On the rise
+50
rating points in a year
Their power rating has climbed 50 points across 16 contests since Oct 24, 2025 — from 1590 up to 1640.
- 16 contests since Oct 24, 2025
- now 1640
Big Bear BBQ
Big Bear BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 51 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) (2026). They are ranked #709 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BIG BEAR BBQ - LA”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1640
peak 1640 · rated over 47 contests
Contests
51
in the data
First seen
Mar 1, 2013
latest Aug 28, 2026 · 13.5 years on the trail
Grand champs
2
0 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time
Category wins
5
14 podiums
Overall top-10s
19
37% of 51 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 43%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
341.23 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 336.83 (+4.40)
Walk rate
61%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.32
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 168.58 · weakest Brisket (165.57)
Road miles
10,315
across 51 mapped stops · furthest 1,199 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1586)
Purse competed for
$245K
listed at 38 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
won from 23 state-championship entries
Master avg
666.18 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
336.83 / 360
30 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Backyard (4-meat) avg
676.25 / 720
2 Backyard (4-meat) contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (4-meat) out of 720), 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)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #43 (896 pts) | #57 (783 pts) | #30 (1,028 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1161 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #57 (871 pts) | #73 (745 pts) | #35 (1,059 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 | #1716 (100 pts) | #1763 (105 pts) | #1898 (80 pts) | #1415 (155 pts) | #1836 (85 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1827 (103 pts) | #2052 (78 pts) | #1355 (203 pts) | #2070 (78 pts) | #1878 (103 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Big Bear BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#707 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 26%
- Peak
- 1655
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Big Bear BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#710 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1640
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 41 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#708 of the rated field
- Contests
- 37
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1641
Careers of much the same size, 37 contests to 51, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#711 of the rated field
- Contests
- 64
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1675
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 64 contests, alongside a 28% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#712 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1640
4 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ Compare careers#706 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 58%
- Peak
- 1641
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar 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 |
| Big Ten Bones | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Porket About It | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Unknown Smokers | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Bramble BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SASSY SMOKE BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Wapatui Smokers | 13 | 6 | 7 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 13 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Natural Born Grillers | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 47 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 178.8800 | 158.2172 | 168.48 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 51 | 24 | 2 | 8 | 179.4400 | 153.0628 | 168.58 | top 41% |
| Pork | 19 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 178.8572 | 156.5144 | 165.65 | top 61% |
| Brisket | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 175.4172 | 153.0744 | 165.57 | top 54% |
“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) | 10 | 0 | top 42% |
| Medium (20–39) | 26 | 1 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 1 | top 38% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 4 | 9 | 0 | top 31% | May 8, 2026 |
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 44% | Aug 15, 2026 |
| Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 49% | Sep 7, 2024 |
| Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 35% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 47% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 41% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 29 | 0 | top 78% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 44% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | Oct 24, 2025 |
| Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 63% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 10% | May 30, 2025 |
| Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 49% | Dec 4, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
16 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
4.6
across 11 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MN
17 of 51 contests · 11 states in all
Contests visited
31
12 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
51 entries · 2 wins · 24 calls
First title
Jan 9, 2025
9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
Opponents faced
1,044
finished ahead 1,285 times, behind 913
Longest layoff
2.8 yrs
Dec 6, 2019 → Sep 10, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- Biggest field won (101 teams) Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)
- 50th tracked contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)179.4400 Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Peak power rating (1640) Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2)
- Most recent contest Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 1)
20254 milestones
- First Grand Championship 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
- First state championship 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam
- 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- Career-best overall score687.8972 VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition
20241 milestone
- First overall podium Smokin in Steele
20182 milestones
- First overall top-10 Christmas on the River
- 10th tracked contest Christmas on the River
20141 milestone
- First category win (Pork) Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ
20133 milestones
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.1422 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.2 | Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) | Apr 10, 2026 |
| +15.3 | 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam | Jan 9, 2025 |
| +14.8 | Smokin in Steele | May 31, 2024 |
| +14.7 | Christmas on the River | Nov 30, 2018 |
