Among the elite
#443
of 6,491 rated teams
In the top 7% of every rated team in the data
A power rating of 1689 puts them #443 of 6,491 rated teams — the top 7% of the field.
- rating 1689
- peak 1707
- 45 rated contests
Curly Bird BBQ
Curly Bird BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 54 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. They have won 7 Grand Championships, most recently at the Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) (2024). They are ranked #443 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1689
peak 1707 · rated over 45 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
54
in the data
First seen
Jun 10, 2022
latest Jun 12, 2026 · 4 years on the trail
Grand champs
7
0 reserve · wins it all 13% of the time
Category wins
12
33 podiums
Overall top-10s
30
56% of 54 contests
Best top-10 run
8
straight overall top-10s · 3 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 34%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
342.82 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 340.41 (+2.41)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.51
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 171.21 · weakest Pork (163.88)
Road miles
7,934
across 54 mapped stops · furthest 1,023 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1588)
Purse competed for
$315K
listed at 43 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
4 🏅
won from 27 state-championship entries
Master avg
652.50 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.41 / 360
39 Backyard contests · 7 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
494.90 / 540
6 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), 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.
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 | #1065 (60 pts) | #1141 (60 pts) | #1203 (60 pts) | #1111 (60 pts) | #997 (100 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #5 (1,293 pts) | #17 (1,160 pts) | #3 (1,331 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | — | — | #623 (334 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #63 (891 pts) | #13 (1,244 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #460 (531 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #89 (528 pts) | #77 (673 pts) | — | — |
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Curly Bird BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#444 of the rated field
- Contests
- 36
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 72%
- Peak
- 1710
Fewer contests behind them than Curly Bird BBQ has cooked, 36 to 54, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#441 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 60%
- Peak
- 1699
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Curly Bird BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#442 of the rated field
- Contests
- 66
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 45%
- Peak
- 1710
66 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 45% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#439 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 49%
- Peak
- 1705
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Curly Bird BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Curly Bird BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#447 of the rated field
- Contests
- 144
- GCs
- 8
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1775
2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Curly Bird BBQ)
They've been 1775 at their best, 87 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#438 of the rated field
- Contests
- 215
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1732
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Curly Bird BBQ)
They were already cooking in 2014, 8 years before Curly Bird BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking Slabs BBQ | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| Swine-O-licious BBQ | 18 | 6 | 12 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Reds Backyard BBQ | 16 | 10 | 6 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bey's Barbecue | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Ambition Que | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked & Furious | 12 | 7 | 3 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Aww Shucks BBQ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| MUNNY'S STOVE | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Fluffy Butt BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 12 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke 'n Magic | 11 | 8 | 3 | 73% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad Influence BBQ - MO | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| BULL IN THE RING | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 47 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 177.7028 | 154.2628 | 167.56 | top 43% |
| Pork Ribs | 53 | 40 | 9 | 21 | 180 🔥 | 147.9540 | 171.21 | top 30% |
| Pork | 12 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 174.2628 | 149.0740 | 163.88 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 172.5600 | 163.9772 | 169.14 | top 28% |
“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) | 13 | 5 | top 38% |
| Medium (20–39) | 24 | 2 | top 36% |
| Large (40+) | 9 | 0 | top 21% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | 5 | 4 | 0 | top 17% | Oct 26, 2024 |
| Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 21% | Jul 20, 2024 |
| Smokin on the Route | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 29% | Jul 28, 2023 |
| Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 37% | Jun 9, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
27 contests · 6 GCs
Contests a season
13.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
17 of 54 contests · 8 states in all
Contests visited
37
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
53 entries · 9 wins · 40 calls
First title
Oct 6, 2023
Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1
Opponents faced
699
finished ahead 1,143 times, behind 586
Longest layoff
1.6 yrs
Oct 26, 2024 → Jun 12, 2026
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best overall score657.0744 Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest
20246 milestones
- First multi-meat day Grills Gone Wild
- 5th Grand Championship Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1
- 10th category win Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE)
- 50th tracked contest Poosa Q
- Peak power rating (1707) Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD)
20236 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Boats Beats & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1
- First Grand Championship Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1
- First state championship Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1
- 25th tracked contest Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS)
20224 milestones
- First tracked contest Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- First call Smokin on the Route
- First overall top-10 Smokin on the Route
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score499.3600 Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.9 | Grills Gone Wild | Feb 9, 2024 |
| +14.9 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | Oct 28, 2023 |
| +14.6 | Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1 | Oct 6, 2023 |
