Blowing Smoke BBQ

Blowing Smoke BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 37 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 25 at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition (2021), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1320 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,320

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1578

peak 1587 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 16, 2015

latest May 15, 2026 · 11 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#253

Master 2023 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

11 podiums

Overall top-10s

19% of 37 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 46%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2628 / 720

Master · Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

677.72 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 670.58 (+7.14)

Walk rate

73%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Rocking BBQ Warsaw

Consistency

±24.44

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.39 · weakest Brisket (165.76)

Road miles

6,054

across 37 mapped stops · furthest 1,466 mi

Schedule strength

71%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1590)

Purse competed for

$106K

listed at 26 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 23 state-championship entries

Master avg

670.58 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.1200 points from the title

Came within 1.1200 points of the Grand Championship at Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition (Sep 10, 2021).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.

Brisket ×1

They almost always walk

73% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 27 of 37 contests

A top-10 category call in 73% of their 37 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.2628 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2628 at Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 10, 2021

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

TIRE SMOKE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Blowing Smoke BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2021 their best year

2021 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 13%.

4 contests
3 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 13%

A tough matchup

13–5 behind in the head-to-head

iBQ'n ahead in 72% of their meetings

iBQ'n has come out ahead in 13 of their 18 shared contests.

Show 6 more storylines

A strong matchup

9–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Smokin' Bones Barbecue in 9 of their 12 shared contests.

The comeback

2.3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.3 years, then back at Montana Pitmaster Classic (Aug 25, 2017).

last seen May 16, 2015
back Aug 25, 2017

Chicken nemesis

16 of 20 shared chicken entries lost

iBQ'n ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, iBQ'n has out-cooked them in 16 of 20 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

TIRE SMOKE BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An April team

Top 33% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 33% across 3 contests, versus top 46% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 46% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,054 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,054 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,466 miles to Wild West BBQ Shoot Out.

37 mapped stops
furthest 1,466 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
2026 ↗	Master	#1020 (60 pts)	#621 (260 pts)	#595 (319 pts)	#890 (115 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#585 (279 pts)	#824 (174 pts)	#518 (423 pts)	#575 (314 pts)	#719 (204 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#632 (260 pts)	#692 (250 pts)	#438 (547 pts)	#455 (450 pts)	#735 (220 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#253 (843 pts)	#311 (734 pts)	#132 (1,397 pts)	#340 (618 pts)	#234 (918 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#414 (530 pts)	#462 (485 pts)	#193 (1,129 pts)	#443 (515 pts)	#464 (495 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#310 (622 pts)	#410 (487 pts)	#284 (744 pts)	#419 (452 pts)	#437 (452 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#756 (115 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#600 (165 pts)	#883 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Blowing Smoke BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BO B Q BBQ

#1,326 of the rated field

1578 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1604

4–3 in 7 shared contests (57% to Blowing Smoke BBQ)

These two have cooked 7 of the same contests — Blowing Smoke BBQ ahead 4–3 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 67 contests
last seen Jul 31, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SoCal Outlaw BBQ

#1,316 of the rated field

1578 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1578

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Mar 27, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

B Team BBQ

#1,315 of the rated field

1578 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1590

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 37, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

LION 'BOUT THE Q

#1,329 of the rated field

1577 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1583

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

rated over 25 contests

⚔ Compare careers

SOUTHERN SMOKERS

#1,325 of the rated field

1578 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1636

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 28 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Jun 21, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

WHITE MOOSE BBQ

#1,317 of the rated field

1578 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1582

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

rated over 29 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
iBQ'n	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
BooyaQ	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
Shiggin aint easy	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
TIRE SMOKE BBQ	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
KEVLAR BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
Smokin' Bones Barbecue	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
B&R SMOKE	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
Bleacher Bums BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
BAD HABIT BBQ	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
DB BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SmokinGhost BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	7	0	1	177.7028	150.2972	169.39	top 50%
Pork Ribs	35	17	3	6	178.8572	141.6572	168.29	top 42%
Pork	24	10	1	2	177.7600	153.1540	169.10	top 43%
Brisket	24	8	1	2	180 🔥	134.2516	165.76	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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	15	top 47%
Large (40+)	8	top 41%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IN	11	top 44%
MI	6	top 42%
OH	2	top 19%
IL	2	top 47%
NV	1	top 87%
MT	1	top 70%
WI	1	top 66%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
All American BBQ Throwdown	3	7	0	top 41%	Aug 4, 2023
8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 2)	2	10	0	top 42%	May 14, 2022

