A tough matchup
5–0
behind in the head-to-head
SON OF SMOKE ahead in 100% of their meetings
SON OF SMOKE has come out ahead in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
Cowabunga BBQ
Cowabunga BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 8 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 6th of 13 at the All American Rib Cookoff (COMPETITOR SERIES) (2024). They are ranked #4626 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “COW-A-BUNGA BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1470
peak 1470 · rated over 6 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
8
in the data
First seen
Oct 11, 2013
latest Aug 23, 2024 · 10.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
13% of 8 contests
Avg finish
top 68%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
616.51 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 617.17 (-0.66)
Walk rate
38%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.45
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 158.84 · weakest Chicken (150.66)
Road miles
1,841
across 8 mapped stops · furthest 1,418 mi
Schedule strength
19%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1526)
Purse competed for
$2,825
listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings
Master avg
617.17 / 720
6 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Cowabunga BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
140 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,632 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1470
Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,618 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
They've been 1501 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,613 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 6 years before Cowabunga BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#4,641 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1470
Level with Cowabunga BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#4,611 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1471
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careers#4,621 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1471
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SON OF SMOKE | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PIRATES OF THE PIG | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 137.6916 | 150.66 | top 73% |
| Pork Ribs | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174.8800 | 143.9656 | 158.84 | top 57% |
| Pork | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162.2400 | 146.2972 | 155.99 | top 60% |
| Brisket | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161.6800 | 141.0284 | 153.68 | top 55% |
“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 46% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 70% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 73% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the River | 2 | 27 | 0 | top 64% | Oct 14, 2016 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2015
3 contests
Contests a season
1.3
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
CA
6 of 8 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
6
1 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
8 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Opponents faced
175
finished ahead 73 times, behind 162
Longest layoff
7.9 yrs
Oct 14, 2016 → Aug 23, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)174.8800 California State Fair BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS)
- Most recent contest California State Fair BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS)
20241 milestone
- First overall top-10 All American Rib Cookoff (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20142 milestones
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- Career-best overall score631.9656 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest Cookin' on the Kaw
- Peak power rating (1493) Cookin' on the Kaw
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +0.4 | Smoke on the River | Sep 18, 2015 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.2 | 1st Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship | Oct 2, 2015 |
| -7.2 | Cookin' on the Kaw | Oct 11, 2013 |
| -5.2 | Smoke on the River | Oct 14, 2016 |
| -4.8 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Mar 27, 2015 |
| -1.6 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Mar 28, 2014 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 46% | 86% | 86% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 84.7% | 84.7% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 73% | 87.3% | 85.2% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 62% | 87.8% | 87.8% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 74% | 86.2% | 86.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026 | California State Fair BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Sacramento, CA | — | — | 4 (174.8800) | — | — |
| Aug 23, 2024 | All American Rib Cookoff (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Auburn, CA | 6 / 13 (154.8228) | — | 6 (154.8228) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2016 | Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA | 28 / 38 (609.5996) | 34 (145.7140) | 19 (163.4172) | 13 (159.4400) | 32 (141.0284) |
| Oct 2, 2015 | 1st Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA | 37 / 41 (607.3484) | 40 (143.9884) | 33 (155.3944) | 34 (151.9656) | 26 (156) |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA | 27 / 49 (628.4800) | 20 (160.5944) | 43 (143.9656) | 18 (162.2400) | 14 (161.6800) |
| Mar 27, 2015 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Reno, NV | 22 / 30 (605.1660) | 23 (151.9888) | 24 (153.7144) | 16 (158.3200) | 24 (141.1428) |
| Mar 28, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Sacramento, CA | 18 / 29 (631.9656) | 10 (164) | 12 (161.1200) | 25 (146.2972) | 12 (160.5484) |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Cookin' on the Kaw DeSoto, KS | 31 / 42 (620.4576) | 42 (137.6916) | 16 (163.3944) | 27 (157.7028) | 13 (161.6688) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.