, versus top 41% the rest of the year.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022-09-10).
Teams like this (closest power rating, MN first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAWGS BBQ | 25 | 4 | 21 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 21 | 9 | 12 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 21 | 3 | 18 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Ten Bones | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| Porket About It | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Unknown Smokers | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| SASSY SMOKE BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 13 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Natural Born Grillers | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Bramble BBQ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| DAD BOD BARBEQUE | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 36 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 178.8572 | 159.3600 | 168.39 | top 50% |
| Pork Ribs | 39 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 177.1544 | 156.5716 | 168.51 | top 43% |
| Pork | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 174.2972 | 161.6688 | 167.79 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175.4172 | 156.5372 | 165.70 | top 56% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| MN | 14 | 0 | top 35% |
| WI | 6 | 0 | top 54% |
| IA | 5 | 0 | top 49% |
| LA | 2 | 0 | top 47% |
| FL | 2 | 1 | top 34% |
| IL | 1 | 0 | top 24% |
| KS | 1 | 1 | top 1% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 64% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 32% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 60% |
| MS | 1 | 0 | top 38% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 9 | 0 | top 40% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 1 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 1 | top 32% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 4 | 9 | 0 | top 31% | 2026-05-08 |
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 44% | 2026-08-15 |
| Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 49% | 2024-09-07 |
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 47% | 2026-07-18 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 41% | 2026-06-13 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 29 | 0 | top 78% | 2026-06-12 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 44% | 2026-04-24 |
| VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | 2025-10-24 |
| Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 63% | 2025-06-27 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 10% | 2025-05-30 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2026 (14 contests)
- Cooks mostly in MN (17 of 39 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (39 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam (2025-01-09)
- Wins it all in 5% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 668.47 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 359.15 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-02-22 — First tracked contest · D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival
- 📣 2019-02-22 — First call · D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival
- 🏆 2025-01-09 — First Grand Championship · 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
- 🎖️ 2025-10-24 — 25th tracked contest · VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition
- ⭐ 2025-10-24 — Career-best overall score (687.8972) · VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition
- 📈 2026-08-15 — Peak power rating (1616) · Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.3 | Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) | 2026-04-10 |
| +16.2 | 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam | 2025-01-09 |
| +15.2 | Smokin in Steele | 2024-05-31 |
| +14.2 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-04-24 |
| +13.4 | Smokin' in Steele | 2025-05-30 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.7 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2026-06-12 |
| -7.1 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-13 |
| -6.8 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-04-25 |
| -6.7 | Smokin In the Square | 2019-03-15 |
| -5.8 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2023-09-09 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 50% | top 36% | 189.7% | 108.6% |
| 2025 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 62% | top 44% | 98.3% | 93.6% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 32% | 95.4% | 93.6% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 91.3% | 90.9% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 57% | 90.9% | 90.9% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 54% | 91.8% | 91.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-15 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 8 / 18 (344.5484) | 15 (168.5484) | 5 (176.0000) | — | — |
| 2026-08-07 | Chippewa Valley Ribfest (BACKYARD ONLY) Montevideo, MN | 4 / 14 (342.2400) | 11 (165.0856) | 2 (177.1544) | — | — |
| 2026-07-18 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 16 / 28 (336.5484) | 12 (171.4284) | 22 (165.1200) | — | — |
| 2026-07-17 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 10 / 27 (339.9428) | 18 (167.9656) | 10 (171.9772) | — | — |
