HAMBONES BY THE FIRE VA
Rating
1504
peak 1504 · rated over 20 contests
Contests
25
in the data
First seen
2019-05-24
latest 2025-09-05
Best ToY finish
#138
Master 2014
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
1
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
of 25 contests
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
682.33 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 673.02 (+9.31)
Walk rate
36%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.73
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 169.06 · weakest Brisket (167.32)
Road miles
4651
mi across 25 mapped stops · furthest 500 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1571)
Purse competed for
$177K
listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 19 state-championship entries
Master avg
673.02 / 720
20 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
👀 Looking over their shoulder
The Swine Doctor's BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 12 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of smokey anderson bbq in 7 of their 8 shared contests.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE has out-cooked them in 11 of 14 shared chicken entries.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Destination Outlets Labor Day BBQ Championship (2021-09-04).
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimus Swine | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| POOR BOYS BBQ | 11 | 1 | 9 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Still Workin' On It | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Off The Rack BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| smokey anderson bbq | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG DOG BBQ VA | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 178.8572 | 158.2172 | 169.06 | top 56% |
| Pork Ribs | 22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 174.8572 | 161.6800 | 168.76 | top 53% |
| Pork | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 177.1544 | 158.2172 | 168.15 | top 60% |
| Brisket | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176.0000 | 156.0000 | 167.32 | top 56% |
“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 | 8 | 0 | top 61% |
| OH | 4 | 0 | top 38% |
| WV | 2 | 0 | top 63% |
| NC | 2 | 0 | top 66% |
| PA | 2 | 0 | top 77% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 49% |
| GA | 1 | 0 | top 78% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 78% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 56% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 53% |
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) | 4 | 11 | 0 | top 43% | 2025-03-22 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 2 | 32 | 0 | top 68% | 2022-03-26 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2022 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in VA (11 of 25 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (23 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 673.02 / 720
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-05-24 — First tracked contest · Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1
- 📣 2019-07-12 — First call · Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off
- ⭐ 2025-03-22 — Career-best overall score (694.8116) · BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
- 🎖️ 2025-09-05 — 25th tracked contest · Grizzly BBQ Brawl
- 📈 2025-09-05 — Peak power rating (1504) · Grizzly BBQ Brawl
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.8 | Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off | 2019-07-12 |
| +14.1 | BLACK BOX BBQ @ Wadsworth Municipal Airport | 2023-10-13 |
| +11.1 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) | 2025-03-22 |
| +7.2 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) | 2025-05-24 |
| +4.5 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | 2025-03-21 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.9 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 | 2024-05-04 |
| -8.6 | Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 2 | 2019-05-25 |
| -6.4 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | 2022-03-25 |
| -6.2 | Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1 | 2019-05-24 |
| -5.4 | Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague | 2021-10-16 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 42% | 96.5% | 95.3% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 66% | 94.9% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40% | top 41% | 95.4% | 94.7% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17% | top 68% | 94.2% | 93% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 84% | 93.6% | 91.1% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 53% | 95.1% | 92.9% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-05 | Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH | 22 / 42 (679.2912) | 13 (175.4056) | 30 (165.0972) | 14 (173.1084) | 22 (165.6800) |
