High-water mark
686.2516
career-best overall
95.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 686.2516 at Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition — 95.3% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Jun 20, 2025
BootsBBQ
BootsBBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 9th of 25 at the Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition (2025). They are ranked #4858 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1466
peak 1466 · rated over 14 contests
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
Mar 31, 2023
latest Apr 3, 2026 · 3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
7% of 14 contests
Avg finish
top 71%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
665.72 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 658.68 (+7.05)
Walk rate
36%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±16.15
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 167.49 · weakest Brisket (158.65)
Road miles
1,973
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 235 mi
Schedule strength
74%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1595)
Purse competed for
$181K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
658.68 / 720
7 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
326.88 / 360
7 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #151 (374 pts) | #155 (349 pts) | #150 (394 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #621 (250 pts) | #562 (355 pts) | #705 (260 pts) | #523 (360 pts) | #604 (275 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #373 (60 pts) | #377 (60 pts) | #379 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #754 (180 pts) | #724 (235 pts) | #563 (390 pts) | #788 (185 pts) | #786 (185 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #377 (56 pts) | #386 (56 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1616 (52 pts) | #934 (147 pts) | #1292 (97 pts) | #1611 (52 pts) | #1612 (52 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to BootsBBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
129 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,847 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1466
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BootsBBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BootsBBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,875 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1502
They've been 1502 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,873 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1465
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before BootsBBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#4,850 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1466
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,874 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1502
They were already cooking in 2015, 8 years before BootsBBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#4,860 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1466
Level with BootsBBQ 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| T-Rex BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Son of a Boar BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME FARM BBQ | 9 | 2 | 6 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Bucknutz BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Pit Bros | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Matty Macks | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Chester's Twisted Que | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Suckers | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 150.8344 | 167.49 | top 57% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 174.8572 | 150.8116 | 164.55 | top 60% |
| Pork | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 176.5716 | 149.1084 | 162.83 | top 72% |
| Brisket | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 144.4572 | 158.65 | top 76% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 79% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 0 | top 83% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 61% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 4 | 22 | 0 | top 68% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 79% | Jul 12, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
7 contests
Contests a season
3.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IA
10 of 14 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
10
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
668
finished ahead 346 times, behind 737
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
20254 milestones
- First overall top-10 Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition
- Career-best overall score686.2516 Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition
- 10th tracked contest Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7028 1st Annual Boost & BBQ
20241 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score327.3944 Iowa State BBQ Championship
20233 milestones
- First tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
- Peak power rating (1494) Iowa State BBQ Championship
- First call Rose Festival 22nd Annual KCBS BBQ Competition
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.7 | Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition | Jun 20, 2025 |
| +9.5 | Minnesota in May | May 9, 2025 |
| +3.9 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 3, 2026 |
| +1.8 | SD BBQ Shootout @ Huset's Speedway | Aug 29, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.2 | Rose Festival 22nd Annual KCBS BBQ Competition | Jun 16, 2023 |
| -9.5 | King of the Corn | May 17, 2024 |
| -7.6 | 23rd Annual Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition | Jun 14, 2024 |
| -7 | 1st Annual Boost & BBQ | Oct 24, 2025 |
| -6.6 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | Jul 11, 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43% | top 64% | 95.3% | 92.4% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 85% | 92% | 91.1% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 80% | 87.9% | 85.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 22 / 42 (335.3600) | 19 (169.6800) | 26 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Oct 24, 2025 | 1st Annual Boost & BBQ 🏅 Odessa, MO | 24 / 25 (650.0572) | 3 (177.7028) | 23 (163.9544) | 22 (163.9428) | 25 (144.4572) |
| Aug 29, 2025 | SD BBQ Shootout @ Huset's Speedway 🏅 Brandon, SD | 28 / 44 (673.1204) | 25 (170.2744) | 24 (169.1316) | 23 (170.2972) | 33 (163.4172) |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 12 / 16 (337.6456) | 14 (167.9656) | 8 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 15 / 18 (326.8344) | 15 (165.7028) | 13 (161.1316) | 11 (162.8228) | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rose Festival's 24th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 9 / 25 (686.2516) | 21 (163.4056) | 9 (170.8344) | 3 (176.5716) | 6 (175.4400) |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 14 / 58 (338.2400) | 17 (170.8228) | 18 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 34 / 49 (321.0284) | 27 (163.9656) | 33 (157.0628) | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 301 / 444 (662.1944) | 159 (171.9772) | 372 (160.5372) | 343 (161.7028) | 199 (167.9772) |
| Jun 14, 2024 | 23rd Annual Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 23 / 25 (656.9832) | 12 (169.6800) | 21 (163.3944) | 22 (163.3828) | 22 (160.5260) |
| May 17, 2024 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 34 / 36 (649.6000) | 30 (167.4056) | 2 (174.8572) | 36 (154.8000) | 35 (152.5372) |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 36 / 42 (327.3944) | 38 (163.3828) | 32 (164.0116) | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Rose Festival 22nd Annual KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 26 / 27 (632.5256) | 8 (172.0228) | 16 (165.1660) | 26 (149.1084) | 27 (146.2284) |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 30 / 47 (301.6460) | 30 (150.8344) | 30 (150.8116) | — | — |