BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#2134

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1533

peak 1580 · rated over 33 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-05-30

latest 2024-05-31

Best ToY finish

#435

Master 2018

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

686.8116 / 720

Master · Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

659.70 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 660.26 (-0.56)

Walk rate

65%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

176.5828

Brisket · Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship

Consistency

±14.17

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 168.00 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.88)

Road miles

4,255

mi across 34 mapped stops · furthest 252 mi

Schedule strength

62%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1578)

Purse competed for

$109K

listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 13 state-championship entries

Master avg

660.26 / 720

33 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (14 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

They almost always walk

65% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 22 of 34 contests

A top-10 category call in 65% of their 34 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

686.8116 career-best overall

95.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 686.8116 at Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship — 95.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-03-02

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

CITY SLICKERS BBQ has finished one call ahead of BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 30%.

3 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 30%

A tough matchup

24–1 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 96% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 24 of their 25 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.1 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.11 points below their pork, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 41%.

Pork Ribs avg 162.88
Pork avg 168.00
6 calls in 34 entries

A strong matchup

13–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 93% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of The Q Crew in 13 of their 14 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) (2022-06-03).

last seen 2020-10-02
back 2022-06-03

Pork nemesis

19 of 26 shared pork entries lost

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has out-cooked them in 19 of 26 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A June team

Top 36% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 36% across 6 contests, versus top 51% the rest of the year.

6 June contests
top 51% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,255 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,255 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 252 miles to Ottumwa Smoketoberfest.

34 mapped stops
furthest 252 mi

The metronome

±1.97% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.97% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.7% of a perfect score
34 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smokin in Steele every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 4th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

MYASSIS SMOKIN

#2142 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 50
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1592

7–2 in 9 shared contests (78% to BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ)

These two have cooked 9 of the same contests — BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ ahead 7–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 50 contests
last seen 2018-08-31

⚔ Head-to-head

CBF Que

#2129 of the rated field

1533 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1538

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 36 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 35 contests
last seen 2026-07-09

⚔ Head-to-head

REDNECK BBQ

#2128 of the rated field

1533 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1541

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

HOLY SMOKERS MI

#2141 of the rated field

1533 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1556

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2018-04-06

⚔ Head-to-head

LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY

#2126 of the rated field

1533 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 45
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1587

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1587 at their best, 54 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 45 contests
last seen 2026-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Pop's Smoke on the Hill

#2145 of the rated field

1532 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1532

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2026-04-17
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	25	1	24	4%	⚔ compare
Hogline	24	3	21	13%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	23	3	20	13%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	22	7	15	32%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
HOT DADDY'S BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
ACES HIGH BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKE IN THE EYE	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
The Q Crew	14	13	1	93%	⚔ compare
GRUMPY OLD MEN BBQ	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
RUB MY RACK	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
Totally Sauced	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	5	0	0	174.8800	154.7884	164.47	top 59%
Pork Ribs	34	6	0	0	174.8688	148.5028	162.88	top 55%
Pork	34	14	1	4	174.8572	153.1200	168.00	top 38%
Brisket	33	8	1	5	176.5828	147.9428	164.74	top 46%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MN	23	top 47%
IA	6	top 58%
WI	3	top 59%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	10	0	top 57%
Large (40+)	23	0	top 48%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin in Steele	7	4	top 40%	2024-05-31
SMSU Smokefest	2	17	top 63%	2019-08-16
*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	2	10	top 43%	2018-09-28
Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2	5	top 49%	2018-03-02
Smokefest	2	9	top 39%	2015-08-21

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 10 yrs 2014-05-30 → 2024-05-31

Busiest season 2019 8 contests

Contests a season 3.4 across 10 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MN 24 of 34 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 23 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 34 entries · 0 wins · 5 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 168.00 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.88)

Walk rate 65% a top-10 call in 22 of 34 contests

Overall top-10 rate 24% 8 of 34 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 660.26 out of 720 · 33 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 567 769–821 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,255 34 mapped stops · furthest 252 mi

Schedule strength 1578 average field rating faced — tougher than 62% of rated contests

Purse competed for $108,750 listed at 12 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 13 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs 2020-10-02 → 2022-06-03

