Kickin' Ash BBQ

Kickin' Ash BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 19th of 27 at the Covington Cork & Pork Festival (2023). They are ranked #6104 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,104

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1429

peak 1429 · rated over 9 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 20, 2017

latest Jul 27, 2024 · 6.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#499

Master 2023 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 89%

overall standings

Best overall

666.2172 / 720

Master · Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.74 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 640.60 (-3.86)

Walk rate

22%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

173.1200

Pork · Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1

Consistency

±19.75

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.74 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.23)

Road miles

1,269

across 9 mapped stops · furthest 525 mi

Schedule strength

80%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1605)

Purse competed for

$62K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

640.60 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

666.2172 career-best overall

92.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 666.2172 at Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1 — 92.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 11, 2023

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BIG DOG BBQ VA has finished one call ahead of Kickin' Ash BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

Off The Rack BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

Off The Rack BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.51 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 22%.

Pork Ribs avg 157.23
Chicken avg 164.74
0 calls in 9 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of smokey anderson bbq in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

5.4 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.4 years, then back at BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) (Mar 24, 2023).

last seen Oct 20, 2017
back Mar 24, 2023

Chicken nemesis

6 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

Off The Rack BBQ ahead 75% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Off The Rack BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 8 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

They cook the hard rooms

1605 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1605 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.

9 rated contests

Going the wrong way

-30 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 30 points across 5 contests since Jul 28, 2023 — from 1459 down to 1429.

5 contests since Jul 28, 2023
now 1429

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
2023 ↗	Master	#499 (378 pts)	#424 (528 pts)	#601 (358 pts)	#452 (463 pts)	#508 (383 pts)

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Kickin' Ash BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

PARADISE BBQ

#6,115 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1429

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Kickin' Ash BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Kickin' Ash BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Sep 10, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

Estancia

#6,110 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1429

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Kickin' Ash BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 25 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

J & M BBQ

#6,106 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1429

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Oct 3, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

BAD BOYS BBQ

#6,098 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 3 years before Kickin' Ash BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 10 contests

⚔ Compare careers

The Smokin' Irish

#6,112 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

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

rated over 8 contests
last seen Aug 18, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Smokin Budha with the Phat Daddyz

#6,116 of the rated field

1429 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1429

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jun 23, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Off The Rack BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Top Gun Barbecue	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
BLUE & GRAY BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
HotMess BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Second Helping BBQ -PA	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SWEET BELLY'S BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	2	173.1200	154.2516	164.74	top 70%
Pork Ribs	9	0	167.9888	145.0400	157.23	top 88%
Pork	9	0	173.1200	149.0400	160.77	top 77%
Brisket	9	0	166.2516	143.3372	157.86	top 84%

“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)	6	0	top 88%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 91%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
PA	4	top 94%
VA	3	top 82%
WV	1	top 82%
KY	1	top 100%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)	2	30	0	top 94%	Jul 27, 2024
Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	2	38	0	top 94%	Jul 29, 2023

More numbers

Busiest season 2023 6 contests

Contests a season 3 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 4 of 9 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 7 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 231 finished ahead 38 times, behind 449

Longest layoff 5.4 yrs Oct 20, 2017 → Mar 24, 2023

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

20241 milestone

Jul 27 Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)

20234 milestones

Mar 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.5200 BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard)
Jun 2 First call Covington Cork & Pork Festival
Aug 11 Career-best overall score666.2172 Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1
Aug 11 Career-best single call (Pork)173.1200 Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1

20172 milestones

Oct 20 First tracked contest Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off
Oct 20 Peak power rating (1487) Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off

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

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.6	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off	Oct 20, 2017
-10	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1)	Jul 28, 2023
-9.3	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)	Jul 29, 2023
-8.7	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)	Jul 27, 2024
-8.6	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard)	Mar 24, 2023

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	2	0%	top 94%	88%	86.1%
2023	6	33%	top 86%	92.5%	90.6%
2017	1	0%	top 100%	85.1%	85.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 27, 2024	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	30 / 32 (633.5432)	27 (164.5372)	28 (161.1088)	31 (157.6684)	32 (150.2288)
Jul 26, 2024	Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	33 / 35 (606.5372)	14 (169.1200)	34 (145.0400)	35 (149.0400)	34 (143.3372)
Aug 11, 2023	Americamps BBQ Masters Throwdown Day 1 🏅 Ashland, VA	25 / 28 (666.2172)	28 (163.9772)	25 (167.4400)	16 (173.1200)	26 (161.6800)
Jul 29, 2023	Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	38 / 40 (636.4120)	29 (167.9772)	38 (154.2400)	39 (152.5260)	33 (161.6688)
Jul 28, 2023	Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA	47 / 51 (640.9832)	48 (154.2516)	28 (167.9888)	28 (167.3828)	48 (151.3600)
Jun 16, 2023	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	23 / 28 (651.8404)	7 (173.1200)	27 (157.0744)	23 (158.8116)	20 (162.8344)
Jun 2, 2023	Covington Cork & Pork Festival 🏅 Covington, VA	19 / 27 (663.8860)	9 (170.8572)	21 (161.6800)	19 (165.0972)	21 (166.2516)
Mar 24, 2023	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	46 / 53 (653.5200)	47 (162.2168)	52 (153.6344)	17 (173.1200)	35 (164.5488)
Oct 20, 2017	Big Buffalo Crossing BBQ Cook-off Munfordville, KY	36 / 36 (612.4684)	34 (156.5716)	36 (146.8456)	36 (150.2056)	26 (158.8456)

Kickin' Ash BBQ

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

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

They cook the hard rooms

Going the wrong way

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)

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)

📉 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)