The comeback
9.7 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 9.7 years, then back at World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES) (Apr 20, 2024).
- last seen Aug 16, 2014
- back Apr 20, 2024
Grateful Smokers
Grateful Smokers is a competition barbecue team with 4 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 6th of 15 at the 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) (JUDGING FULL) (2024).
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1486
Unranked — needs 5 rated contests, has 21 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
4
in the data
First seen
Aug 16, 2013
latest Nov 2, 2024 · 11.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
25% of 4 contests
Avg finish
top 63%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Walk rate
0%
contests with a top-10 call
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 158.29 · weakest Pork (137.39)
Road miles
977
across 4 mapped stops · furthest 975 mi
Purse competed for
$10K
listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings
Master avg
604.82 / 720
2 Master contests · 0 GCs
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 158.8800 | 147.9544 | 153.42 | top 68% |
| Pork Ribs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 160.5484 | 156.0228 | 158.29 | top 52% |
| Pork | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 143.4628 | 131.3256 | 137.39 | top 94% |
| Brisket | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 157.1544 | 154.2972 | 155.73 | top 42% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 40% |
| Large (40+) | 2 | 0 | top 75% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson Valley Ribfest | 2 | 37 | 0 | top 75% | Aug 16, 2014 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
2 contests
Contests a season
1.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
2 of 4 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
2
1 of them more than once
Opponents faced
97
finished ahead 37 times, behind 86
Longest layoff
9.7 yrs
Aug 16, 2014 → Apr 20, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20243 milestones
- First overall top-10 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) (JUDGING FULL)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score171.9656 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) (JUDGING FULL)
- Most recent contest 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) (JUDGING FULL)
20141 milestone
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)160.5484 Hudson Valley Ribfest
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest Hudson Valley Ribfest
- Career-best overall score615.5200 Hudson Valley Ribfest
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 40% | 95.5% | 95.5% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 77% | 82.5% | 82.5% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 85.5% | 85.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2024 | 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) (JUDGING FULL) unrated Memphis, TN | 6 / 15 (171.9656) | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 20, 2024 | World Championship Hot Wings Contest & Festival (COMPETITORS SERIES) Memphis, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2014 | Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY | 46 / 60 (594.1256) | 51 (147.9544) | 25 (160.5484) | 59 (131.3256) | 29 (154.2972) |
| Aug 16, 2013 | Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY | 37 / 51 (615.5200) | 26 (158.8800) | 32 (156.0228) | 46 (143.4628) | 18 (157.1544) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.