Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
- Brisket ×1
Great White Smoke
Great White Smoke is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 5th of 14 at the Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) (2021). They are ranked #2284 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1528
peak 1528 · rated over 17 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
25
in the data
First seen
Sep 12, 2015
latest Sep 25, 2026 · 11 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
16% of 25 contests
Avg finish
top 58%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
684.59 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 669.52 (+15.07)
Walk rate
52%
contests with a top-10 call
Best single call
180 🔥
Consistency
±21.99
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 168.14 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.99)
Road miles
6,028
across 25 mapped stops · furthest 458 mi
Schedule strength
69%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1587)
Purse competed for
$395K
listed at 21 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.52 / 720
16 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
328.47 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
486.55 / 540
2 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 | #381 (492 pts) | #376 (567 pts) | #561 (347 pts) | #369 (537 pts) | #208 (906 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1076 (80 pts) | #1221 (60 pts) | #1293 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1094 (85 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #735 (190 pts) | #806 (180 pts) | #852 (180 pts) | #710 (230 pts) | #747 (210 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #258 (121 pts) | #251 (141 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #762 (183 pts) | #849 (178 pts) | #755 (258 pts) | #796 (183 pts) | #655 (263 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1309 (60 pts) | #1341 (60 pts) | #1404 (60 pts) | #1348 (60 pts) | #1333 (60 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #163 (154 pts) | #132 (189 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Great White Smoke, each with one reason worth a look.
67 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,276 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1533
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Great White Smoke)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Great White Smoke has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,293 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1527
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 17 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,286 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1533
Careers of much the same size, 18 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,285 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1530
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Great White Smoke's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,281 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1528
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 20% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,289 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1529
Level with Great White Smoke 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiggin aint easy | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Maestros | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| TIRE SMOKE BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Salted Anchor | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 144.5144 | 166.46 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 175.4172 | 141.6344 | 165.99 | top 60% |
| Pork | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 149.6456 | 167.64 | top 55% |
| Brisket | 17 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 180 🔥 | 151.9428 | 168.14 | top 45% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 38% |
| Medium (20–39) | 8 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 53% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 39% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 25% | Nov 5, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
6 contests
Contests a season
3.1
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IN
9 of 25 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
18
2 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
22 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Opponents faced
1,138
finished ahead 1,134 times, behind 1,119
Longest layoff
5.1 yrs
Sep 12, 2015 → Oct 23, 2020
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- Career-best overall score699.3600 Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026)
- 25th tracked contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Peak power rating (1528) Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
- Most recent contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
20231 milestone
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
20212 milestones
- First overall top-10 Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score497.1200 Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY)
20152 milestones
- First tracked contest Balloons, Blues & BBQ
- First call Balloons, Blues & BBQ
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| +15.5 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 20, 2026 |
| +7.9 | Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 23, 2021 |
| +7.7 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ | Jul 24, 2026 |
| +6.7 | Smokin For Garrett | Oct 23, 2020 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.6 | Balloons, Blues & BBQ | Sep 12, 2015 |
| -8.8 | CCSFEST | Apr 8, 2022 |
| -7.6 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | Sep 8, 2023 |
| -6.5 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ | May 16, 2025 |
| -4.4 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 17, 2023 |
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 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 45% | 97.1% | 95.1% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 45% | 97.1% | 94.1% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17% | top 63% | 94.3% | 93.6% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 63% | 93.2% | 91.7% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 89% | 93.8% | 91.9% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 36% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 88.1% | 88.1% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 100% | 84.1% | 84.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 41 / 71 (686.2288) | 51 (170.2628) | 45 (169.7144) | 49 (168.5372) | 6 (177.7144) |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 9 / 22 (689.0284) | 3 (176.5600) | 19 (161.6456) | 5 (177.7028) | 6 (173.1200) |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 89 / 117 (678.1940) | 89 (168.5712) | 92 (167.3828) | 108 (162.2400) | 3 (180) |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Marietta, OH | 6 / 15 (670.1372) | 8 (170.8228) | 16 (163.9544) | 9 (170.2628) | 6 (165.0972) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 15 / 125 (699.3600) | 20 (176.5600) | 90 (166.2400) | 14 (177.7028) | 6 (178.8572) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 21 / 401 (699.3600) | 223 (169.6684) | 47 (175.4172) | 52 (176.5600) | 20 (177.7144) |
| May 16, 2025 | 11th Annual Rockin' BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 29 / 34 (656.3772) | 10 (175.4172) | 5 (175.4172) | 34 (152.4684) | 31 (153.0744) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 196 / 444 (678.7652) | 258 (167.9656) | 137 (172.5600) | 291 (165.6568) | 76 (172.5828) |
| Oct 17, 2024 | Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA | 27 / 33 (675.8512) | 30 (168.5256) | 25 (168.5372) | 24 (170.2512) | 20 (168.5372) |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Madison Ribberfest BBQ & Blues 🏅 Madison, IN | 32 / 49 (669.0288) | 38 (166.8228) | 27 (168.5372) | 30 (169.1200) | 32 (164.5488) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Hoosier BBQ Classic 🏅 Franklin, IN | 23 / 38 (671.8856) | 34 (166.2400) | 30 (163.9312) | 15 (172.0344) | 19 (169.6800) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Hoosier BBQ Classic (ONE MEAT RIBS) Franklin, IN | — | — | 8 (170.8112) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 357 / 487 (651.2916) | 476 (144.5144) | 247 (168.5372) | 90 (173.7144) | 303 (164.5256) |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 24 / 33 (662.7312) | 27 (165.6800) | 30 (160.5256) | 24 (165.7028) | 9 (170.8228) |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Squeal on the Eel Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Logansport, IN | 8 / 21 (328.4684) | 10 (162.2284) | 8 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 53 / 80 (670.7200) | 55 (168.5256) | 21 (171.4172) | 32 (170.8228) | 69 (159.9544) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 41 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Oct 21, 2022 | Royal Oak Invitational Only (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Roswell, GA | 29 / 35 (675.2684) | 10 (175.4288) | 25 (169.6800) | 30 (165.0856) | 30 (165.0740) |
| Apr 8, 2022 | CCSFEST 🏅 Indianapolis, IN | 40 / 42 (648.3884) | 37 (166.8228) | 30 (166.2400) | 34 (163.3828) | 42 (151.9428) |
| Jul 23, 2021 | Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) Bloomington, IN | 5 / 14 (497.1200) | 6 (164.5600) | 4 (163.4400) | 4 (169.1200) | — |
| Oct 23, 2020 | Smokin For Garrett Boonville, IN | 14 / 41 (475.9768) | 16 (154.8456) | 16 (155.9884) | 8 (165.1428) | — |
| Sep 12, 2015 | Balloons, Blues & BBQ Bloomington, IN | 23 / 23 (605.5084) | 23 (149.0972) | 23 (141.6344) | 22 (149.6456) | 9 (165.1312) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.