Power rating 1533 peak 1580 · #2134 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
May 30 First tracked contest Smokin in Steele
May 30 First call Smokin in Steele
May 30 First overall past 90% of a perfect score660.5028 Smokin in Steele
2015
Aug 21 First overall top-10 Smokefest
2016
Mar 4 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.5828 Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
2017
Mar 3 10th tracked contest Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
Jun 2 First category win (Brisket) Smokin In Steele
2018
Mar 2 Career-best overall score686.8116 Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
2019
May 3 Peak power rating (1580) Masters In May Day 1
May 31 25th tracked contest Smokin In Steele
2024
May 31 Most recent contest Smokin in Steele

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.3	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2018-03-02
+12.5	Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest)	2022-06-03
+12.4	Smokin In Steele	2017-06-02
+12.3	Smokin in Steele	2016-06-03
+12.1	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2016-03-04

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.6	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2017-03-03
-11.4	Minnesota in May	2023-05-12
-11.1	Smokin in Steele	2024-05-31
-8.4	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off	2020-09-18
-8.3	SMSU Smokefest	2019-08-16

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 88%	91.1%	91.1%
2023	1	0	0	0%	top 78%	91.8%	91.8%
2022	1	1	0	100%	top 12%	95.2%	95.2%
2020	2	0	0	0%	top 81%	90.3%	90%
2019	8	0	0	50%	top 61%	93.1%	91.4%
2018	7	3	1	86%	top 38%	95.4%	92.5%
2017	5	1	1	60%	top 53%	94.8%	90.9%
2016	3	2	0	100%	top 30%	93.2%	91.9%
2015	4	1	0	50%	top 36%	93.6%	92.6%
2014	2	0	0	100%	top 56%	91.7%	90.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-05-31	Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	28 / 32 (655.8280)	32 (157.0396)	5 (173.1428)	19 (167.9772)	28 (157.6684)
2023-05-12	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	46 / 59 (661.0400)	41 (167.3712)	44 (163.4172)	51 (161.1088)	19 (169.1428)
2022-06-03	Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN	4 / 33 (685.1088)	22 (166.8572)	9 (170.8344)	3 (174.8572)	5 (172.5600)
2020-10-02	Ottumwa Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA	50 / 66 (650.3320)	41 (165.7144)	36 (163.4288)	28 (168.5716)	62 (152.6172)
2020-09-18	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN	30 / 35 (646.2056)	31 (160.5600)	30 (156.5484)	16 (169.1200)	26 (159.9772)
2019-08-30	Smokin in the Bogs 🏅 Warrens, WI	24 / 38 (654.2056)	30 (157.1200)	20 (165.1428)	19 (166.2400)	19 (165.7028)
2019-08-23	Big Island BBQ 🏅 Alberta Lea, MN	18 / 50 (670.1600)	34 (164.5256)	24 (165.1316)	10 (173.1084)	15 (167.3944)
2019-08-16	SMSU Smokefest 🏅 MARSHALL, MN	38 / 46 (645.6456)	39 (162.2628)	30 (164.0000)	31 (162.2972)	37 (157.0856)
2019-06-28	Back To Mayberry 🏅 Rodney, IA	23 / 28 (661.5996)	17 (169.1084)	25 (157.1200)	23 (166.2628)	12 (169.1084)
2019-05-31	Smokin In Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	21 / 43 (655.8516)	30 (163.3828)	19 (163.3944)	4 (174.2744)	30 (154.8000)
2019-05-10	Minnesota in May 🏅	34 / 57 (659.2456)	33 (166.2400)	35 (162.8000)	30 (166.2628)	33 (163.9428)
2019-05-04	Masters in May Day 2 🏅 Bancroft, WI	24 / 40 (655.9320)	32 (161.1544)	20 (166.2744)	9 (170.2744)	33 (158.2288)
2019-05-03	Masters In May Day 1 🏅 Bancroft, WI	23 / 42 (659.8748)	28 (161.6916)	4 (174.8688)	26 (165.0972)	32 (158.2172)
2018-09-28	*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	10 / 29 (653.5544)	4 (169.1200)	14 (159.3600)	10 (163.9888)	14 (161.0856)
2018-09-01	*Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	9 / 22 (666.8004)	16 (159.4172)	18 (162.8344)	1 (174.8572)	2 (169.6916)
