The Big LebowsQ

The Big LebowsQ is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 12th of 40 at the Barbeque on the Bow Festival (2023). They are ranked #5655 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,655

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1447

peak 1447 · rated over 12 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 31, 2013

latest Sep 4, 2026 · 13 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 69%

overall standings

Best overall

670.7428 / 720

Master · Barbeque on the Bow Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

655.79 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 630.12 (+25.67)

Walk rate

33%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Pork · Barbeque on the Bow Festival

Consistency

±25.93

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 161.31 · weakest Brisket (150.54)

Road miles

across 12 mapped stops

Schedule strength

17%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1524)

Master avg

630.12 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

670.7428 career-best overall

93.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.7428 at Barbeque on the Bow Festival — 93.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 2, 2023

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Big Boy BBQ has finished one call ahead of The Big LebowsQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMELLAQUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMELLAQUE has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−10.8 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.77 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 17%.

Brisket avg 150.54
Pork Ribs avg 161.31
0 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

4–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Murfy's BBQ Co. in 4 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4 years, then back at Barbeque on the Bow (Sep 3, 2022).

last seen Sep 1, 2018
back Sep 3, 2022

Pork Ribs nemesis

10 of 10 shared pork ribs entries lost

SMELLAQUE ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMELLAQUE has out-cooked them in 10 of 10 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 2 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Notorious P.I.G. has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Barbeque on the Bow Festival every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 12th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to The Big LebowsQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

GRIZZLY PAW SMOKERS

#5,647 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1447

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to The Big LebowsQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The Big LebowsQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jul 25, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Grills Gone Wild

#5,640 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1447

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BENTWOOD SMOKERS

#5,638 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1447

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before The Big LebowsQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKI BROS. BBQ

#5,653 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1447

Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 22, 2017

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Ole Mae I BBQ

#5,662 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1502

They turned up 13 years after The Big LebowsQ did, first appearing in 2026.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BS Grilling

#5,649 of the rated field

1447 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1447

Level with The Big LebowsQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 29, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMELLAQUE	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKAPALOOZA	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
Bad to the Brisket	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Hogparts School of Smokecraft and Brew'ery	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BBQ TEAM NAIT	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
MEAT SWEATS BBQ AB	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Kreiser Barbecue	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Fire BBQ	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Notorious P.I.G.	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Smoking Crocus	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
HOME COOKIN' BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
MOTLEY QUE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
YOU NEED A BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	1	0	169.7144	145.7144	159.85	top 68%
Pork Ribs	12	2	1	169.1200	147.3716	161.31	top 52%
Pork	12	2	1	177.1428	134.8684	158.42	top 61%
Brisket	12	0	0	162.8800	129.0628	150.54	top 74%

“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
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 75%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 54%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
AB	7	0	top 70%
CA	3	0	top 71%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Barbeque on the Bow Festival	4	12	top 68%	Sep 4, 2026
BBQ on the Bow	3	21	top 64%	Sep 1, 2018
BBQ on the Bow	2	19	top 64%	Sep 3, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2024 2 contests

Contests a season 1.1 across 11 seasons in the data

Most contests held in AB 7 of 12 contests · 2 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 6 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 205 finished ahead 133 times, behind 298

Longest layoff 4 yrs Sep 1, 2018 → Sep 3, 2022

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

20261 milestone

Sep 4 Most recent contest Barbeque on the Bow Festival

20241 milestone

Aug 31 10th tracked contest Barbeque on the Bow Festival

20233 milestones

Sep 2 First overall past 90% of a perfect score670.7428 Barbeque on the Bow Festival
Sep 2 Career-best overall score670.7428 Barbeque on the Bow Festival
Sep 2 Career-best single call (Pork)177.1428 Barbeque on the Bow Festival

20133 milestones

Aug 31 First tracked contest BBQ on the Bow
Aug 31 First call BBQ on the Bow
Aug 31 Peak power rating (1493) BBQ on the Bow

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+4.8	Barbeque on the Bow Festival	Sep 2, 2023
+1	BBQ on the Bow	Sep 2, 2017
+0.5	BBQ on the Bow	Sep 3, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	Barbecue on the Bow	Aug 30, 2014
-8.6	Barbeque on the Bow Festival	Aug 30, 2025
-8.5	Barbeque on the Bow	Sep 3, 2022
-7.1	BBQ on the Bow	Sep 1, 2018
-6.6	BBQ on the Bow	Aug 31, 2013

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0%	top 79%	91.3%	91.3%
2025	1	0%	top 82%	89.6%	89.6%
2024	2	0%	top 80%	90.7%	90.7%
2023	1	100%	top 30%	93.2%	93.2%
2022	1	0%	top 81%	88%	88%
2018	1	0%	top 79%	82.6%	82.6%
2017	1	0%	top 52%	85.3%	85.3%
2016	1	100%	top 54%	87.5%	87.5%
2015	1	100%	top 60%	86.2%	86.2%
2014	1	0%	top 84%	84.2%	84.2%
2013	1	100%	top 73%	80.9%	80.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 4, 2026	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	26 / 33 (657.7032)	31 (158.8572)	15 (168.5716)	20 (167.3944)	22 (162.8800)
Aug 30, 2025	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	31 / 38 (645.0176)	29 (163.9772)	36 (157.6688)	28 (165.1544)	29 (158.2172)
Aug 31, 2024	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	28 / 35 (652.4228)	25 (167.3944)	16 (169.1200)	18 (165.6912)	33 (150.2172)
Aug 31, 2024	Prairie Dog on the Bow Calgary, AB	19 / 24 (653.0632)	13 (169.7144)	18 (163.3944)	21 (161.0856)	18 (158.8688)
Sep 2, 2023	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	12 / 40 (670.7428)	15 (169.1200)	19 (168.5372)	3 (177.1428)	26 (155.9428)
Sep 3, 2022	Barbeque on the Bow Calgary, AB	29 / 36 (633.6344)	32 (160.5484)	35 (149.1544)	17 (166.2400)	24 (157.6916)
Sep 1, 2018	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	34 / 43 (594.8348)	37 (145.7144)	12 (159.4172)	31 (146.8572)	32 (142.8460)
Sep 2, 2017	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	22 / 42 (614.1944)	32 (150.2744)	32 (147.3716)	17 (159.4056)	15 (157.1428)
Sep 3, 2016	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	19 / 35 (630.2396)	15 (160.5828)	17 (157.7028)	10 (164.5828)	30 (147.3712)
Sep 5, 2015	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, AB	21 / 35 (620.5024)	9 (169.1428)	7 (164.5484)	25 (150.8684)	33 (135.9428)
Aug 30, 2014	Barbecue on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	27 / 32 (606.2744)	27 (151.4400)	11 (162.8688)	30 (141.7028)	22 (150.2628)
Aug 31, 2013	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	19 / 26 (582.7884)	19 (151.4744)	3 (167.3828)	24 (134.8684)	23 (129.0628)

The Big LebowsQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A standing appointment

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)