LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ

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

Power ranking

#4127

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1480

peak 1533 · rated over 28 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-23

latest 2025-11-05

Best ToY finish

#785

Master 2021

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 31 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

677.1196 / 720

Master · 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)

Perfect 180s

Current form

654.51 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 634.91 (+19.59)

Walk rate

23%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7600

Pork · Smokin' on Oak

Consistency

±90.06

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 164.88 · weakest Pork (160.69)

Road miles

869

mi across 31 mapped stops · furthest 120 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

Purse competed for

$333K

listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 14 state-championship entries

Master avg

634.91 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (9 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

677.1196 career-best overall

94.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 677.1196 at 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) — 94.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-09-15

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 36%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 36%

A tough matchup

18–0 behind in the head-to-head

913 BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

913 BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 18 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.2 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.20 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 7%.

Pork avg 160.69
Pork Ribs avg 164.88
2 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

10–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 77% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DUSTY ROADS BBQ in 10 of their 13 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

16 of 19 shared pork ribs entries lost

SLAPS BBQ ahead 84% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SLAPS BBQ has out-cooked them in 16 of 19 shared pork ribs entries.

Boom or bust

±12.51% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±12.51% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 88.2% of a perfect score
best 94.0%

A September team

Top 43% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 43% across 7 contests, versus top 60% the rest of the year.

7 September contests
top 60% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smokin' On Oak every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 19th

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.

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

BROWNIES BBQ

#4131 of the rated field

1480 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1511

4–0 in 4 shared contests (100% to LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ ahead 4–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2019-09-12

⚔ Head-to-head

The 28th Amendment

#4105 of the rated field

1480 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1480

3–4 in 7 shared contests (43% to LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2026-03-20

⚔ Head-to-head

DAWGHOUSE BBQ

#4120 of the rated field

1480 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 38 contests to 31, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 38 contests
last seen 2024-04-05

⚔ Head-to-head

FIDDLIN' FATBACK

#4136 of the rated field

1480 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1565

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 39 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Griswold Grillers

#4107 of the rated field

1480 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1480

No shared contest yet.

41 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 41 contests
last seen 2025-06-27

⚔ Head-to-head

Simply Smoked

#4145 of the rated field

1479 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after LIFT, TILT, AND STAGGER BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2026-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SLAPS BBQ	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
913 BBQ	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
2 DRUNK 2 QUE	17	6	11	35%	⚔ compare
ALL FORKED UP FOR Q	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' SAUCED	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
Sons of a Brisket	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
HIGH i QUE	15	0	15	0%	⚔ compare
WEEKEND BUM BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
Fergolicious BBQ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
DUSTY ROADS BBQ	13	10	3	77%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN ELVISES	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
S&S BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	3	0	176.5600	146.8456	164.57	top 56%
Pork Ribs	29	2	1	176.5600	153.6688	164.88	top 53%
Pork	28	2	1	177.7600	144.0228	160.69	top 70%
Brisket	28	2	0	174.2856	145.1316	161.56	top 59%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
KS	22	0	top 61%
MO	6	0	top 56%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	10	0	top 56%
Large (40+)	18	0	top 61%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin' On Oak	4	19	top 63%	2016-08-26
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	3	169	top 56%	2023-09-27
Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life	3	19	top 60%	2019-06-14
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	315	top 77%	2025-11-05
Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out	2	10	top 31%	2017-09-15

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

On the trail 12.2 yrs 2013-08-23 → 2025-11-05

Busiest season 2022 4 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 13 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KS 24 of 31 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 19 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 29 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 164.88 · weakest Pork (160.69)

Walk rate 23% a top-10 call in 7 of 31 contests

Overall top-10 rate 6% 2 of 31 contests

Master average 634.91 out of 720 · 28 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 2,087 2,282–2,889 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 869 31 mapped stops · furthest 120 mi

Schedule strength 1575 average field rating faced — tougher than 59% of rated contests

Purse competed for $332,685 listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 14 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs 2023-09-27 → 2024-10-30