2018-08-24	11th Annual Big Island BBQ Alberta Lea, MN	14 / 49 (671.8856)	31 (166.2284)	25 (164.5372)	3 (173.7144)	19 (167.4056)
2018-08-17	SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN	17 / 40 (672.4572)	32 (162.8000)	8 (171.9656)	8 (172.5716)	23 (165.1200)
2018-06-01	Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN	18 / 45 (667.8972)	25 (166.2284)	24 (164.0116)	3 (174.2744)	23 (163.3828)
2018-05-11	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	50 / 70 (640.9140)	63 (157.0740)	50 (159.9428)	27 (167.3828)	54 (156.5144)
2018-03-02	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	5 / 57 (686.8116)	6 (172.0000)	10 (171.4288)	5 (174.2628)	18 (169.1200)
2017-07-28	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Ankeny, IA	14 / 30 (673.6572)	10 (169.7028)	14 (167.4516)	27 (161.6572)	2 (174.8456)
2017-07-21	*Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	25 / 49 (655.9088)	14 (168.5716)	45 (148.5028)	14 (170.2744)	15 (168.5600)
2017-07-14	*BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	20 / 33 (646.6740)	27 (154.7884)	16 (161.0972)	14 (164.5600)	8 (166.2284)
2017-06-02	Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN	7 / 46 (682.7888)	8 (173.1200)	29 (159.9772)	7 (173.1200)	1 (176.5716)
2017-03-03	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	42 / 47 (613.4856)	40 (160.5144)	44 (151.9084)	42 (153.1200)	42 (147.9428)
2016-06-03	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	9 / 53 (670.7312)	22 (166.2628)	15 (166.8228)	27 (163.3828)	5 (174.2628)
2016-05-13	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	41 / 71 (646.2400)	45 (161.1088)	60 (153.7144)	9 (171.4284)	41 (159.9884)
2016-03-04	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Isle, MN	9 / 59 (668.4572)	29 (163.9544)	31 (161.6800)	21 (166.2400)	2 (176.5828)
2015-08-21	Smokefest Marshall, MN	9 / 42 (673.6572)	5 (174.8800)	38 (154.2400)	13 (167.9772)	2 (176.5600)
2015-06-12	Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN	22 / 42 (662.1940)	32 (162.2628)	16 (167.4056)	30 (161.1200)	11 (171.4056)
2015-05-29	Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN	21 / 60 (664.5144)	41 (161.6572)	8 (169.7372)	29 (164.5372)	15 (168.5828)
2015-02-27	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series) Isle, MN	—	17 (165.0972)	28 (158.2628)	13 (166.2972)	—
2014-08-15	Smokefest Marshall, MN	18 / 32 (648.5260)	17 (164.5600)	27 (151.9544)	9 (167.3944)	15 (164.6172)
2014-05-30	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	38 / 67 (660.5028)	24 (169.7256)	38 (165.0972)	4 (174.2972)	61 (151.3828)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024 ↗	Master	#1493 (57 pts)	#1529 (57 pts)	#847 (182 pts)	#1114 (87 pts)	#1498 (57 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1255 (60 pts)	#1319 (60 pts)	#1432 (60 pts)	#1287 (60 pts)	#1180 (90 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#760 (208 pts)	#1298 (73 pts)	#1042 (143 pts)	#755 (233 pts)	#830 (183 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#655 (120 pts)	#696 (120 pts)	#701 (120 pts)	#600 (165 pts)	#681 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#726 (423 pts)	#824 (393 pts)	#782 (413 pts)	#559 (618 pts)	#674 (498 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#435 (816 pts)	#515 (711 pts)	#563 (666 pts)	#224 (1271 pts)	#499 (741 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#790 (478 pts)	#762 (518 pts)	#966 (393 pts)	#792 (508 pts)	#467 (863 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#946 (350 pts)	#1457 (195 pts)	#1346 (230 pts)	#1186 (285 pts)	#761 (505 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1505 (155 pts)	#1778 (120 pts)	#1192 (260 pts)	#1790 (120 pts)	#1219 (240 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1502 (167 pts)	#1546 (177 pts)	#1836 (132 pts)	#967 (367 pts)	#1510 (182 pts)