The heartbreaker
0.5600
points from the title
Came within 0.5600 points of the Grand Championship at Icebox Cookoff (Jul 1, 2023).
SLOW PORKIN
SLOW PORKIN is a competition barbecue team with 31 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off (2017), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1125 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Slow Porkin'”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1592
peak 1596 · rated over 26 contests5 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
31
in the data
First seen
Apr 12, 2013
latest Sep 4, 2026 · 13.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
2 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time
Category wins
5
12 podiums
Overall top-10s
16
52% of 31 contests
Best top-10 run
6
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 45%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
685.96 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 663.86 (+22.11)
Walk rate
71%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±39.86
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 168.50 · weakest Chicken (166.71)
Road miles
20,461
across 31 mapped stops · furthest 2,170 mi
Schedule strength
29%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)
Purse competed for
$501K
listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 18 state-championship entries
Master avg
663.86 / 720
30 Master contests · 1 GC
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 | #512 (317 pts) | #769 (177 pts) | #662 (267 pts) | #553 (297 pts) | #400 (482 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #548 (308 pts) | #579 (333 pts) | #612 (313 pts) | #728 (208 pts) | #411 (533 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #404 (490 pts) | #545 (360 pts) | #614 (350 pts) | #575 (330 pts) | #474 (415 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #370 (615 pts) | #396 (605 pts) | #534 (455 pts) | #485 (460 pts) | #313 (755 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #562 (297 pts) | #629 (267 pts) | #580 (322 pts) | #692 (227 pts) | #664 (247 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #967 (277 pts) | #850 (372 pts) | #988 (297 pts) | #1077 (252 pts) | #1199 (207 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1524 (120 pts) | #1598 (120 pts) | #1614 (120 pts) | #1610 (120 pts) | #1586 (120 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #878 (408 pts) | #982 (388 pts) | #1370 (218 pts) | #926 (408 pts) | #1034 (338 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2910 (55 pts) | #2916 (55 pts) | #2928 (55 pts) | #2114 (100 pts) | #1772 (130 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1537 (148 pts) | #1506 (178 pts) | #1994 (98 pts) | #2160 (73 pts) | #1883 (118 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1136 (262 pts) | #1248 (252 pts) | #907 (402 pts) | #1426 (207 pts) | #1561 (172 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1246 (207 pts) | #1511 (157 pts) | #931 (337 pts) | #1123 (267 pts) | #1297 (207 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to SLOW PORKIN, each with one reason worth a look.
30 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,129 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1620
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to SLOW PORKIN)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team SLOW PORKIN has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,122 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1593
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to SLOW PORKIN)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,130 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1592
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to SLOW PORKIN)
Fewer contests behind them than SLOW PORKIN has cooked, 11 to 31, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,118 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1602
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before SLOW PORKIN's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,126 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 39%
- Peak
- 1620
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 28 contests, alongside a 39% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,123 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 5
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1599