Power rating 1480 peak 1533 · #4127 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 23 First tracked contest Smokin' on Oak
2015
Aug 28 First call Smokin' on Oak
Aug 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.0860 Smokin' on Oak
Aug 28 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7600 Smokin' on Oak
2016
Jun 17 First overall top-10 Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off
2017
Aug 4 10th tracked contest Laurie Hillbilly BBQ
2018
Sep 15 Career-best overall score677.1196 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)
2019
Jun 14 Peak power rating (1533) Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life
2022
Sep 29 25th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
2025
Nov 5 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.3	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2018-09-15
+9.7	Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out	2017-09-15
+9.2	Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off	2016-06-17
+9	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)	2016-10-29
+7.4	Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out	2016-09-16

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.6	Qlathe BBQ Championship	2022-03-18
-9.8	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ	2017-08-04
-8.6	Smokin' on Oak	2014-08-22
-8.3	BBQ & Fly in on the River	2020-08-14
-8.1	Smokin' Hot Cars & BBQ	2021-07-23

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)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0	0%	top 79%	91%	91%
2024	2	0	0%	top 76%	90.6%	90.6%
2023	2	0	0%	top 74%	92.1%	91%
2022	4	0	0%	top 75%	90.9%	88.9%
2021	3	0	0%	top 66%	90.2%	89.5%
2020	2	0	50%	top 89%	87.9%	87.9%
2019	3	0	33%	top 56%	92.3%	91.6%
2018	2	0	50%	top 43%	94%	92.4%
2017	4	1	25%	top 58%	94%	90.7%
2016	4	1	50%	top 36%	93.2%	92.2%
2015	2	0	50%	top 37%	92.4%	57.7%
2014	1	0	0%	top 80%	87.1%	87.1%
2013	1	0	0%	top 74%	84.4%	84.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2025-11-05	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	315 / 401 (655.2344)	374 (155.9200)	177 (170.2628)	291 (165.0972)	277 (163.9544)
2024-10-30	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
2024-10-30	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	338 / 444 (652.4684)	274 (166.8456)	156 (171.4400)	382 (158.2172)	370 (155.9656)
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	309 / 487 (662.7884)	290 (166.2972)	330 (164.5484)	300 (165.6800)	254 (166.2628)
2023-03-17	5th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	57 / 68 (647.8744)	56 (161.0856)	56 (161.7032)	57 (162.2628)	52 (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	344 / 505 (654.1600)	56 (175.4400)	251 (167.3828)	431 (157.0972)	428 (154.2400)
2022-08-26	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	30 / 48 (650.1140)	40 (158.2400)	13 (169.6800)	37 (158.7884)	33 (163.4056)
2022-03-18	Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	66 / 71 (615.2228)	66 (153.6684)	61 (156.5144)	69 (150.2284)	57 (154.8116)
2021-09-16	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	169 / 467 (162.8800)	327 (161.1084)	344 (160.5600)	307 (161.7028)	242 (163.4172)
2021-07-23	Smokin' Hot Cars & BBQ 🏅 Iola, KS	25 / 28 (639.3484)	23 (160.5256)	15 (165.7028)	24 (162.2972)	26 (150.8228)
2021-03-19	3rd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	51 / 70 (649.6800)	65 (154.2516)	38 (167.4284)	46 (166.2628)	52 (161.7372)
2020-08-14	BBQ & Fly in on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	49 / 55 (633.0060)	35 (169.1316)	49 (159.3944)	54 (145.6572)	44 (158.8228)
2020-07-05	Front Porch Rib Fest Kansas City, MO	—	—	8 (166.2628)	—	—
2019-08-16	BBQ and Fly In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO	49 / 68 (654.1944)	41 (166.8344)	32 (169.1200)	49 (162.2400)	54 (156.0000)
2019-06-14	Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS	19 / 38 (664.4684)	22 (165.7028)	16 (167.9772)	27 (162.8000)	14 (167.9884)
2019-03-15	Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS	29 / 64 (659.9084)	5 (176.5600)	27 (165.1200)	55 (154.8112)	33 (163.4172)
2018-09-15	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	107 / 467 (677.1196)	209 (167.4056)	250 (165.1428)	104 (170.2856)	41 (174.2856)
2018-06-15	*Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life Kansas City, KS	20 / 32 (652.9712)	25 (158.2284)	27 (158.2400)	16 (163.9428)	4 (172.5600)
2017-09-15	Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out Kearney, MO	10 / 37 (677.0284)	6 (174.2856)	2 (176.5600)	28 (161.6572)	14 (164.5256)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	203 / 407 (661.6456)	147 (169.7028)	76 (172.0000)	328 (157.7144)	241 (162.2284)
2017-08-04	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO	35 / 40 (638.1600)	27 (166.2400)	28 (160.5372)	39 (152.0000)	33 (159.3828)
2017-06-16	*Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life(JUDGES FULL) Kansas City, KS	23 / 34 (635.8288)	23 (158.2400)	28 (153.6688)	21 (160.5256)	12 (163.3944)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	165 / 557 (667.8740)	45 (174.2628)	169 (168.5600)	431 (158.2284)	184 (166.8228)
2016-09-16	Jesse James Barbeque Cook Out Kearney, MO	12 / 35 (670.7084)	12 (166.2400)	14 (168.5256)	20 (165.1200)	9 (170.8228)
2016-08-26	Smokin' On Oak Bonner Springs, KS	19 / 37 (651.9312)	20 (166.8572)	32 (155.9428)	18 (165.1656)	16 (163.9656)
2016-06-17	Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off Kansas City, KS	7 / 25 (666.2172)	9 (165.1200)	11 (163.3944)	4 (174.2972)	11 (163.4056)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	156 / 606 (166.2628)	102 (171.4400)	203 (167.4172)	443 (158.2512)	248 (164.5600)
2015-08-28	Smokin' on Oak Bonner Springs, KS	20 / 42 (665.0860)	16 (171.4172)	28 (162.2516)	2 (177.7600)	35 (153.6572)
2014-08-22	Smokin' on Oak Bonner Springs, KS	24 / 30 (626.8116)	21 (159.9656)	14 (164.5944)	24 (157.1200)	28 (145.1316)
2013-08-23	Smokin' on Oak Bonner Springs, KS	28 / 38 (607.9544)	35 (146.8456)	15 (161.6916)	36 (144.0228)	23 (155.3944)

