Badlands BBQ

Badlands BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 27 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 6th of 57 at the Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival (2015). They are ranked #1340 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,340

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1577

peak 1586 · rated over 26 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest May 1, 2026 · 13 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#270

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

22% of 27 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 41%

overall standings

Best overall

665.6344 / 720

Master · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

Perfect 180s

Current form

650.59 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 633.95 (+16.64)

Walk rate

48%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.8800

Pork · Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)

Consistency

±33.67

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 160.71 · weakest Chicken (157.64)

Road miles

9,649

across 27 mapped stops · furthest 1,647 mi

Schedule strength

22%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1530)

Purse competed for

$11K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

633.95 / 720

26 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

665.6344 career-best overall

92.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 665.6344 at Sam's Club National BBQ Tour — 92.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 16, 2013

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

FIRE & SPICE has finished one call ahead of Badlands BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 31%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 31%

A tough matchup

15–3 behind in the head-to-head

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ ahead in 83% of their meetings

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 18 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Fire Ants BBQ in 9 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

9.1 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 9.1 years, then back at Rollin Smoke at Rustic Timbers BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) (Sep 26, 2025).

last seen Aug 26, 2016
back Sep 26, 2025

Pork nemesis

11 of 18 shared pork entries lost

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ ahead 61% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has out-cooked them in 11 of 18 shared pork entries.

Show 4 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

WILBUR'S REVENGE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 23% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 23% across 3 contests, versus top 41% the rest of the year.

3 October contests
top 41% the rest of the year

The long haul

9,649 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 9,649 miles across 27 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,647 miles to Smokin' On the Pecos.

27 mapped stops
furthest 1,647 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Holland Summer Fest every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 13th

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 ↗	Master	#1065 (60 pts)	#1141 (60 pts)	#1203 (60 pts)	#1111 (60 pts)	#1102 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1399 (195 pts)	#1508 (185 pts)	#1765 (140 pts)	#1697 (160 pts)	#1187 (270 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#767 (450 pts)	#721 (515 pts)	#780 (470 pts)	#949 (375 pts)	#839 (430 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#616 (603 pts)	#536 (728 pts)	#814 (448 pts)	#580 (683 pts)	#592 (623 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#270 (1,103 pts)	#247 (1,138 pts)	#242 (1,193 pts)	#249 (1,118 pts)	#313 (983 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Badlands BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

FLYING PORKERS

#1,338 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1615

3–5 in 8 shared contests (38% to Badlands BBQ)

These two have cooked 8 of the same contests — FLYING PORKERS ahead 5–3 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Aug 23, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

THREE DOGS BBQ

#1,339 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1612

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Badlands BBQ)

They've been 1612 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

40 CALIBER BBQ

#1,342 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1579

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Badlands BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 33 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Los Primos BBQ

#1,341 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1594

Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 27, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jul 19, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

BAMBQ

#1,334 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1588

41 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 15% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Jul 28, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Lip S-Macn BBQ

#1,343 of the rated field

1576 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 56%
Peak: 1576

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 16 contests
last seen May 3, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HAWG NATION BBQ	19	8	11	42%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
WILBUR'S REVENGE	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ GURU	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	13	0	13	0%	⚔ compare
FIRE & SPICE	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Palm tree smokehouse	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
FINN'S FINEST BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
Fire Ants BBQ	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
CAMP BACON BBQ	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
PEQUEA PULLERS	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	8	0	2	173.7256	20	157.64	top 42%
Pork Ribs	27	3	2	3	174.8572	140	157.65	top 51%
Pork	26	6	1	1	174.8800	147.9772	160.71	top 42%
Brisket	26	4	0	1	171.4284	136.5714	157.83	top 45%

“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
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 48%
Large (40+)	20	0	top 39%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
PA	14	top 35%
DE	3	top 30%
MD	3	top 37%
NM	2	top 91%
VA	2	top 30%
ND	1	top 80%
NJ	1	top 51%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest	4	13	top 31%	Aug 26, 2016
Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition	2	11	top 35%	May 6, 2016
Keystone Classic Barbeque	2	9	top 24%	Oct 3, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 11 contests

Contests a season 4.5 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 14 of 27 contests · 8 states in all

Contests visited 21 3 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 27 entries · 2 wins · 3 calls

Opponents faced 653 finished ahead 872 times, behind 594

Longest layoff 9.1 yrs Aug 26, 2016 → Sep 26, 2025

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

20261 milestone

May 1 Most recent contest ND BBQ Championship

20162 milestones

Aug 26 25th tracked contest New Holland Summer Fest
Aug 26 Peak power rating (1586) New Holland Summer Fest

20138 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival
May 10 First call Green Lane Fire CO's
May 10 First overall top-10 Green Lane Fire CO's
Jun 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.7142 Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival
Aug 16 First category win (Pork Ribs) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Aug 16 Career-best overall score665.6344 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 6 Career-best single call (Pork)174.8800 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)
Oct 4 10th tracked contest Keystone Classic Barbeque

