Holy Smokes

Holy Smokes is a competition barbecue team with 32 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 25 at The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier) (2014). They are ranked #6262 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “HOLY SMOKES - NY” and “Holy Smokes!”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,262

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1416

peak 1416 · rated over 27 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 14, 2013

latest Sep 25, 2026 · 13.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1589

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

6% of 32 contests

Avg finish

top 71%

overall standings

Best overall

692.5028 / 720

Master · The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

620.97 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 622.92 (-1.95)

Walk rate

22%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Brisket · The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival

Consistency

±34.75

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 158.61 · weakest Brisket (152.37)

Road miles

27,357

across 32 mapped stops · furthest 2,131 mi

Schedule strength

43%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1556)

Purse competed for

$113K

listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

622.92 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

306.75 / 360

2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Backyard (3-meat) avg

470.79 / 540

1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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.

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

692.5028 career-best overall

96.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 692.5028 at The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival — 96.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 3, 2025

Their season

2025 their best year

2025 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 40%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 40%

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.2 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.24 points below their pork, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 12%.

Brisket avg 152.37
Pork avg 158.61
3 calls in 25 entries

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Smoke & Beer BBQ in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at BBQ Boogie & Blues (Sep 24, 2021).

last seen Feb 28, 2020
back Sep 24, 2021

Pork nemesis

10 of 10 shared pork entries lost

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GOOD SMOKE BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 10 shared pork entries.

Show 2 more storylines

An October team

Top 56% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 56% across 6 contests, versus top 71% the rest of the year.

6 October contests
top 71% the rest of the year

The long haul

27,357 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 27,357 miles across 32 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,131 miles to Silicon Valley BBQ Championships.

32 mapped stops
furthest 2,131 mi

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#1965 (71 pts)	#1751 (111 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2214 (60 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1589 (150 pts)	#1666 (150 pts)	#1653 (150 pts)	#1668 (150 pts)	#1664 (150 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1647 (133 pts)	#1485 (163 pts)	#1727 (133 pts)	#1748 (133 pts)	#1680 (133 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Holy Smokes, each with one reason worth a look.

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

High on the Hog

#6,259 of the rated field

1417 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1417

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Holy Smokes)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Holy Smokes has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

BURROS BBQ

#6,264 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1416

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Jun 20, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Piggy Blues BBQ

#6,263 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1416

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Holy Smokes's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Compare careers

WON'T GET SMOKED AGAIN

#6,260 of the rated field

1417 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1417

Fewer contests behind them than Holy Smokes has cooked, 10 to 32, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 10 contests
last seen May 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Budro's BBQ

#6,261 of the rated field

1417 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1417

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen May 1, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

CHILLIN AND GRILLIN CREW

#6,248 of the rated field

1418 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1418

4–1 in 5 shared contests (80% to Holy Smokes)

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
CHOP QUEY	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
LA PASADITA	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
LOVE 2 Q	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
PIG NEWTON	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SMOKERS PURGATORY	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
HI-TECH SMOKERS	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
JACK'S OLD SOUTH	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Bare Bones BBQ Team	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	27	2	0	175.4172	131.4284	156.65	top 69%
Pork Ribs	28	3	1	175.4172	121.6228	155.97	top 65%
Pork	26	3	0	174.8800	114.7884	158.61	top 66%
Brisket	25	3	0	176.5600	136.5140	152.37	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 64%
Medium (20–39)	12	top 71%
Large (40+)	15	top 71%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
GA	6	top 43%
MO	5	top 70%
NY	5	top 75%
KS	4	top 95%
AZ	3	top 89%
TX	1	top 93%
IN	1	top 61%
OH	1	top 64%
OK	1	top 34%
CA	1	top 92%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Honeybee BBQ Competition	2	11	0	top 71%	May 30, 2025
Oinktoberfest	2	41	0	top 66%	Sep 20, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 6 contests

Contests a season 2.5 across 13 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 6 of 32 contests · 11 states in all

Contests visited 26 2 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 28 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Opponents faced 2,054 finished ahead 1,001 times, behind 2,689

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Feb 28, 2020 → Sep 24, 2021

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

20261 milestone

Sep 25 Most recent contest Shawnee Great Grillers

20252 milestones

Oct 3 Career-best overall score692.5028 The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival
Oct 3 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.5600 The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival

20241 milestone

Jun 14 25th tracked contest Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)

20151 milestone

Oct 3 Peak power rating (1489) 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open

20145 milestones

Sep 20 First call Oinktoberfest
Oct 10 First overall top-10 The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier)
Oct 10 First overall podium The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier)
Oct 10 First overall past 90% of a perfect score687.3372 The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier)
Nov 21 10th tracked contest The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA)

20131 milestone

Jun 14 First tracked contest Sunflower Barbecue

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.5	The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier)	Oct 10, 2014
+17.1	The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA)	Nov 21, 2014
+7.8	Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival	May 4, 2018
+6	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival	Oct 3, 2025
+4.4	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	Oct 3, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15.6	Sunflower Barbecue	Jun 14, 2013
-11.6	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	Oct 2, 2014
-11.1	Shawnee Great Grillers	Sep 25, 2026
-11	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships	Jun 27, 2014
-10.8	Honeybee BBQ Competition	Jun 2, 2023