More numbers

Busiest season 2023 11 contests

Contests a season 3.7 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IN 20 of 37 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 21 2 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 35 entries · 3 wins · 17 calls

Opponents faced 401 finished ahead 483 times, behind 397

Longest layoff 2.3 yrs May 16, 2015 → Aug 25, 2017

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

20261 milestone

May 15 Most recent contest Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana

20233 milestones

May 19 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Rocking BBQ Warsaw
Jun 9 Peak power rating (1587) Hoosier BBQ Classic #1
Aug 4 25th tracked contest All American BBQ Throwdown

20221 milestone

May 13 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (One Meat Ribs)

20216 milestones

May 14 First category win (Pork Ribs) Rockin' BBQ - Day 1
May 14 First overall top-10 Rockin' BBQ - Day 1
May 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score688.5028 Rockin' BBQ - Day 1
Sep 10 First overall podium Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition
Sep 10 First Reserve Championship Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition
Sep 10 Career-best overall score694.2628 Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition

20152 milestones

May 16 First tracked contest Madison Magazine BBQ Festival
May 16 First call Madison Magazine BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.4	Rockin' BBQ - Day 1	May 14, 2021
+15.8	Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition	Sep 10, 2021
+15.5	Rocking BBQ Warsaw	May 19, 2023
+14.3	Marietta River City BBQ	Apr 28, 2023
+12.1	All American BBQ Throwdown	Aug 6, 2021

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.6	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	Jul 14, 2023
-8.5	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana	May 15, 2026
-7.1	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out	Aug 24, 2018
-6.7	Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 1	Sep 11, 2020
-6.2	September Fest	Sep 13, 2024