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
2025 ↗	Master	#1148 (60 pts)	#1221 (60 pts)	#1293 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#1182 (60 pts)	#1242 (60 pts)	#1317 (60 pts)	#1231 (60 pts)	#1204 (60 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#938 (120 pts)	#1011 (120 pts)	#1118 (120 pts)	#989 (120 pts)	#989 (120 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#807 (180 pts)	#868 (180 pts)	#779 (240 pts)	#854 (180 pts)	#837 (180 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#785 (173 pts)	#798 (183 pts)	#731 (223 pts)	#791 (178 pts)	#822 (173 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#551 (196 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1139 (210 pts)	#916 (320 pts)	#1162 (225 pts)	#1301 (180 pts)	#1124 (235 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1431 (142 pts)	#1728 (117 pts)	#1734 (117 pts)	#1443 (162 pts)	#1083 (267 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1019 (324 pts)	#1024 (364 pts)	#890 (439 pts)	#1230 (259 pts)	#988 (359 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#829 (430 pts)	#909 (405 pts)	#1007 (355 pts)	#885 (440 pts)	#859 (430 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1549 (145 pts)	#1567 (165 pts)	#1776 (120 pts)	#1048 (320 pts)	#1763 (120 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2700 (60 pts)	#2167 (75 pts)	#1970 (110 pts)	#2715 (60 pts)	#2777 (55 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2527 (63 pts)	#2568 (63 pts)	#1849 (113 pts)	#2562 (63 pts)	#2412 (73 pts)