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob's Smokin and Grillin BBQ | 15 | 12 | 3 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| RJs Smokehouse | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN TIMBERS NORTHWEST | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| LAKE HOUSE BBQ | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Small Axe BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| BOOTIES BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Alderfire BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| FAHRENHEIT 250 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| JERIMIAH JOHNSON MOUNTAIN MAN BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| J&C BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 503BACKYARDBBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| CROOKED PIGS | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Wine Country Q | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 31 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 177.7372 | 124.0002 | 166.71 | top 49% |
| Pork Ribs | 31 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 174.8572 | 144.5372 | 166.75 | top 50% |
| Pork | 30 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 178.2972 | 157.0856 | 168.50 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 31 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 140.5714 | 167.90 | top 37% |
“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) | 3 | 1 | top 21% |
| Medium (20–39) | 20 | 0 | top 40% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 66% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 5 | 8 | 0 | top 56% | Mar 31, 2017 |
| The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 53% | May 31, 2025 |
| 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2 | 141 | 0 | top 65% | Sep 15, 2018 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
4 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
WA
16 of 31 contests · 6 states in all
Contests visited
25
3 of them more than once
First title
Aug 19, 2017
Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
Opponents faced
1,145
finished ahead 1,023 times, behind 1,563
Longest layoff
1.9 yrs
Sep 12, 2019 → Aug 21, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1596) 9th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition
- Most recent contest Meat & Tater BBQ Fest
20242 milestones
- Career-best overall score700.5716 7th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition
- 25th tracked contest Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)
20221 milestone
- First Reserve Championship Hermiston Fall Fest, BBQ, Brews, & More
20181 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL)
20175 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First overall podium Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
- First Grand Championship Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
- First multi-meat day Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Kla Ha Ya Days Barbeque Championship
- First overall top-10 Kla Ha Ya Days Barbeque Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.3540 Kla Ha Ya Days Barbeque Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.2 | Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off | Aug 19, 2017 |
| +14 | Icebox Cookoff | Jul 1, 2023 |
| +13.4 | Hermiston Fall Fest, BBQ, Brews, & More | Oct 7, 2022 |
| +11.9 | DuPont-Hudson's Bay BBQ Competition | Aug 19, 2023 |
| +11.6 | 7th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition | Aug 24, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.9 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Apr 12, 2013 |
| -14.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | Sep 16, 2021 |
| -13.1 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Apr 1, 2016 |
| -10.9 | Outdoor Cooking BBQ Championship | Feb 5, 2022 |
| -3.7 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) | May 30, 2025 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 41% | 95.8% | 95.1% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 95.7% | 94.7% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 37% | 97.3% | 96% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 8% | 97% | 96.4% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 75% | top 35% | 96.7% | 94.8% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 67% | 94.6% | 85.3% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 46% | 93.7% | 93.1% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 55% | 92.8% | 92.2% |
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 100% | top 18% | 95.6% | 93.3% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 93% | 85.5% | 85.5% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 29% | 90.5% | 90.5% |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 37% | 90% | 89.6% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 71% | 92.5% | 87% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | Meat & Tater BBQ Fest 🏅 Meridian, ID | 34 / 52 (681.6228) | 34 (171.9772) | 30 (170.2628) | 40 (167.4056) | 25 (171.9772) |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 9th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 5 / 27 (689.6228) | 24 (162.7884) | 8 (172.5600) | 5 (175.4172) | 1 (178.8572) |
