SMOKAPALOOZA

SMOKAPALOOZA is a competition barbecue team with 24 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 4th of 27 at the Small Town Smoke Down (2024). They are ranked #3812 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,812

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1487

peak 1505 · rated over 24 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 14, 2014

latest Aug 31, 2024 · 10.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#676

Master 2024 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

13% of 24 contests

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

670.2404 / 720

Master · Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

657.77 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 630.48 (+27.29)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.3316

Pork Ribs · Small Town Smoke Down

Consistency

±24.07

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 160.57 · weakest Pork (154.39)

Road miles

4,108

across 24 mapped stops · furthest 437 mi

Schedule strength

15%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1522)

Purse competed for

$5,000

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

Master avg

630.48 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

670.2404 career-best overall

93.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 670.2404 at Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship — 93.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 25, 2024

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MOTLEY QUE has finished one call ahead of SMOKAPALOOZA 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

24–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMELLAQUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMELLAQUE has come out ahead in 24 of their 24 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.2 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.18 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 4% of the time against 38%.

Pork avg 154.39
Chicken avg 160.57
1 call in 24 entries

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Rack Addicts BBQ Team in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

3.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.7 years, then back at Porkapalooza BBQ Festival (May 28, 2022).

last seen Sep 1, 2018
back May 28, 2022

Chicken nemesis

19 of 24 shared chicken entries lost

SMELLAQUE ahead 79% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SMELLAQUE has out-cooked them in 19 of 24 shared chicken entries.

Show 3 more storylines

A June team

Top 44% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 44% across 7 contests, versus top 57% the rest of the year.

7 June contests
top 57% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,108 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,108 miles across 24 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 437 miles to Montana Pitmaster Classic.

24 mapped stops
furthest 437 mi

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Porkapalooza BBQ Festival every year from 2014 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 9th

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
2024 ↗	Master	#676 (231 pts)	#662 (271 pts)	#591 (361 pts)	#658 (261 pts)	#698 (236 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1050 (256 pts)	#807 (421 pts)	#1072 (281 pts)	#1124 (251 pts)	#1127 (251 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#796 (472 pts)	#737 (547 pts)	#864 (452 pts)	#858 (457 pts)	#575 (682 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2841 (59 pts)	#2859 (59 pts)	#2335 (64 pts)	#2076 (109 pts)	#2864 (59 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1669 (122 pts)	#1320 (222 pts)	#2135 (72 pts)	#1554 (172 pts)	#1892 (117 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1467 (176 pts)	#1632 (156 pts)	#1173 (271 pts)	#1930 (121 pts)	#874 (391 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

COWTOWN SMOKE AND GRILLERS

#3,824 of the rated field

1486 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1506

3–2 in 5 shared contests (60% to SMOKAPALOOZA)

These two have cooked 5 of the same contests — SMOKAPALOOZA ahead 3–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 5 contests
last seen Sep 1, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

2 LIVE CUE

#3,817 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1501

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 6 years before SMOKAPALOOZA's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 26 contests

⚔ Compare careers

River Smokers WV

#3,820 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1529

They've been 1529 at their best, 43 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 14, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

LAST SMOKER STANDING

#3,818 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1511

Fewer contests behind them than SMOKAPALOOZA has cooked, 14 to 24, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 14, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

TENNESSEE RIVER PORKERS

#3,811 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1507

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 15% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

BUTT RUBBIN BBQ

#3,798 of the rated field

1487 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

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

rated over 12 contests
last seen Sep 20, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SMELLAQUE	24	0	24	0%	⚔ compare
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
YOU NEED A BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
MOTLEY QUE	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
MEAT SWEATS BBQ AB	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
Kreiser Barbecue	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
BBQ TEAM NAIT	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' SOWBELLIES	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
Rack Addicts BBQ Team	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
Smoky Butt BBQ	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
Northlands Pitmasters	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
Fire BBQ	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare
Bad to the Brisket	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	9	0	1	173.7144	139.4056	160.57	top 52%
Pork Ribs	24	3	0	1	174.3316	136.5716	157.75	top 55%
Pork	24	1	0	0	169.6916	134.2628	154.39	top 67%
Brisket	24	7	1	2	173.7488	135.3716	157.76	top 49%

“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)	19	0	top 59%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 49%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
AB	11	top 56%
CA	3	top 44%
MT	2	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	5	9	top 50%	Jun 16, 2018
BBQ on the Bow	3	23	top 65%	Sep 1, 2018
Barbeque on the Bow Festival	2	16	top 64%	Aug 31, 2024
Montana Pitmaster Classic	2	5	top 41%	Aug 24, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 5 contests

Contests a season 3 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in AB 11 of 24 contests · 3 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 16 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 319 finished ahead 350 times, behind 442

Longest layoff 3.7 yrs Sep 1, 2018 → May 28, 2022

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

20244 milestones

May 25 Career-best overall score670.2404 Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship
Jun 8 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)174.3316 Small Town Smoke Down
Jun 8 Peak power rating (1505) Small Town Smoke Down
Aug 31 Most recent contest Barbeque on the Bow Festival

20221 milestone

May 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.5372 Porkapalooza BBQ Festival

20171 milestone

Jul 7 10th tracked contest BBQ on the Elbow at the Calgary Stampede

20161 milestone

Jun 18 First overall top-10 Porkapalooza BBQ Festival

20143 milestones

Jun 14 First tracked contest Porkapalooza BBQ Festival
Aug 30 First call Barbecue on the Bow
Aug 30 First category win (Brisket) Barbecue on the Bow