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 10 / 41 (345.1200) | 11 (173.7028) | 15 (171.4172) | — | — |
| 2026-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 21 / 37 (330.7772) | 21 (167.3828) | 21 (163.3944) | — | — |
| 2026-06-12 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 30 / 40 (330.2400) | 35 (162.2628) | 27 (167.9772) | — | — |
| 2026-05-29 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 9 / 25 (339.9540) | 18 (165.6684) | 5 (174.2856) | — | — |
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 9 / 77 (339.9772) | 9 (169.6800) | 8 (170.2972) | — | — |
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 26 (166.2972) | — | — |
| 2026-05-01 | SmokeHouse Barbeque Showdown (OPEN FORMAT) (REGISTRATION FULL) 🏅 Cambridge, IA | 4 / 17 (682.8688) | 9 (174.8572) | 6 (174.8572) | 26 (164.5716) | 14 (168.5828) |
| 2026-04-24 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 3 / 24 (345.7256) | 2 (177.1428) | 9 (168.5828) | — | — |
| 2026-04-10 | Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Osage City, KS | 1 / 101 (669.6228) | 20 (176.5600) | 77 (167.4172) | 65 (169.1084) | 98 (156.5372) |
| 2026-03-20 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 21 / 33 (336.4912) | 24 (166.8112) | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-10-24 | VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA | 11 / 33 (687.8972) | 11 (173.1200) | 15 (174.2628) | 23 (165.0972) | 4 (175.4172) |
| 2025-08-16 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 11 / 17 (332.5828) | 12 (167.4628) | 10 (165.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 9 / 17 (332.5372) | 16 (162.2628) | 3 (170.2744) | — | — |
| 2025-06-27 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 11 / 15 (328.5260) | 15 (159.3716) | 5 (169.1544) | — | — |
| 2025-06-14 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 9 / 36 (338.8688) | 9 (170.8800) | 12 (167.9888) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 29 / 36 (331.3368) | 23 (167.9656) | 31 (163.3712) | — | — |
| 2025-05-30 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 3 / 28 (344.5828) | 6 (171.4400) | 2 (173.1428) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 17 / 58 (336.5372) | 27 (165.6800) | 11 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2025-04-25 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 18 / 24 (325.0856) | 18 (161.1084) | 15 (163.9772) | — | — |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 32 / 100 (337.0860) | 30 (167.3944) | 24 (169.6916) | 35 (165.0856) | — |
| 2025-03-14 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 39 (169.1200) | — | — |
| 2025-01-09 | 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 Elkton, FL | 1 / 38 (353.7144) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (174.8572) | 4 (174.2972) | 4 (172.5600) |
| 2024-10-25 | VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA | 19 / 31 (673.6228) | 22 (165.0972) | 20 (169.6800) | 8 (173.1428) | 20 (165.7028) |
| 2024-09-07 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 3 / 18 (337.1772) | 12 (164.5828) | 1 (172.5944) | — | — |
| 2024-08-17 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 4 / 18 (340.5372) | 12 (168.5372) | 3 (172.0000) | — | — |
| 2024-05-31 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 3 / 32 (343.4172) | 2 (172.5600) | 6 (170.8572) | — | — |
| 2024-05-10 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 30 / 58 (326.2860) | 18 (169.7144) | 38 (156.5716) | — | — |
| 2024-05-10 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 21 (169.7028) | — | — |
| 2023-09-09 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 22 / 30 (326.1944) | 18 (163.9428) | 20 (162.2516) | — | — |
| 2023-05-12 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 18 / 59 (328.5600) | 13 (168.5600) | 28 (160.0000) | — | — |
| 2022-09-10 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 17 / 30 (327.3828) | 13 (168.5600) | 24 (158.8228) | — | — |
| 2019-12-06 | COTR BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 15 / 25 (661.0288) | 14 (164.5372) | 19 (162.2516) | 7 (171.4172) | 18 (162.8228) |
| 2019-03-15 | Smokin In the Square 🏅 Pensacola, FL | 23 / 35 (661.0056) | 24 (166.2628) | 24 (164.5256) | 20 (165.6800) | 19 (164.5372) |
| 2019-02-22 | D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival 🏅 Diberville, MS | 6 / 16 (658.8116) | 1 (177.7144) | 9 (159.9656) | 11 (161.6688) | 9 (159.4628) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #45 (831 pts) | #48 (783 pts) | #39 (908 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1013 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #57 (871 pts) | #73 (745 pts) | #35 (1059 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | — | #686 (270 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #91 (683 pts) | #114 (548 pts) | #76 (778 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1236 (80 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #207 (210 pts) | #253 (140 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #261 (115 pts) | #332 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #760 (100 pts) | #782 (105 pts) | #862 (80 pts) | #619 (155 pts) | #819 (85 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1719 (100 pts) | #1766 (105 pts) | #1901 (80 pts) | #1421 (155 pts) | #1838 (85 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1827 (103 pts) | #2052 (78 pts) | #1355 (203 pts) | #2070 (78 pts) | #1878 (103 pts) |