| +13.5 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | Apr 24, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 12, 2026 |
| -7.6 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | Apr 25, 2025 |
| -7.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 13, 2025 |
| -7.1 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 9, 2023 |
| -6 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 20, 2026 |
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 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 56% | top 36% | 97.3% | 94.3% |
| 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% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 41% | 95.4% | 94% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 59% | 92.7% | 92.1% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 53% | 91.4% | 91.4% |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | top 54% | 93.3% | 92.1% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 58% | 91.1% | 90.9% |
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 | 13 / 24 (332.5372) | 19 (159.3828) | 9 (173.1544) | — | — |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Smokin Ribs for the Kids (BACKYARD ONLY) (Contest 2) Cherry Valley, IL | 4 / 25 (350.2628) | 14 (170.8228) | 1 (179.4400) | — | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 8 / 18 (344.5484) | 15 (168.5484) | 5 (176) | — | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Chippewa Valley Ribfest (BACKYARD ONLY) Montevideo, MN | 4 / 14 (342.2400) | 11 (165.0856) | 2 (177.1544) | — | — |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 16 / 28 (336.5484) | 12 (171.4284) | 22 (165.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 10 / 27 (339.9428) | 18 (167.9656) | 10 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 10 / 41 (345.1200) | 11 (173.7028) | 15 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 21 / 37 (330.7772) | 21 (167.3828) | 21 (163.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 30 / 40 (330.2400) | 35 (162.2628) | 27 (167.9772) | — | — |
| May 29, 2026 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 9 / 25 (339.9540) | 18 (165.6684) | 5 (174.2856) | — | — |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 9 / 77 (339.9772) | 9 (169.6800) | 8 (170.2972) | — | — |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 26 (166.2972) | — | — |
| May 1, 2026 | 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) |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 3 / 24 (345.7256) | 2 (177.1428) | 9 (168.5828) | — | — |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 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) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 21 / 33 (336.4912) | 24 (166.8112) | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Oct 24, 2025 | VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA | 11 / 33 (687.8972) | 11 (173.1200) | 15 (174.2628) | 23 (165.0972) | 4 (175.4172) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 11 / 17 (332.5828) | 12 (167.4628) | 10 (165.1200) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 11 / 15 (328.5260) | 15 (159.3716) | 5 (169.1544) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 9 / 17 (332.5372) | 16 (162.2628) | 3 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 9 / 36 (338.8688) | 9 (170.8800) | 12 (167.9888) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 29 / 36 (331.3368) | 23 (167.9656) | 31 (163.3712) | — | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 3 / 28 (344.5828) | 6 (171.4400) | 2 (173.1428) | — | — |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 17 / 58 (336.5372) | 27 (165.6800) | 11 (170.8572) | — | — |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 18 / 24 (325.0856) | 18 (161.1084) | 15 (163.9772) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 32 / 100 (337.0860) | 30 (167.3944) | 24 (169.6916) | 35 (165.0856) | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 39 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Jan 9, 2025 | 9th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 🏅 Elkton, FL | 1 / 38 (353.7144) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (174.8572) | 4 (174.2972) | 4 (172.5600) |
| Oct 25, 2024 | VPD Back the Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Vidalia, LA | 19 / 31 (673.6228) | 22 (165.0972) | 20 (169.6800) | 8 (173.1428) | 20 (165.7028) |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 3 / 18 (337.1772) | 12 (164.5828) | 1 (172.5944) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 4 / 18 (340.5372) | 12 (168.5372) | 3 (172) | — | — |
| May 31, 2024 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 3 / 32 (343.4172) | 2 (172.5600) | 6 (170.8572) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 30 / 58 (326.2860) | 18 (169.7144) | 38 (156.5716) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 21 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 22 / 30 (326.1944) | 18 (163.9428) | 20 (162.2516) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 18 / 59 (328.5600) | 13 (168.5600) | 28 (160) | — | — |
| Sep 10, 2022 | Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Roseville, MN | 17 / 30 (327.3828) | 13 (168.5600) | 24 (158.8228) | — | — |
| Dec 6, 2019 | COTR BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 15 / 25 (661.0288) | 14 (164.5372) | 19 (162.2516) | 7 (171.4172) | 18 (162.8228) |
| Mar 15, 2019 | Smokin In the Square 🏅 Pensacola, FL | 23 / 35 (661.0056) | 24 (166.2628) | 24 (164.5256) | 20 (165.6800) | 19 (164.5372) |
| Feb 22, 2019 | D'Iberville BBQ Throw Down Festival 🏅 Diberville, MS | 6 / 16 (658.8116) | 1 (177.7144) | 9 (159.9656) | 11 (161.6688) | 9 (159.4628) |
| Nov 30, 2018 | Christmas on the River Demoplis, AL | 8 / 29 (686.8228) | 1 (178.8800) | 3 (176) | 25 (162.8228) | 16 (169.1200) |
| Oct 26, 2018 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN | 35 / 102 (678.8000) | 39 (169.6916) | 24 (172.6172) | 76 (161.6456) | 13 (174.8456) |
| Aug 25, 2018 | Smokin on the Rez BBQ and Music Festival (DAY 2) Brandon, MS | 17 / 28 (665.6000) | 6 (173.1200) | 11 (167.3944) | 8 (170.2628) | 26 (154.8228) |
| Nov 8, 2017 | World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 56 / 93 (667.3148) | 49 (168.5488) | 10 (174.2860) | 89 (156.5144) | 44 (167.9656) |
| Oct 20, 2017 | Downtown BBQ Showdown Hattiesburg, MS | 11 / 19 (658.7088) | 5 (173.1084) | 7 (166.2860) | 11 (166.2400) | 16 (153.0744) |
| Dec 4, 2015 | Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 19 / 36 (658.1256) | 13 (170.2628) | 33 (153.0628) | 28 (160.5028) | 4 (174.2972) |
| Dec 5, 2014 | Christmas on the River State Championship BBQ 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 13 / 29 (671.8628) | 25 (158.2172) | 4 (174.2744) | 1 (178.8572) | 22 (160.5140) |
| Mar 21, 2014 | Hammond BBQ Hammond, LA | 39 / 61 (654.1256) | 15 (172) | 42 (161.6800) | 53 (158.2056) | 44 (162.2400) |
| Dec 6, 2013 | Christmas on the River State Championship 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 18 / 29 (655.8172) | 23 (162.8000) | 28 (154.8116) | 20 (163.9428) | 5 (174.2628) |
| Mar 1, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Baton Rouge, LA | 15 / 28 (653.1422) | 20 (158.8568) | 4 (172.5716) | 20 (158.2854) | 15 (163.4284) |