Up In Smoke BBQ VA
Rating
1492
peak 1504 · rated over 14 contests
Contests
22
in the data
First seen
2019-05-31
latest 2025-08-22
Best ToY finish
#560
Master 2014
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
of 22 contests
Avg finish
top 58%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
644.93 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 650.47 (-5.55)
Walk rate
36%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±29.27
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 165.12 · weakest Brisket (158.97)
Road miles
12606
mi across 21 mapped stops · furthest 2474 mi
Schedule strength
44%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1539)
Purse competed for
$115K
listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 15 state-championship entries
Master avg
650.47 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
343.10 / 360
6 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
Storylines
👀 Looking over their shoulder
BLUE & GRAY BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
POOR BOYS BBQ has come out ahead in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Second Helping BBQ -PA in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
😤 Pork Ribs nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, SMOKIN SKULLIES has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries.
📅 A August team
Something about August: average finish in the top 36% across 3 contests, versus top 58% the rest of the year.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Minnesota in May (2021-05-07).
Teams like this (closest power rating, VA first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Second Helping BBQ -PA | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG DOG BBQ VA | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| WAR PIGS | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE & GRAY BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE EYED BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| smokey anderson bbq | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| SWEET BELLY'S BBQ | 5 | 3 | 1 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Troublemaker BBQ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Brown Liquor BBQ | 5 | 3 | 1 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Mispillion Meat Works | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.6684 | 124.5372 | 159.02 | top 65% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 135.5312 | 165.12 | top 45% |
| Pork | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 173.1200 | 144.5028 | 160.13 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174.8456 | 141.0856 | 158.97 | top 64% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA | 5 | 0 | top 44% |
| MT | 4 | 0 | top 34% |
| CA | 2 | 0 | top 69% |
| KS | 2 | 0 | top 91% |
| SD | 1 | 0 | top 88% |
| MN | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 7 | 0 | top 52% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 62% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 5 | 13 | 0 | top 44% | 2025-03-22 |
| Montana Pitmaster Classic | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 39% | 2025-08-22 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in VA (9 of 22 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (19 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 650.47 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 343.10 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 — First tracked contest · Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- 📣 2019-06-22 — First call · Montana BBQ Cook-Off
- 📈 2019-08-23 — Peak power rating (1504) · Montana Pitmaster Classic
- ⭐ 2021-08-27 — Career-best overall score (682.2400) · Montana Pitmaster Classic
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +9.4 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | 2021-08-27 |
| +8.7 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off | 2019-06-22 |
| +8.4 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 2023-03-25 |
| +8.2 | Montana Pitmaster Classic | 2019-08-23 |
| +4.8 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | 2025-03-21 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -15.1 | Minnesota in May | 2021-05-07 |
| -13.4 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 28th Annual | 2019-05-31 |
| -11.5 | Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual | 2021-06-04 |
| -10.1 | Original SD BBQ Championship | 2021-06-04 |
| -2 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | 2024-03-22 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 72.2% | 72.2% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 47% | 94.8% | 92.3% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 48% | 90.6% | 89.9% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 28% | 137.8% | 137.8% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20% | top 77% | 94.8% | 88.3% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67% | top 49% | 94% | 91.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-20 | 12 Bridge Rib Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lincoln, CA | — | — | 9 (166.8800) | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 19 / 38 (682.2172) | 28 (166.2400) | 7 (176.5600) | 13 (173.1200) | 23 (166.2972) |
| 2025-06-05 | Original SD BBQ Championships (One Meat Ribs) Huron, SD | — | — | 15 (166.8228) | — | — |
| 2025-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 22 / 43 (326.2404) | 23 (159.9888) | 19 (166.2516) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 18 / 45 (329.0748) | 24 (160.5260) | 10 (168.5488) | — | — |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-05-24 | Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Felton, CA | 9 / 21 (325.6800) | — | 3 (174.8456) | — | — |
| 2024-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 19 / 42 (326.2288) | 20 (159.9544) | 16 (166.2744) | 26 (144.5028) | — |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 25 / 45 (321.0400) | 24 (158.2400) | 18 (162.8000) | 18 (164.5372) | — |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023-03-25 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 13 / 46 (495.9316) | 13 (166.8344) | 8 (169.1200) | 17 (159.9772) | — |
| 2023-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) Urbanna, VA | — | 31 (156.5600) | — | — | — |
| 2023-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Ribs) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 30 (157.6572) | — | — |
| 2021-08-27 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 9 / 31 (682.2400) | 24 (160.5256) | 4 (176.0116) | 7 (171.4400) | 6 (174.2628) |
| 2021-06-04 | Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual 🏅 Mclouth, KS | 38 / 42 (639.8400) | 34 (162.2744) | 28 (165.6684) | 32 (162.8228) | 41 (149.0744) |
| 2021-06-04 | Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD | 43 / 49 (623.2912) | 37 (157.6800) | 14 (170.8456) | 46 (153.6800) | 47 (141.0856) |
| 2021-06-04 | The Original SD BBQ Championships - One Meat Standalone Ribs Contest Huron, SD | — | — | 17 (161.6456) | — | — |
| 2021-05-07 | Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 60 / 60 (597.0400) | 56 (154.2512) | 54 (153.6916) | 60 (144.5600) | 60 (144.5372) |
| 2019-08-23 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 8 / 29 (665.6116) | 9 (168.5372) | 15 (161.1084) | 3 (172.5716) | 12 (163.3944) |
| 2019-06-22 | Montana BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Absarokee, MT | 8 / 29 (677.0400) | 12 (169.6684) | 8 (170.8344) | 16 (161.6916) | 4 (174.8456) |
| 2019-05-31 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 28th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS | 23 / 25 (636.4912) | 20 (159.4172) | 11 (166.2628) | 25 (152.5256) | 20 (158.2856) |
| Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Spring Valley, CA | 19 / 20 (260.0684) | 19 (124.5372) | 18 (135.5312) | — | — |
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 | #1042 (90 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #892 (165 pts) | #935 (120 pts) | #1147 (70 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #917 (120 pts) | #978 (120 pts) | #640 (270 pts) | #960 (120 pts) | #957 (120 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #934 (298 pts) | #1058 (258 pts) | #1096 (253 pts) | #921 (328 pts) | #934 (323 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #920 (322 pts) | #1254 (207 pts) | #1090 (272 pts) | #963 (327 pts) | #916 (352 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2027 (90 pts) | #1599 (165 pts) | #2059 (100 pts) | #1799 (120 pts) | #2230 (65 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1076 (295 pts) | #844 (450 pts) | #907 (420 pts) | #835 (470 pts) | #1298 (239 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #617 (590 pts) | #637 (605 pts) | #737 (515 pts) | #748 (500 pts) | #656 (570 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #560 (673 pts) | #449 (843 pts) | #572 (673 pts) | #441 (863 pts) | #565 (653 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1444 (155 pts) | #1885 (105 pts) | #1221 (240 pts) | #1848 (115 pts) | #1586 (145 pts) |