| +14.4 | Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ | Feb 16, 2024 |
| +12.2 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | Jul 20, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -17.7 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 12, 2026 |
| -15.4 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 | Oct 7, 2022 |
| -9.3 | Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 27, 2024 |
| -7.7 | Boats Beats & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 1, 2023 |
| -6.7 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 13, 2024 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 89% | 91.3% | 91.3% |
| 2024 | 27 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 81% | top 28% | 98.4% | 95.3% |
| 2023 | 20 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 75% | top 34% | 96.8% | 94.2% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50% | top 50% | 93.3% | 89.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 32 / 36 (657.0744) | 36 (158.2516) | 31 (163.9428) | 31 (163.4284) | 17 (171.4516) |
| Oct 26, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 8 / 56 (342.2516) | 6 (172.5716) | 10 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 4 / 53 (344.5372) | 8 (173.1200) | 8 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Scottsboro, AL | 3 / 38 (353.7144) | 8 (174.8572) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 27 / 59 (338.8116) | 29 (169.1200) | 27 (169.6916) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Clanton, AL | 11 / 18 (334.8000) | 9 (168.5372) | 9 (166.2628) | — | — |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 1 / 18 (354.2744) | 4 (174.2744) | 1 (180) | 4 (171.9656) | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 19 / 33 (334.7772) | 22 (167.3944) | 18 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Aug 24, 2024 | Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Beaver, OK | 1 / 2 (342.8684) | 2 (163.4284) | 1 (179.4400) | — | — |
| Aug 23, 2024 | Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Beaver, OK | 1 / 2 (333.6112) | 2 (163.9428) | 1 (169.6684) | — | — |
| Jul 20, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 3 / 33 (354.2744) | 4 (175.4172) | 3 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 5 / 37 (339.9428) | 10 (166.8228) | 1 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (ONE MEAT RIBS) Osceola, MO | — | — | 11 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Saucy and Glazed 🏅 Newton, KS | 4 / 12 (336.5144) | 4 (167.3828) | 3 (169.1316) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 7 / 17 (334.2512) | 6 (167.9656) | 8 (166.2856) | — | — |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 10 / 37 (337.6340) | 13 (166.8112) | 3 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 3 / 41 (347.4172) | 10 (171.4172) | 2 (176) | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 3 (171.4172) | — | — |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 13 / 47 (346.2284) | 22 (173.1084) | 13 (173.1200) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 17, 2024 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 23 / 39 (334.7656) | 31 (162.8000) | 8 (171.9656) | — | — |
| May 4, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Oneonta, AL | 12 / 20 (337.6456) | 16 (165.6684) | 9 (171.9772) | — | — |
| May 3, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Oneonta, AL | 6 / 27 (343.9544) | 5 (174.2744) | 10 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 10 / 40 (345.0856) | 15 (171.9656) | 9 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 10 / 38 (342.2400) | 25 (166.8228) | 5 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 16, 2024 | Back Porch Jam at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds 🏅 Dover, FL | 1 / 15 (351.9772) | 1 (177.7028) | 2 (174.2744) | 2 (174.2628) | 3 (169.1428) |
| Feb 16, 2024 | Ribs on the Ridge Brews & BBQ 🏅 Haines City, FL | 1 / 29 (347.9772) | 4 (169.1200) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (170.2512) | 2 (168.5600) |
| Feb 9, 2024 | Grills Gone Wild 🏅 Davenport, FL | 1 / 28 (353.7144) | 1 (174.8572) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (167.9772) | 1 (172.5600) |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 4 / 40 (348.5372) | 13 (169.6800) | 3 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Oak Grove, MO | — | — | 22 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 14 / 47 (334.2516) | 15 (166.8344) | 11 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Stover, MO | 9 / 16 (489.1428) | 7 (160.0344) | 8 (166.2972) | 9 (162.8112) | — |
| Oct 6, 2023 | Harper County Bullseye BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Harper, KS | 1 / 11 (345.0856) | 2 (169.6684) | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Ponca City, OK | — | — | 5 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) Belton, MO | 4 / 11 (346.8228) | 3 (171.4056) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Sep 1, 2023 | Boats Beats & BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY) Grove, OK | 13 / 17 (489.6232) | 15 (154.8116) | 1 (178.8572) | 17 (155.9544) | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Que' For a Cause Tahlequah, OK | 12 / 36 (341.6572) | 20 (167.3944) | 7 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Que' For a Cause (ONE MEAT RIBS) Tahlequah, OK | — | — | 2 (176.0116) | — | — |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 6 / 29 (342.8228) | 5 (173.1428) | 8 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jul 22, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 6 / 28 (520.5256) | 7 (174.2628) | 2 (178.2972) | 12 (167.9656) | — |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 13 / 31 (497.6460) | 15 (162.8000) | 9 (170.2744) | 10 (164.5716) | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 14 / 30 (334.7540) | 13 (167.3712) | 12 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Jul 7, 2023 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cameron, MO | — | — | 28 (159.3832) | — | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 7 / 32 (335.9544) | 7 (167.3828) | 6 (168.5716) | — | — |
| May 12, 2023 | City of Springs BBQ Championship 🏅 Sulphur, OK | 5 / 16 (342.2744) | 6 (168.5600) | 3 (173.7144) | — | — |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition 🏅 Derby, KS | 8 / 28 (348.5600) | 12 (172) | 4 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 24, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 15 / 37 (334.8572) | 28 (160.5828) | 3 (174.2744) | — | — |
| Oct 29, 2022 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 8 / 32 (330.2056) | 9 (155.9428) | 4 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2022 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 10 / 40 (336) | 15 (162.2972) | 4 (173.7028) | — | — |
| Oct 8, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2 Tahlequah, OK | 20 / 32 (499.3600) | 14 (170.2628) | 21 (166.2284) | 23 (162.8688) | — |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 Tahlequah, OK | 32 / 32 (473.0740) | 29 (158.2972) | 20 (165.7028) | 31 (149.0740) | — |
| Jul 29, 2022 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 7 / 19 (309.7256) | 6 (154.2628) | 7 (155.4628) | — | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 15 / 29 (311.3712) | 13 (163.4172) | 16 (147.9540) | 26 (155.3828) | 18 (163.9772) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.