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12	Small Town Smoke Down	Jun 8, 2024
+11.3	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 18, 2016
+11	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 25, 2017
+7.3	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 10, 2017
+6.6	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	May 28, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.9	BBQ on the Elbow at the Calgary Stampede	Jul 7, 2017
-10.5	Barbeque on the Bow Festival	Aug 31, 2024
-8.3	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch	May 14, 2016
-7.8	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 19, 2015
-7.5	Prairie Dog on the Bow	Aug 31, 2024

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)
2024	4	1	0	50%	top 57%	94.9%	91.9%
2023	2	0	0	100%	top 51%	92.7%	92.5%
2022	2	0	0	50%	top 40%	92.1%	91.3%
2018	4	0	0	50%	top 59%	88%	85.4%
2017	5	1	0	80%	top 61%	89.1%	85.4%
2016	3	1	0	33%	top 51%	88.5%	87%
2015	2	0	0	50%	top 71%	85.4%	84.4%
2014	2	0	1	50%	top 61%	86.4%	85.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 31, 2024	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	31 / 35 (643.8396)	8 (173.1772)	31 (154.8228)	33 (159.9312)	30 (155.9084)
Aug 31, 2024	Prairie Dog on the Bow Calgary, AB	20 / 24 (648.0120)	22 (162.8800)	20 (162.2516)	17 (165.7144)	20 (157.1660)
Jun 8, 2024	Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB	4 / 27 (170.8572)	25 (153.6800)	3 (174.3316)	13 (169.6800)	15 (164.5256)
May 25, 2024	Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship Calmar, AB	16 / 39 (670.2404)	11 (171.9884)	28 (161.6916)	16 (169.6916)	16 (166.8688)
Sep 16, 2023	Embers and Ice Pitmaster Championship (formerly Porkapalooza BBQ Festival) Sherwood Park, Edmonton, AB	18 / 29 (664.5372)	9 (170.2856)	13 (169.1084)	28 (151.3944)	8 (173.7488)
Sep 2, 2023	Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB	16 / 40 (667.4060)	8 (173.7144)	23 (165.7144)	19 (166.2972)	21 (161.6800)
Jun 3, 2022	Small Town Smoke Down Bassano Alberta Bassano, AB	13 / 31 (662.8688)	7 (170.2972)	14 (168)	17 (165.1544)	21 (159.4172)
May 28, 2022	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Sherwood Park, AB	15 / 39 (652.5372)	16 (164.0228)	18 (163.4400)	21 (159.3944)	11 (165.6800)
Sep 1, 2018	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	24 / 43 (611.3256)	19 (161.7028)	23 (150.8572)	18 (158.2284)	37 (140.5372)
Aug 24, 2018	Montana Pitmaster Classic Bozeman, MT	15 / 26 (633.6340)	14 (158.2856)	14 (154.2172)	17 (158.2400)	10 (162.8912)
Aug 18, 2018	Battle River BBQ Showdown Camrose, AB	17 / 25 (601.5776)	3 (167.9656)	14 (153.6688)	22 (144.5716)	22 (135.3716)
Jun 16, 2018	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton	28 / 51 (613.1084)	34 (152.5712)	19 (159.4400)	48 (141.1200)	15 (159.9772)
Sep 2, 2017	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	31 / 42 (601.0860)	25 (156.0460)	24 (152.5372)	34 (146.8228)	33 (145.6800)
Aug 25, 2017	Montana Pitmaster Classic Bozeman, MT	5 / 20 (641.7260)	7 (157.1428)	5 (162.8688)	7 (157.1428)	3 (164.5716)
Jul 7, 2017	BBQ on the Elbow at the Calgary Stampede Calgary	22 / 23 (593.0512)	21 (151.4056)	19 (151.4172)	23 (134.2628)	10 (155.9656)
Jun 10, 2017	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton	13 / 39 (634.7424)	4 (170.2856)	23 (150.2056)	17 (156.5484)	10 (157.7028)
May 13, 2017	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Okotoks, AB	26 / 34 (604.6052)	34 (139.4056)	23 (152.0228)	19 (154.2968)	9 (158.8800)
Sep 3, 2016	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	18 / 35 (631.9200)	29 (153.6800)	11 (162.8344)	17 (160.0112)	22 (155.3944)
Jun 18, 2016	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton, CA	9 / 42 (637.2460)	6 (167.4744)	14 (160.6288)	28 (151.4628)	12 (157.6800)
May 14, 2016	Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Aldersyde, Alberta Canada	27 / 34 (609.6340)	29 (149.6684)	24 (154.2628)	15 (157.7144)	25 (147.9884)
Sep 5, 2015	BBQ on the Bow Calgary, AB	23 / 35 (614.8228)	24 (157.1088)	28 (145.6684)	23 (152.6628)	14 (159.3828)
Jun 19, 2015	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton Alberta	23 / 30 (600.6176)	7 (168.0116)	29 (136.5716)	27 (140.6056)	11 (155.4288)
Aug 30, 2014	Barbecue on the Bow Calgary, Alberta, CA	19 / 32 (622.2740)	30 (146.8800)	7 (164.5600)	31 (139.4284)	1 (171.4056)
Jun 14, 2014	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton Alberta Canada	18 / 29 (608.3880)	16 (155.9656)	14 (154.8684)	23 (145.0628)	14 (152.4912)

SMOKAPALOOZA

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

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

Purse competed for

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

A June team

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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)