Their season
2023
their best year
2023 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 23%.
- 5 contests
- 2 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 23%
Heavy & Sweaty BBQ
Heavy & Sweaty BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 42 at the Iowa State BBQ Championship (2024). They are ranked #2375 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1524
peak 1546 · rated over 10 contests
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
Apr 1, 2022
latest Apr 3, 2026 · 4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
38% of 13 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
335.71 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 336.45 (-0.74)
Walk rate
54%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±8.34
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 168.21 · weakest Brisket (154.23)
Road miles
1,153
across 13 mapped stops · furthest 201 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)
Purse competed for
$65K
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 8 state-championship entries
Master avg
658.47 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
336.45 / 360
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #317 (60 pts) | #320 (60 pts) | #295 (95 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #368 (60 pts) | #371 (60 pts) | #380 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #161 (356 pts) | #194 (261 pts) | #145 (381 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #125 (483 pts) | #127 (517 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | #1631 (53 pts) | #1693 (57 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Heavy & Sweaty BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
94 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,387 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1530
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Heavy & Sweaty BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,377 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1530
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,373 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1535
They were already cooking in 2015, 7 years before Heavy & Sweaty BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#2,372 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1530
Level with Heavy & Sweaty BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,389 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1524
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,362 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1537
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Pit Bros | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 7 | 1 | 5 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| MACHETE BOYS BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Suckers | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Sugar Shack | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| T-Rex BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME FARM BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 176.0116 | 161.0972 | 168.03 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 12 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 176.5716 | 162.2400 | 168.21 | top 45% |
| Pork | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 168.5600 | 166.2400 | 167.02 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 157.0972 | 151.3716 | 154.23 | top 87% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 82% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 61% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 36% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 5 | 3 | 0 | top 34% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 29% | Oct 28, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2023
5 contests
Contests a season
2.6
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IA
7 of 13 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
5
2 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
12 entries · 0 wins · 5 calls
Opponents faced
257
finished ahead 296 times, behind 245
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
20244 milestones
- First overall podium Iowa State BBQ Championship
- 10th tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.5716 Iowa State BBQ Championship
- Peak power rating (1546) Iowa State BBQ Championship
20225 milestones
- First tracked contest Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard)
- First call Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard)
- First overall top-10 Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score344 Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard)
- Career-best overall score658.7772 Rose Festival 21st Annual KCBS BBQ Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 29, 2024 |
| +15.2 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Mar 31, 2023 |
| +12.8 | Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) | Apr 1, 2022 |
| +11.5 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | Oct 28, 2023 |
| +4.8 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | Oct 27, 2023 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.6 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 12, 2024 |
| -8.8 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff | May 6, 2022 |
| -6.3 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 3, 2026 |
| -5.9 | Rose Festival 21st Annual KCBS BBQ Contest | Jun 17, 2022 |
| -5.5 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 4, 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 74% | 91.6% | 91.6% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 90.3% | 90.3% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 44% | 96.8% | 94.4% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40% | top 23% | 95.6% | 93.8% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 61% | 95.6% | 92.8% |
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 | 31 / 42 (329.6344) | 35 (161.0972) | 18 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 32 / 49 (325.0400) | 29 (162.8000) | 28 (162.2400) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) Miles, IA | 9 / 11 (331.3488) | 8 (166.2400) | 9 (165.1088) | 6 (166.2516) | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 3 / 42 (348.5372) | 11 (171.9656) | 2 (176.5716) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 9 / 40 (343.9888) | 3 (176.0116) | 12 (167.9772) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Oak Grove, MO | — | 27 (163.9544) | — | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Oak Grove, MO | — | — | 24 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 17 / 47 (327.9432) | 18 (162.2516) | 15 (165.6916) | — | — |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 5 / 47 (341.1084) | 10 (166.8456) | 2 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Rose Festival 21st Annual KCBS BBQ Contest 🏅 State Center, IA | 26 / 32 (658.7772) | 19 (168.5828) | 21 (164.5372) | 13 (168.5600) | 26 (157.0972) |
| May 6, 2022 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbia, MO | 22 / 25 (658.1604) | 7 (175.4172) | 21 (165.1316) | 19 (166.2400) | 23 (151.3716) |
| May 6, 2022 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff - One Meat Ribs Columbia, MO | — | — | 5 (173.7144) | — | — |
| Apr 1, 2022 | Iowa State BBQ Championship (Backyard) Altoona, IA | 4 / 27 (344) | 5 (173.1428) | 6 (170.8572) | — | — |