Black Sail BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3444

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1494

peak 1501 · rated over 9 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2017-09-01

latest 2026-07-24

Best ToY finish

#508

Master 2026

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 64%

overall standings

Best overall

682.1712 / 720

Master · Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

670.15 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 660.64 (+9.51)

Walk rate

18%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Brisket · Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship

Consistency

±15.59

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 167.09 · weakest Chicken (161.74)

Road miles

273

mi across 11 mapped stops · furthest 55 mi

Schedule strength

67%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)

Purse competed for

$135K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

660.64 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

High-water mark

682.1712 career-best overall

94.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 682.1712 at Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship — 94.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2026-07-24

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

LOVE 2 Q ahead in 100% of their meetings

LOVE 2 Q has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.3 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.35 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 11%.

Chicken avg 161.74
Pork Ribs avg 167.09
0 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BRR-B-Q in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

4.5 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.5 years, then back at Qlathe BBQ Championship (2022-03-18).

last seen 2017-09-22
back 2022-03-18

Pork Ribs nemesis

5 of 8 shared pork ribs entries lost

LOVE 2 Q ahead 63% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LOVE 2 Q has out-cooked them in 5 of 8 shared pork ribs entries.

The metronome

±2.17% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.17% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.8% of a perfect score
11 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

COOKSHACK

#3451 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1531

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Black Sail BBQ)

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

rated over 25 contests
last seen 2025-09-19

⚔ Head-to-head

Hawg Wild

#3437 of the rated field

1494 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1543

3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to Black Sail BBQ)

They've been 1543 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 27 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

MAD HOGS AND AN ENGLISHMAN

#3445 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1547

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

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Black Sail BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 42 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Mates Nice Rack BBQ

#3427 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1518

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-07-11

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE 'M ALL ST. LOUIS

#3452 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1514

No shared contest yet.

Level with Black Sail BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2019-04-26

⚔ Head-to-head

3 Master Basters

#3454 of the rated field

1494 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1510

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before Black Sail BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
LOVE 2 Q	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Dr. Squealgood BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN ELVISES	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
3 PIGS SMOKIN	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
Barking Dog BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Sons of a Brisket	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
HIGH i QUE	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	0	0	0	169.1200	150.7884	161.74	top 77%
Pork Ribs	9	1	0	0	173.1316	156.5488	167.09	top 48%
Pork	9	0	0	0	169.6684	162.8228	166.57	top 56%
Brisket	9	2	1	1	177.7028	145.0400	165.23	top 50%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	2	0	top 50%
Large (40+)	7	0	top 68%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	295	0	top 62%	2023-09-27

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 8.9 yrs 2017-09-01 → 2026-07-24

Busiest season 2026 3 contests

Contests a season 2.8 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KS 11 of 11 contests

Contests visited 8 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 9 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 167.09 · weakest Chicken (161.74)

Walk rate 18% a top-10 call in 2 of 11 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 11 contests

Master average 660.64 out of 720 · 9 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,127 669–1,134 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 273 11 mapped stops · furthest 55 mi

Schedule strength 1585 average field rating faced — tougher than 67% of rated contests

Purse competed for $135,075 listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 8 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 4.5 yrs 2017-09-22 → 2022-03-18

Power rating 1494 peak 1501 · #3444 of 6,413 rated

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

2017
Sep 1 First tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
Sep 1 First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.9544 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
Sep 1 Peak power rating (1501) 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
2026
Apr 3 First call Smokin in the Valley
Apr 3 10th tracked contest Smokin in the Valley
Jul 24 First category win (Brisket) Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship
Jul 24 Career-best overall score682.1712 Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship
Jul 24 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7028 Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship
Jul 24 Most recent contest Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.3	Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship	2026-07-24
+5.2	Smokin in the Valley	2026-04-03
+1.1	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2017-09-01
+0.7	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2023-09-27

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque	2017-09-22
-3.6	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship	2026-03-20
-2.1	Smoke in the Spring	2023-04-07
-1.6	Qlathe BBQ Championship	2022-03-18
-0.3	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST	2022-09-29

Category scores over time

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	3	1	67%	top 58%	94.7%	93.6%
2023	3	0	0%	top 67%	92.5%	92.4%
2022	3	0	0%	top 66%	91.4%	91.4%
2017	2	0	0%	top 70%	91.1%	88.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026-07-24	Masters at the Midway: Johnson County Fair BBQ Championship 🏅 Gardner, KS	14 / 29 (682.1712)	22 (166.8228)	6 (173.1200)	24 (164.5256)	1 (177.7028)
2026-04-03	Smokin in the Valley 🏅 Linn Valley, KS	16 / 31 (674.7316)	19 (169.1200)	20 (165.1088)	17 (167.3828)	6 (173.1200)
2026-03-20	8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	50 / 68 (663.8512)	55 (165.0972)	36 (167.9656)	51 (166.8228)	49 (163.9656)
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	295 / 487 (666.1484)	383 (161.6572)	300 (165.7144)	263 (167.3712)	130 (171.4056)
2023-04-07	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	75 / 103 (663.8512)	62 (168.5256)	53 (169.6800)	74 (162.8228)	76 (162.8228)
2022-10-01	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
2022-09-29	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	321 / 505 (658.1828)	480 (150.7884)	102 (173.1316)	322 (163.9772)	135 (170.2856)
2022-03-18	Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	48 / 71 (658.1484)	54 (162.2628)	46 (162.2744)	29 (169.6684)	41 (163.9428)
2017-09-22	Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS	93 / 112 (622.6976)	93 (153.6916)	79 (156.5488)	32 (167.4172)	107 (145.0400)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	231 / 407 (655.9544)	322 (157.7144)	113 (170.2744)	128 (169.1772)	288 (158.7884)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026 ↗	Master	#508 (270 pts)	#646 (215 pts)	#543 (310 pts)	#612 (215 pts)	#332 (510 pts)