Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
- Brisket ×2
Thin Blue Smoke MS
Thin Blue Smoke MS is a competition barbecue team with 17 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2025 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 26 at the Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival (2025). They are ranked #1759 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1550
peak 1550 · rated over 13 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
Apr 25, 2025
latest Apr 24, 2026 · 1 year on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
2
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
12% of 17 contests
Avg finish
top 51%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
692.51 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 689.59 (+2.92)
Walk rate
71%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±6.06
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 172.88 · weakest Pork Ribs (171.00)
Road miles
2,736
across 17 mapped stops · furthest 498 mi
Schedule strength
86%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1617)
Purse competed for
$159K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
689.59 / 720
13 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 Thin Blue Smoke MS, each with one reason worth a look.
57 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,753 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1564
Their last contest in the data was back in 2015, 11 years before Thin Blue Smoke MS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,756 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1554
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,762 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 91%
- Peak
- 1559
Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 11 contests, alongside a 91% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,760 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1550
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,748 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1554
They were already cooking in 2013, 12 years before Thin Blue Smoke MS's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,761 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1549
Level with Thin Blue Smoke MS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAZORRACKS | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Kith n' Kin | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Kermit's Ex | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Poppa Pig | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BLIND HOG BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Glamping Grillers | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| UNCLE FEOL'S TENNESSEE STYLE BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad Dog BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Dr. Smoke | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 177.7144 | 162.8000 | 172.72 | top 50% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 178.8572 | 158.2512 | 171.00 | top 54% |
| Pork | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 178.8572 | 162.8000 | 172.06 | top 50% |
| Brisket | 14 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 166.8572 | 172.88 | top 41% |
“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) | 13 | 0 | top 50% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 73% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southaven Springfest | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 52% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 57% | Jul 19, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
15 contests
Contests a season
8.5
across 2 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
AR
5 of 17 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
12
2 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
17 entries · 1 win · 5 calls
Opponents faced
268
finished ahead 210 times, behind 266
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1550) Southaven Springfest
- Most recent contest Southaven Springfest
20259 milestones
- First tracked contest Southaven Springfest
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score683.3488 Southaven Springfest
- First call Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest
- First overall top-10 Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival
- First category win (Brisket) Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest
- 10th tracked contest Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2)
- First overall podium Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
- Career-best overall score707.3944 Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17 | Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival | Sep 26, 2025 |
| +11.6 | University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest | Mar 13, 2026 |
| +7.4 | 43rd Annual Kennett Jaycees BBQ Cook Off | May 9, 2025 |
| +7.2 | Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest | May 2, 2025 |
| +6.5 | Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival | May 30, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -4.9 | Smoke N for the Kids | Aug 16, 2025 |
| -3.3 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) | Jul 19, 2025 |
| -2.8 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | Sep 19, 2025 |
| -1.2 | Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | Jun 6, 2025 |
| -0.3 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) | Jul 18, 2025 |
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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 39% | 96.4% | 96.1% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 67% | top 53% | 98.2% | 95.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2026 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 16 / 33 (690.2056) | 28 (166.8228) | 18 (171.9656) | 2 (178.8572) | 11 (172.5600) |
| Mar 13, 2026 | University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR | 11 / 37 (694.2172) | 5 (177.7144) | 21 (170.8228) | 24 (170.2744) | 5 (175.4056) |
| Oct 18, 2025 | Battle for the Bones BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Birmingham, AL | — | — | 10 (158.2512) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2025 | Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA | 29 / 36 (682.7544) | 14 (177.7028) | 32 (166.8344) | 28 (168.5372) | 22 (169.6800) |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Festival 🏅 Jonesboro, AR | 3 / 26 (707.3944) | 5 (175.4172) | 11 (173.1200) | 3 (178.8572) | 2 (180) |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 41 / 56 (682.2400) | 44 (168.5372) | 19 (174.2628) | 27 (172.5828) | 47 (166.8572) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Smoke N for the Kids 🏅 Troy, IL | 21 / 32 (688.4800) | 10 (177.1544) | 10 (175.4172) | 30 (162.8000) | 18 (173.1084) |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 18 / 28 (690.1712) | 13 (174.2744) | 18 (171.9656) | 11 (174.2628) | 20 (169.6684) |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 16 / 32 (689.6456) | 17 (172.5600) | 24 (169.1200) | 6 (178.8572) | 23 (169.1084) |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (ONE MEAT RIBS) Osceola, MO | — | — | 7 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Old Town Smokeout 🏅 Van Buren, AR | 13 / 27 (687.9200) | 15 (172.5484) | 14 (171.9772) | 20 (169.6800) | 6 (173.7144) |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Old Town Smokeout (ONE MEAT RIBS) Van Buren, AR | — | — | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jun 6, 2025 | Hayden West's Delta Smoke BBQ Contest 🏅 Wynne, AR | 20 / 30 (687.8856) | 28 (162.8000) | 19 (170.8228) | 13 (174.2628) | 1 (180) |
| May 30, 2025 | Covington World's Oldest Barbeque Festival 🏅 Covington, TN | 9 / 25 (687.8856) | 5 (175.4056) | 4 (174.2744) | 12 (169.6684) | 15 (168.5372) |
| May 9, 2025 | 43rd Annual Kennett Jaycees BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO | 12 / 27 (683.9204) | 11 (174.8688) | 16 (167.3944) | 15 (169.6800) | 14 (171.9772) |
| May 2, 2025 | Hog Wild BBQ Cookoff and Family Fest 🏅 Brookhaven, MS | 12 / 27 (691.3372) | 15 (173.1200) | 21 (169.6916) | 17 (171.9656) | 2 (176.5600) |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 19 / 34 (683.3488) | 23 (169.1200) | 16 (172.5600) | 21 (168.5488) | 12 (173.1200) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.