The comeback
13 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 13 years, then back at Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (Aug 15, 2026).
- last seen Aug 23, 2013
- back Aug 15, 2026
Root River Bottom Smokers
Root River Bottom Smokers is a competition barbecue team with 3 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 18th of 18 at the Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) (2026).
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1484
Unranked — needs 5 rated contests, has 3
Contests
3
in the data
First seen
Jul 26, 2013
latest Aug 15, 2026 · 13.1 years on the trail
Avg finish
top 75%
overall standings
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 167.11 · weakest Brisket (157.11)
Road miles
108
across 3 mapped stops · furthest 41 mi
Schedule strength
36%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)
Purse competed for
$3,250
listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings
Master avg
643.91 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
329.14 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 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.
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165.7600 | 158.2400 | 161.89 | top 75% |
| Pork Ribs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.9032 | 152.5144 | 160.94 | top 74% |
| Pork | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.8572 | 163.3712 | 167.11 | top 41% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.9884 | 146.2400 | 157.11 | top 60% |
“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.
More numbers
Busiest season
2013
2 contests
Contests a season
1.5
across 2 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MN
2 of 3 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
3
a different one every time
Opponents faced
116
finished ahead 41 times, behind 90
Longest layoff
13 yrs
Aug 23, 2013 → Aug 15, 2026
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)170.9032 Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Up in Smoke BBQ Bash
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.1200 6th Annual Big Island BBQ
- Career-best overall score657.1200 6th Annual Big Island BBQ
- Peak power rating (1495) 6th Annual Big Island BBQ
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 18 / 18 (329.1432) | 18 (158.2400) | 12 (170.9032) | — | — |
| Aug 23, 2013 | 6th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN | 23 / 50 (657.1200) | 28 (165.7600) | 43 (152.5144) | 14 (170.8572) | 13 (167.9884) |
| Jul 26, 2013 | Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA | 52 / 66 (630.6968) | 46 (161.6800) | 45 (159.4056) | 36 (163.3712) | 62 (146.2400) |