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	4	0	25%	top 96%	82.8%	82.6%
2025	3	0	67%	top 40%	96.2%	90%
2024	1	0	0%	top 61%	86.6%	86.6%
2023	3	0	0%	top 95%	87.3%	85.7%
2022	1	0	0%	top 88%	85.8%	85.8%
2021	1	0	0%	top 56%	87.2%	87.2%
2020	1	0	0%	top 86%	86.6%	86.6%
2019	2	1	50%	top 78%	90.6%	87%
2018	4	0	25%	top 69%	92.8%	87.1%
2016	1	0	0%	top 89%	85.1%	85.1%
2015	1	0	0%	top 57%	90%	90%
2014	6	1	33%	top 56%	95.8%	87.2%
2013	4	0	0%	top 71%	89.3%	85.6%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 25, 2026	Shawnee Great Grillers 🏅 Shawnee, KS	64 / 65 (593.4976)	64 (141.6800)	63 (147.8972)	55 (161.1316)	65 (142.7888)
Sep 18, 2026	12 Bridges Rib Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lincoln, CA	—	—	8 (169.1544)	—	—
Jul 24, 2026	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 10, 2026	Cedar Fest BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Cedar Park, TX	38 / 41 (595.9084)	41 (131.4284)	34 (156.0344)	30 (158.7884)	35 (149.6572)
Oct 3, 2025	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA	12 / 32 (692.5028)	28 (166.8228)	8 (174.2628)	9 (174.8572)	4 (176.5600)
Jul 25, 2025	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	—	—	—	—	—
May 30, 2025	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	11 / 26 (301.6340)	11 (153.1084)	11 (148.5256)	10 (159.9428)	—
Jun 14, 2024	Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN	17 / 28 (311.8628)	21 (151.9200)	14 (159.9428)	—	—
Jun 2, 2023	Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA	27 / 27 (604.9260)	27 (153.6572)	27 (150.2172)	26 (158.2400)	27 (142.8116)
Apr 21, 2023	Smokin in the Creek BBQ 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO	46 / 51 (618.0228)	39 (157.0628)	50 (149.0628)	45 (158.8116)	46 (153.0856)
Mar 10, 2023	BBQ & Brew Fest - Best in the Southwest 🏅 Yuma, AZ	30 / 32 (628.3892)	30 (162.2744)	25 (162.8460)	29 (159.3600)	30 (143.9088)
Feb 18, 2022	BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival 🏅 Yuma, AZ	30 / 34 (618.1144)	33 (150.2744)	22 (165.1200)	28 (159.9656)	31 (142.7544)
Sep 24, 2021	BBQ Boogie & Blues 🏅 Calhoun, GA	15 / 27 (470.7884)	14 (159.9656)	13 (158.2628)	19 (152.5600)	—
Feb 28, 2020	Best in the Desert Southwest KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 Yuma, AZ	25 / 29 (623.8172)	15 (166.2628)	25 (155.3600)	24 (156.5144)	26 (145.6800)
Jul 20, 2019	Ribs and Rhythm & Blues 🏅 Auburn, NY	31 / 34 (600.9600)	32 (141.1084)	19 (165.7144)	27 (152.5028)	33 (141.6344)
Jul 12, 2019	Adath Israel Kosher BBQ Cook-off (KOSHER SERIES) unrated Cincinnati, OH	9 / 14 (652.4572)	—	—	—	8 (166.2400)
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	433 / 467 (604.4684)	443 (150.2856)	460 (133.6572)	43 (174.3200)	426 (146.2056)
Aug 25, 2018	HAVA Nagrilla 2018 (KOSHER SERIES) (JUDGES FULL) Wynnewood, PA	—	—	—	—	—
Jul 21, 2018	Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues Auburn, NY	25 / 31 (609.0176)	30 (141.6572)	25 (151.9544)	22 (155.4172)	14 (159.9888)
May 4, 2018	Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival Bixby, OK	23 / 68 (667.9088)	40 (162.2516)	38 (162.2516)	10 (174.8800)	18 (168.5256)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	495 / 557 (613.0400)	398 (158.8228)	505 (147.9772)	404 (159.4284)	508 (146.8116)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	343 / 606 (647.9544)	341 (162.8344)	262 (165.1544)	395 (160.5484)	350 (159.4172)
Nov 21, 2014	The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA	11 / 86 (689.6112)	16 (174.2628)	14 (171.9772)	28 (170.2628)	21 (173.1084)
Oct 10, 2014	The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier) Lyons, GA	3 / 25 (687.3372)	4 (175.4172)	3 (175.4172)	12 (165.0972)	6 (171.4056)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	535 / 552 (578.6052)	455 (155.3712)	548 (121.6228)	458 (154.2168)	496 (147.3944)
Sep 20, 2014	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	41 / 66 (617.5656)	6 (170.2628)	40 (153.0744)	59 (147.3828)	52 (146.8456)
Aug 15, 2014	BBQ and Fly In on the River Excelsior Springs, MO	31 / 51 (647.9084)	25 (167.4172)	33 (159.9772)	42 (159.3940)	25 (161.1200)
Jun 27, 2014	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships Santa Clara, CA	44 / 48 (545.0852)	44 (141.1428)	31 (152.6400)	48 (114.7884)	39 (136.5140)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	231 / 535 (642.7428)	322 (158.8228)	125 (166.2628)	157 (165.7028)	374 (151.9544)
Sep 20, 2013	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	49 / 71 (607.3716)	32 (158.8684)	54 (144.4916)	44 (156.0344)	53 (147.9772)
Jun 28, 2013	Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY	36 / 49 (610.2856)	40 (153.1426)	37 (152.0002)	25 (159.4286)	41 (145.7142)
Jun 14, 2013	Sunflower Barbecue Topeka, KS	34 / 34 (605.1418)	19 (163.4284)	33 (146.2852)	32 (154.2854)	31 (141.1428)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Holy Smokes

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

Backyard avg

Backyard (3-meat) avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

An October team

The long haul

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)