| 2025-05-24 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) Lebanon, TN | 52 / 106 (686.2172) | 28 (175.4288) | 104 (161.6800) | 47 (173.1084) | 13 (176.0000) |
| 2025-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 11 / 43 (694.8116) | 4 (178.8572) | 26 (169.6800) | 9 (177.1544) | 23 (169.1200) |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 19 / 45 (683.3948) | 3 (178.2972) | 37 (165.1432) | 22 (170.8228) | 18 (169.1316) |
| 2025-03-21 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 14 (167.3944) | — | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 20 / 30 (667.9316) | 14 (167.9888) | 10 (172.0000) | 15 (168.5600) | 23 (159.3828) |
| 2024-05-04 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 2 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 32 / 35 (668.4228) | 19 (173.1200) | 11 (174.2628) | 34 (158.2172) | 29 (162.8228) |
| 2024-05-03 | Jiggy With The Piggy - Day 1 🏅 Kannapolis, NC | 18 / 45 (683.3484) | 22 (170.2628) | 12 (173.7028) | 32 (167.3828) | 20 (172.0000) |
| 2023-10-13 | BLACK BOX BBQ @ Wadsworth Municipal Airport 🏅 Wadsworth, OH | 4 / 20 (686.8228) | 1 (177.7372) | 10 (167.9884) | 4 (173.1200) | 16 (167.9772) |
| 2023-03-25 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 30 / 46 (676.4684) | 20 (174.2628) | 27 (169.1200) | 26 (169.7028) | 36 (163.3828) |
| 2023-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 20 / 53 (681.6344) | 20 (173.7028) | 27 (171.4288) | 41 (163.9428) | 13 (172.5600) |
| 2023-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Chicken) Urbanna, VA | — | 19 (169.6800) | — | — | — |
| 2023-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back (One Meat Ribs) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 2 (174.8572) | — | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival 🏅 Grovetown, GA | 40 / 51 (664.4228) | 48 (159.3600) | 22 (171.9656) | 41 (166.2400) | 31 (166.8572) |
| 2022-10-14 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que Music Festival - One Meat Chicken Grovetown, GA | — | 17 (171.4056) | — | — | — |
| 2022-08-05 | All American BBQ Throwdown - One Meat Ribs Westland, MI | — | — | 16 (166.8456) | — | — |
| 2022-04-22 | Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV | 10 / 17 (666.0912) | 13 (162.8000) | 8 (169.6800) | 14 (165.0856) | 8 (168.5256) |
| 2022-03-26 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 32 / 50 (678.1944) | 37 (167.3828) | 15 (174.8572) | 29 (170.2744) | 37 (165.6800) |
| 2022-03-25 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 38 / 53 (668.4344) | 49 (161.6572) | 20 (171.9772) | 39 (166.8228) | 30 (167.9772) |
| 2021-10-16 | Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague 🏅 Galax, VA | 15 / 15 (642.1488) | 15 (160.5144) | 12 (163.9544) | 15 (161.6800) | 15 (156.0000) |
| 2021-10-15 | Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q-Rufus Teague 🏅 Galax, VA | 12 / 15 (673.5656) | 14 (166.2400) | 10 (167.9656) | 8 (170.8228) | 6 (168.5372) |
| 2021-09-04 | Destination Outlets Labor Day BBQ Championship 🏅 Jeffersonville, OH | 11 / 15 (652.4684) | 13 (161.0972) | 8 (165.6684) | 13 (159.4056) | 9 (166.2972) |
| 2019-07-12 | Ohio Veterans Barbecue Cook-Off 🏅 Kettering, OH | 2 / 33 (685.0628) | 15 (168.5256) | 18 (167.9772) | 3 (174.8572) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2019-05-25 | Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 2 🏅 Gettysburg, PA | 26 / 32 (664.5028) | 22 (169.1428) | 26 (162.8116) | 23 (166.3200) | 24 (166.2284) |
| 2019-05-24 | Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1 🏅 Gettysburg, PA | 24 / 33 (657.0976) | 30 (158.2172) | 20 (164.0116) | 20 (166.2972) | 15 (168.5716) |
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 | #664 (225 pts) | #445 (519 pts) | #848 (180 pts) | #663 (250 pts) | #585 (290 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #663 (235 pts) | #655 (275 pts) | #569 (385 pts) | #717 (225 pts) | #747 (210 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #530 (340 pts) | #424 (528 pts) | #485 (498 pts) | #586 (315 pts) | #643 (270 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #620 (297 pts) | #562 (382 pts) | #572 (407 pts) | #682 (277 pts) | #619 (317 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #552 (305 pts) | #600 (285 pts) | #553 (355 pts) | #552 (325 pts) | #516 (370 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #477 (751 pts) | #498 (731 pts) | #528 (716 pts) | #470 (791 pts) | #508 (726 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1338 (190 pts) | #1802 (120 pts) | #1414 (205 pts) | #1442 (190 pts) | #1424 (195 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #591 (665 pts) | #825 (465 pts) | #658 (620 pts) | #701 (570 pts) | #502 (820 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #584 (630 pts) | #681 (560 pts) | #734 (520 pts) | #507 (765 pts) | #479 (785 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #138 (1823 pts) | #255 (1250 pts) | #79 (1929 pts) | #108 (1770 pts) | #185 (1548 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #206 (1380 pts) | #255 (1110 pts) | #221 (1245 pts) | #277 (1040 pts) | #197 (1340 pts) |