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	3	0	0	67%	top 71%	93.2%	93.2%
2025	3	1	0	67%	top 26%	95.5%	95.4%
2024	4	0	1	75%	top 59%	94.2%	93.5%
2023	11	2	1	64%	top 38%	96.4%	94.4%
2022	8	1	1	63%	top 42%	95%	94.1%
2021	4	3	2	100%	top 13%	96.4%	95.5%
2020	1	0	0	100%	top 89%	88.7%	88.7%
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 87%	90%	90%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 70%	80.5%	80.5%
2015	1	0	0	100%	top 66%	88.2%	88.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 15, 2026	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana 🏅 Warsaw, IN	25 / 35 (671.3144)	28 (166.2400)	29 (166.2400)	14 (172.0116)	27 (166.8228)
May 15, 2026	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN	—	4 (176.5944)	—	—	—
May 15, 2026	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw, Indiana (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN	—	—	2 (176.5600)	—	—
Sep 5, 2025	Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH	12 / 42 (686.7656)	14 (175.4056)	15 (170.8228)	11 (173.7144)	19 (166.8228)
May 16, 2025	11th Annual Rockin' BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN	8 / 34 (687.3716)	29 (166.8344)	8 (174.2744)	5 (176.5828)	14 (169.6800)
May 16, 2025	11th Annual Rockin' BBQ (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN	—	—	7 (174.2628)	—	—
Sep 13, 2024	September Fest 🏅 Coldwater, MI	12 / 18 (664.9712)	12 (168.5372)	16 (163.3828)	6 (173.1084)	15 (159.9428)
May 17, 2024	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN	18 / 32 (678.1712)	20 (170.8456)	25 (162.2400)	3 (177.7028)	23 (167.3828)
May 17, 2024	Rockin' BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) 🏅 Warsaw, IN	—	—	1 (177.7144)	—	—
Apr 19, 2024	GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI	34 / 62 (675.9772)	38 (167.9656)	13 (172.5944)	30 (170.8572)	42 (164.5600)
Aug 25, 2023	Rockin' BBQ Take 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN	16 / 23 (678.7768)	15 (170.2628)	20 (167.4172)	8 (171.9656)	13 (169.1312)
Aug 25, 2023	Rockin' BBQ Take 2 (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Warsaw, IN	—	17 (169.1084)	—	—	—
Aug 4, 2023	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	18 / 44 (673.5884)	33 (165.6800)	12 (170.8228)	22 (166.8228)	13 (170.2628)
Aug 4, 2023	All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI	—	—	24 (163.9772)	—	—
Jul 14, 2023	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL	16 / 25 (662.6972)	16 (166.8228)	20 (159.3600)	12 (170.2628)	12 (166.2516)
Jul 14, 2023	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Eureka, IL	—	—	2 (174.2744)	—	—
Jun 9, 2023	Hoosier BBQ Classic #1 🏅 Franklin, IN	14 / 38 (680.5028)	22 (170.8456)	2 (176.5828)	27 (162.8000)	10 (170.2744)
Jun 9, 2023	Hoosier BBQ Classic (ONE MEAT RIBS) Franklin, IN	—	—	8 (169.6800)	—	—
May 19, 2023	Rocking BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN	3 / 35 (694.2056)	5 (175.4172)	15 (170.8228)	21 (167.9656)	1 (180)
May 19, 2023	Rocking BBQ Warsaw (ONE MEAT RIBS) Warsaw, IN	—	—	5 (173.7144)	—	—
Apr 28, 2023	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	4 / 42 (686.1712)	10 (171.9772)	10 (170.2628)	9 (173.1084)	8 (170.8228)
Aug 5, 2022	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	30 / 50 (660.3880)	30 (166.8112)	24 (167.9656)	40 (160.5256)	28 (165.0856)
Aug 5, 2022	All American BBQ Throwdown - One Meat Ribs Westland, MI	—	—	26 (162.2744)	—	—
Jun 24, 2022	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL	11 / 36 (681.5884)	8 (173.1084)	7 (173.7144)	24 (166.2400)	22 (168.5256)
Jun 24, 2022	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown - One Meat ribs Belvidere, IL	—	—	4 (173.7028)	—	—
May 14, 2022	8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Warsaw, IN	10 / 25 (682.1944)	17 (169.6684)	21 (161.6916)	6 (173.1200)	3 (177.7144)
May 13, 2022	8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Warsaw, IN	16 / 36 (680.4568)	18 (170.2512)	1 (178.2972)	27 (164.5256)	22 (167.3828)
May 13, 2022	8th Annual Rockin' BBQ (One Meat Ribs) Warsaw, IN	—	—	12 (171.4400)	—	—
Apr 8, 2022	CCSFEST 🏅 Indianapolis, IN	15 / 42 (683.9316)	20 (171.9772)	7 (173.1544)	7 (174.8572)	31 (163.9428)
Sep 10, 2021	Silver Lake Sand Dunes BBQ Competition 🏅 Mears, MI	2 / 25 (694.2628)	3 (177.7028)	7 (169.1200)	1 (177.7600)	6 (169.6800)
Aug 6, 2021	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	7 / 32 (680.5256)	10 (172)	6 (170.8456)	13 (166.8228)	8 (170.8572)
May 14, 2021	Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN	4 / 41 (688.5028)	11 (171.9656)	1 (178.8572)	28 (165.1200)	10 (172.5600)
May 14, 2021	Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 - One Meat Rib Contest Warsaw, IN	—	—	10 (173.7028)	—	—
Sep 11, 2020	Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN	32 / 36 (638.7432)	14 (169.1544)	35 (141.6572)	7 (172.5600)	31 (155.3716)
Aug 24, 2018	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	40 / 46 (647.9660)	9 (173.7372)	24 (167.4516)	39 (162.8572)	43 (143.9200)
Aug 25, 2017	Montana Pitmaster Classic Bozeman, MT	14 / 20 (579.9428)	14 (150.2972)	16 (142.2400)	10 (153.1540)	16 (134.2516)
May 16, 2015	Madison Magazine BBQ Festival Madison, WI	19 / 29 (634.8572)	21 (154.8572)	23 (149.0972)	12 (164.0228)	8 (166.8800)

Blowing Smoke BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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

Storylines (13 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April 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)