TAIL-GATER HATER

TAIL-GATER HATER is a competition barbecue team with 4 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 25 at the Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) (2017), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. Also listed in KCBS results as “TAILGATER HATER”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Rating

1519

Unranked — needs 5 rated contests, has 13 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 28, 2017

latest Oct 15, 2026 · 9.2 years on the trail

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

25% of 4 contests

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

694.2168 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)

Perfect 180s

Walk rate

75%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Brisket · Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 174.28 · weakest Brisket (170.40)

Road miles

244

across 4 mapped stops · furthest 244 mi

Purse competed for

$114K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.7260 points from the title

Came within 1.7260 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) (Jul 28, 2017).

High-water mark

694.2168 career-best overall

96.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.2168 at Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) — 96.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 28, 2017

A tough matchup

3–0 behind in the head-to-head

CHICKEN FRIED BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

CHICKEN FRIED BBQ has come out ahead in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of RJs Smokehouse in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

6.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 6.2 years, then back at Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) (Oct 20, 2023).

last seen Jul 28, 2017
back Oct 20, 2023

Announced themselves early

2nd at their very first contest

Finished 2 of 25 at their very first tracked contest, Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) (Jul 28, 2017).

Jul 28, 2017
25-team field

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	4	2	0	0	176.5600	165.6684	172.12	top 52%
Pork Ribs	4	1	1	1	176	171.9772	174.28	top 35%
Pork	4	1	0	1	175.4056	170.8344	173.12	top 38%
Brisket	4	1	0	1	177.1428	163.9428	170.40	top 50%

“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 state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
GA	3	0	top 49%
SC	1	0	top 8%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)	3	13	0	top 49%	Oct 15, 2026

More numbers

Contests a season 1 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 3 of 4 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 2 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 102 finished ahead 85 times, behind 62

Longest layoff 6.2 yrs Jul 28, 2017 → Oct 20, 2023

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

20261 milestone

Oct 15 Most recent contest Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION)

20179 milestones

Jul 28 First tracked contest Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First call Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First overall podium Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First Reserve Championship Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score694.2168 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 Career-best overall score694.2168 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
Jul 28 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.1428 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 61%	94.8%	94.8%
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 48%	95.7%	95.7%
2023	1	0	0	100%	top 37%	96.3%	96.3%
2017	1	1	1	100%	top 8%	96.4%	96.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 15, 2026	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	23 / 38 (682.7776)	27 (169.6800)	21 (173.7144)	13 (173.1316)	27 (166.2516)
Oct 17, 2024	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	16 / 33 (689.0284)	10 (176.5600)	12 (175.4172)	15 (173.1084)	28 (163.9428)
Oct 20, 2023	Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA	13 / 35 (693.6344)	9 (176.5600)	16 (171.9772)	23 (170.8344)	13 (174.2628)
Jul 28, 2017	Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Summerville, SC	2 / 25 (694.2168)	20 (165.6684)	1 (176)	2 (175.4056)	2 (177.1428)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.