Riding a hot streak
5
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 5-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 5
East Bow Que
East Bow Que is a competition barbecue team with 17 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Tri City BBQ Fest (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1187 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1588
peak 1588 · rated over 14 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
17
in the data
First seen
Jun 21, 2024
latest Sep 18, 2026 · 2.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
2
2 reserve · wins it all 12% of the time
Category wins
4
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
53% of 17 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 38%
overall standings
Best overall
674.7428 / 720
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
341.66 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 339.05 (+2.61)
Walk rate
71%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.16
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 172.30 · weakest Pork (167.10)
Road miles
2,723
across 17 mapped stops · furthest 636 mi
Schedule strength
70%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)
Purse competed for
$62K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 9 state-championship entries
Master avg
674.74 / 720
1 Master contest · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
339.05 / 360
14 Backyard contests · 2 GCs
Backyard (4-meat) avg
669.03 / 720
1 Backyard (4-meat) contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (4-meat) out of 720), 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 ↗ | Backyard | #51 (845 pts) | #60 (775 pts) | #50 (875 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #1020 (60 pts) | #1093 (60 pts) | #954 (120 pts) | #1067 (60 pts) | #1051 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #78 (685 pts) | #88 (645 pts) | #82 (715 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #125 (456 pts) | #108 (571 pts) | #132 (426 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to East Bow Que, each with one reason worth a look.
39 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,197 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1591
Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 17, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,192 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 33%
- Peak
- 1587
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,191 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1587
20 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 40% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,194 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1587
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 6 years before East Bow Que's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,186 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1588
They were already cooking in 2015, 9 years before East Bow Que's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,184 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 32%
- Peak
- 1601
Level with East Bow Que on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Pit Bros | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Chester's Twisted Que | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Low Eye Que | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY GQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke N Poke BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| DAWGS BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME FARM BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Reds Backyard BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 6 | 2 | 3 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | 6 | 1 | 4 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 16 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 180 🔥 | 163.9656 | 170.51 | top 41% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 180 🔥 | 153.0972 | 167.90 | top 45% |
| Pork | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.3828 | 166.8228 | 167.10 | top 99% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173.7372 | 170.8572 | 172.30 | top 47% |
“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) | 6 | 1 | top 51% |
| Medium (20–39) | 5 | 1 | top 13% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 45% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 8% | Jun 20, 2025 |
| Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 37% | Jul 10, 2026 |
| Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 77% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 26% | Oct 26, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
10 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
5.7
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IA
9 of 17 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
12
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
17 entries · 3 wins · 8 calls
First title
Jun 21, 2024
Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Opponents faced
365
finished ahead 404 times, behind 343
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- 10th tracked contest 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026)
- Career-best overall score674.7428 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026)
- First state championship Tri City BBQ Fest
- Peak power rating (1588) Tri City BBQ Fest
- Most recent contest Tri City BBQ Fest
20253 milestones
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown
20246 milestones
- First tracked contest Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Grand Championship Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score348.0228 Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.9 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 21, 2024 |
| +15.6 | Tri City BBQ Fest | Sep 18, 2026 |
| +15.4 | Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown | Jul 11, 2025 |
| +13.1 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 20, 2025 |
| +9.8 | Cruisin' and BBQin' | Jul 31, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.6 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -4.1 | SmokeHouse Barbeque Showdown (OPEN FORMAT) (REGISTRATION FULL) | May 1, 2026 |
| -0.9 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | Jun 27, 2025 |
| -0.7 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 3, 2026 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 50% | top 41% | 97.3% | 94.3% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 100% | top 43% | 98.3% | 94.3% |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 19% | 96.7% | 93% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 1 / 26 (350.2628) | 1 (180) | 3 (170.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 31, 2026 | Cruisin' and BBQin' 🏅 Hampton, IA | 5 / 26 (340.5028) | 6 (170.8228) | 8 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (MASTERS and BACKYARD 1) 🏅 Cameron, MO | 9 / 37 (337.6456) | 8 (171.4056) | 10 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (BACKYARD 2) Cameron, MO | 8 / 16 (339.3600) | 11 (167.3944) | 7 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 6 / 19 (340.5256) | 11 (163.9656) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 30 / 82 (341.0856) | 16 (174.2628) | 37 (166.8228) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 99 / 117 (674.7428) | 90 (168.5372) | 105 (165.0856) | 88 (167.3828) | 34 (173.7372) |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 55 (170.8228) | — | — |
| May 1, 2026 | SmokeHouse Barbeque Showdown (OPEN FORMAT) (REGISTRATION FULL) 🏅 Cambridge, IA | 11 / 17 (669.0288) | 25 (165.1088) | 23 (166.2400) | 21 (166.8228) | 11 (170.8572) |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 23 / 42 (335.3484) | 24 (168.5256) | 25 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Goose's 1st Annual Pitmaster Showdown 🏅 Papillion, NE | 2 / 24 (351.4172) | 4 (171.4172) | 1 (180) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 10 / 15 (329.0628) | 10 (166.8344) | 13 (162.2284) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 15 / 17 (323.9544) | 9 (166.8572) | 16 (157.0972) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 2 / 20 (353.7144) | 3 (176) | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Oct 26, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 13 / 56 (327.8972) | 10 (169.6800) | 13 (158.2172) | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 15 / 53 (327.9428) | 3 (174.8456) | 16 (153.0972) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Sioux City, IA | 1 / 17 (348.0228) | 2 (172.5828) | 2 (175.4400) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.