| Jan 16, 2026 | 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 21 / 53 (682.7544) | 31 (169.6800) | 25 (170.2744) | 31 (168.5372) | 9 (174.2628) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | 8th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 15 / 30 (686.7312) | 10 (174.2628) | 17 (169.6800) | 21 (168.5256) | 9 (174.2628) |
| May 31, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 12 / 28 (689.0860) | 8 (174.8456) | 11 (171.9888) | 23 (169.1316) | 9 (173.1200) |
| May 30, 2025 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 19 / 30 (669.6000) | 28 (159.3944) | 17 (170.8228) | 22 (165.1200) | 2 (174.2628) |
| Oct 17, 2024 | Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA | 21 / 33 (681.6000) | 20 (172.5600) | 29 (167.3828) | 9 (175.4172) | 24 (166.2400) |
| Aug 24, 2024 | 7th Annual DuPont BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 3 / 27 (700.5716) | 9 (173.7028) | 5 (173.1544) | 4 (178.2972) | 6 (175.4172) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | DuPont-Hudson's Bay BBQ Competition 🏅 DuPont, WA | 3 / 30 (689.6456) | 11 (171.9656) | 9 (170.2744) | 4 (174.8572) | 3 (172.5484) |
| Jul 1, 2023 | Icebox Cookoff 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 2 / 38 (698.2284) | 3 (177.7028) | 4 (174.8572) | 12 (171.9656) | 5 (173.7028) |
| Oct 21, 2022 | Royal Oak Invitational Only (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Roswell, GA | 9 / 35 (695.9200) | 4 (177.7028) | 20 (170.8344) | 17 (170.8228) | 7 (176.5600) |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Hermiston Fall Fest, BBQ, Brews, & More 🏅 Hermiston, OR | 2 / 19 (687.9656) | 2 (176) | 13 (165.1428) | 5 (173.1200) | 2 (173.7028) |
| Aug 20, 2022 | 5th Annual Hudson's Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff 🏅 DuPont, WA | 6 / 29 (695.9656) | 8 (174.2628) | 9 (174.8572) | 20 (166.8456) | 1 (180) |
| Feb 5, 2022 | Outdoor Cooking BBQ Championship 🏅 Puyallup, WA | 18 / 22 (648.9940) | 16 (161.6684) | 16 (163.3944) | 16 (163.3828) | 12 (160.5484) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 459 / 467 (494.1600) | 74 (173.1200) | 276 (163.9772) | — | 343 (157.0628) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 153 / 185 (667.3144) | 153 (165.1200) | 165 (160.5372) | 127 (167.3944) | 46 (174.2628) |
| Aug 21, 2021 | 4th Annual Hudson's Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff 🏅 DuPont, WA | 5 / 27 (681.0856) | 8 (170.2628) | 4 (172) | 6 (172) | 10 (166.8228) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 127 / 468 (674.7772) | 219 (166.2744) | 171 (167.4172) | 176 (167.9772) | 75 (173.1084) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 115 / 135 (667.3488) | 134 (158.8228) | 105 (165.6800) | 23 (174.3088) | 93 (168.5372) |
| Aug 17, 2019 | 3rd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cookoff 🏅 DuPont, WA | 7 / 27 (667.9428) | 2 (174.2972) | 5 (168) | 11 (167.4056) | 18 (158.2400) |
| Sep 15, 2018 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 207 / 467 (665.0856) | 207 (167.4056) | 327 (161.1316) | 228 (164.5600) | 75 (171.9884) |
| Sep 14, 2018 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 141 / 164 (658.6972) | 164 (153.6572) | 149 (161.0972) | 73 (171.9656) | 69 (171.9772) |
| Sep 7, 2018 | Rockn & BBQ Brew Festival Boise, ID | 9 / 25 (667.8856) | 8 (166.8228) | 12 (167.3944) | 8 (170.2856) | 11 (163.3828) |
| Aug 19, 2017 | Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off DuPont, WA | 1 / 18 (688.5716) | 1 (177.7372) | 8 (165.1200) | 9 (165.7144) | 1 (180) |
| Mar 31, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA | 9 / 30 (654.7888) | 12 (167.4172) | 20 (158.8460) | 1 (173.7028) | 22 (154.8228) |
| Apr 1, 2016 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA | 28 / 30 (615.8860) | 29 (147.4172) | 30 (144.5372) | 16 (161.6916) | 10 (162.2400) |
| Apr 3, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA | 8 / 28 (651.3484) | 5 (169.1200) | 16 (160.5600) | 21 (157.0856) | 12 (164.5828) |
| Apr 25, 2014 | Washington State Spring BBQ Championship Monroe, WA | 9 / 22 (642.8116) | 9 (165.1428) | 4 (163.9884) | 17 (159.4172) | 14 (154.2632) |
| Apr 4, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA | 10 / 30 (648.0572) | 12 (162.8684) | 4 (170.3316) | 12 (164.6172) | 22 (150.2400) |
| Jul 20, 2013 | Kla Ha Ya Days Barbeque Championship Snohomish, WA | 6 / 13 (666.3540) | 12 (160.0228) | 2 (172.0572) | 5 (166.8340) | 6 (167.4400) |
| Apr 12, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA | 28 / 29 (586.8576) | 29 (124.0002) | 16 (161.1432) | 15 (161.1428) | 26 (140.5714) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.