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.7	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival	May 8, 2015
+11.9	Green Lane Fire CO's	May 10, 2013
+11.4	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival	Jun 14, 2013
+11.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Aug 16, 2013
+10.5	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair	Apr 11, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-16.5	Smokin' On The Pecos	Jun 27, 2014
-11.3	Smokin' On the Pecos	Jun 28, 2013
-9.6	ND BBQ Championship	May 1, 2026
-7.8	Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival	Apr 19, 2013
-6.2	The Gettysburg Cook-off North vs South	Jul 12, 2013

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 80%	90.4%	90.4%
2025	1	0	0	0%	—	—	—
2016	2	0	0	50%	top 30%	92.2%	91.1%
2015	4	1	0	75%	top 31%	91.4%	89.8%
2014	8	1	0	25%	top 43%	91.7%	86.3%
2013	11	4	3	64%	top 41%	92.4%	87.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 1, 2026	ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND	57 / 71 (650.7316)	55 (162.8572)	60 (161.6572)	50 (163.9428)	47 (162.2744)
Sep 26, 2025	Rollin Smoke at Rustic Timbers BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Egg Harbor, WI	—	—	12 (154.8228)	—	—
Aug 26, 2016	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	24 / 66 (647.8856)	19 (166.8344)	32 (162.2628)	34 (161.1428)	27 (157.6456)
May 6, 2016	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA	11 / 47 (663.9428)	18 (165.6916)	21 (162.8456)	17 (163.9772)	4 (171.4284)
Sep 26, 2015	Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	18 / 35 (632.0572)	28 (152.5828)	26 (149.7488)	10 (162.2856)	4 (167.4400)
Aug 28, 2015	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	13 / 70 (658.3312)	4 (173.7028)	2 (173.7256)	63 (149.1656)	23 (161.7372)
May 8, 2015	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA	6 / 57 (654.8572)	5 (171.4172)	19 (162.2744)	13 (166.2856)	32 (154.8800)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	42 / 99 (639.8860)	60 (157.6572)	61 (156.0004)	54 (158.8228)	19 (167.4056)
Oct 3, 2014	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	9 / 53 (659.9772)	18 (165.1772)	12 (166.8572)	14 (166.2628)	21 (161.6800)
Sep 12, 2014	Coal Cracker Smoke & Stoke BBQ Competition Scranton, PA	14 / 25 (632.5484)	8 (162.2856)	18 (151.4400)	4 (164)	14 (154.8228)
Aug 22, 2014	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	15 / 70 (646.2740)	14 (166.3200)	24 (161.1656)	24 (159.9884)	24 (158.8000)
Aug 15, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	13 / 28 (647.4512)	3 (173.7256)	24 (146.8456)	11 (162.8684)	12 (164.0116)
Jun 27, 2014	Smokin' On The Pecos Artesia, NM	58 / 60 (493.6456)	59 (20)	14 (169.7256)	54 (147.9772)	38 (155.9428)
Jun 6, 2014	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	30 / 65 (625.7028)	34 (158.2628)	28 (156.0228)	32 (156.5828)	30 (154.8344)
May 9, 2014	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA	25 / 54 (620.5260)	26 (158.2516)	36 (145.7260)	29 (154.2284)	13 (162.3200)
Apr 11, 2014	Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE	18 / 109 (644.6172)	63 (155.4172)	36 (158.3084)	14 (166.8572)	18 (164.0344)
Oct 18, 2013	Autumnfest Woodstock, VA	8 / 40 (641.7488)	9 (166.8800)	17 (157.7372)	4 (168.5828)	27 (148.5488)
Oct 4, 2013	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	17 / 55 (640.4340)	42 (151.3600)	19 (158.2628)	20 (159.4056)	3 (171.4056)
Sep 20, 2013	Hogs & Hops Dover Dover, DE	14 / 45 (645.7144)	9 (168)	1 (172.0344)	7 (167.4284)	37 (138.2516)
Sep 6, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Chesapeake, VA	12 / 30 (654.2748)	20 (165.1544)	24 (157.6916)	1 (174.8800)	22 (156.5488)
Aug 23, 2013	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	35 / 71 (631.3600)	41 (157.1200)	31 (158.2628)	37 (156.5600)	23 (159.4172)
Aug 16, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	6 / 29 (665.6344)	9 (166.2744)	1 (174.8572)	17 (160.5256)	12 (163.9772)
Jul 12, 2013	The Gettysburg Cook-off North vs South Gettysburg, PA	21 / 29 (611.2568)	16 (161.1200)	23 (144.5484)	22 (151.3712)	17 (154.2172)
Jun 28, 2013	Smokin' On the Pecos Artesia, NM	60 / 70 (587.4288)	34 (158.2860)	65 (140)	45 (152.5714)	58 (136.5714)
Jun 14, 2013	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival Frederick, MD	10 / 63 (653.7142)	3 (173.7144)	16 (164.0002)	13 (166.8570)	47 (149.1426)
May 10, 2013	Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA	9 / 58 (633.7144)	16 (161.1430)	39 (146.8572)	7 (164.5714)	10 (161.1428)
Apr 19, 2013	Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD	79 / 106 (598.8566)	42 (159.4286)	88 (142.8568)	76 (151.4284)	79 (145.1428)

Badlands BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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 (11 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October team

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

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, 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

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)