The heartbreaker
1.7488
points from the title
Came within 1.7488 points of the Grand Championship at Summer Daze BBQ Classic (Aug 23, 2019).
BEHIND BBQ
BEHIND BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 44 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2024. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Conquer The Grill (2016), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1156 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1590
peak 1603 · rated over 44 contests
Contests
44
in the data
First seen
May 25, 2013
latest May 25, 2024 · 11 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
2 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
5
14 podiums
Overall top-10s
13
30% of 44 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 46%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
659.22 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 640.77 (+18.45)
Walk rate
73%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.52
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 160.55 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.40)
Road miles
7,790
across 44 mapped stops · furthest 737 mi
Schedule strength
28%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1538)
Purse competed for
$34K
listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
640.77 / 720
44 Master contests · 1 GC
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 | #1058 (90 pts) | #1114 (95 pts) | #1126 (110 pts) | #1064 (100 pts) | #1106 (85 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #697 (219 pts) | #930 (149 pts) | #1055 (139 pts) | #679 (244 pts) | #940 (139 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #363 (883 pts) | #467 (728 pts) | #440 (778 pts) | #458 (758 pts) | #280 (1,083 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #579 (608 pts) | #478 (763 pts) | #525 (718 pts) | #724 (498 pts) | #435 (833 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #439 (864 pts) | #682 (594 pts) | #598 (669 pts) | #484 (809 pts) | #477 (849 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #437 (904 pts) | #524 (774 pts) | #449 (899 pts) | #517 (789 pts) | #390 (1,019 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #613 (594 pts) | #781 (474 pts) | #527 (744 pts) | #351 (1,004 pts) | #638 (584 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #937 (344 pts) | #1151 (284 pts) | #1027 (329 pts) | #777 (479 pts) | #888 (384 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #568 (548 pts) | #524 (618 pts) | #432 (743 pts) | #527 (628 pts) | #509 (628 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to BEHIND BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
38 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,153 of the rated field
- Contests
- 37
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1590
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 36 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,157 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1612
Careers of much the same size, 35 contests to 44, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,160 of the rated field
- Contests
- 71
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1634
71 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 24% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,154 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 82%
- Peak
- 1612
They turned up 9 years after BEHIND BBQ did, first appearing in 2022.
⚔ Compare careers#1,152 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 52%
- Peak
- 1590
4 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ Compare careers#1,159 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1590
Level with BEHIND BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | 34 | 8 | 26 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD SMOKE BBQ | 31 | 2 | 29 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| THE GOOD CUE CREW | 25 | 12 | 13 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | 24 | 5 | 19 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| THREE DOGS BBQ | 22 | 4 | 18 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| TRANQUIL CARNIVORES | 20 | 13 | 7 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| Sweet Heat BBQ | 20 | 11 | 9 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| RED VALLEY BBQ | 20 | 9 | 11 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| KISS MY BBQ | 20 | 8 | 12 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM EATAPEDIA | 20 | 2 | 18 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY | 19 | 12 | 7 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Q'N CANUCKS | 17 | 5 | 12 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MORT'S MEAT MAFIA | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| BUFFALO MEATHEADS | 14 | 8 | 6 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 44 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 172.5484 | 142.8344 | 160.43 | top 54% |
| Pork Ribs | 44 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 174.8800 | 131.9772 | 159.40 | top 48% |
| Pork | 44 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 178.8800 | 144.5714 | 160.55 | top 44% |
| Brisket | 44 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 174.2628 | 140.4800 | 160.39 | top 42% |
“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) | 6 | 1 | top 36% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 56% |
| Large (40+) | 20 | 0 | top 40% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oinktoberfest | 6 | 5 | 0 | top 28% | Sep 21, 2019 |
| I Love Barbecue & Music Festival | 6 | 15 | 0 | top 61% | Jul 5, 2019 |
| Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que | 3 | 14 | 0 | top 41% | Jun 19, 2015 |
| Conquer The Grill | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 28% | Jun 2, 2017 |
| Jack 9 Memorial | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 48% | May 25, 2024 |
| Salt City BBQ Festival | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 54% | May 18, 2018 |
| Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 64% | Sep 3, 2016 |
| Roc City Rib Fest | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 51% | May 28, 2016 |
| Roc City Rib Fest | 2 | 43 | 0 | top 69% | May 23, 2015 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2016
8 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
4.9
across 9 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NY
31 of 44 contests · 5 states and provinces in all
Contests visited
26
9 of them more than once
First title
Jun 3, 2016
Conquer The Grill
Opponents faced
567
finished ahead 916 times, behind 770
Longest layoff
3.7 yrs
Sep 21, 2019 → May 27, 2023
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20241 milestone
- Most recent contest Jack 9 Memorial
20232 milestones
- Career-best single call (Pork)178.8800 Jack 9 Memorial
- Peak power rating (1603) Jack 9 Memorial
20191 milestone
- Career-best overall score678.8000 Summer Daze BBQ Classic
20172 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Salt City BBQ Festival
- First Reserve Championship Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival
20163 milestones
- First overall podium Conquer The Grill
- First Grand Championship Conquer The Grill
- First multi-meat day Conquer The Grill
20142 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.7428 Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que
- 10th tracked contest Oinktoberfest
20134 milestones
- First tracked contest Roc City Rib Fest
- First call Podunk Pig Party
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Brockport BBQ - Music Festival
- First overall top-10 Brockport BBQ - Music Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.5 | Conquer The Grill | Jun 3, 2016 |
| +14 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival | Jun 9, 2017 |
| +12.8 | Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship | Aug 6, 2016 |
| +12.3 | Oinktoberfest | Sep 22, 2018 |
| +12.1 | Summer Daze BBQ Classic | Aug 23, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.5 | Jack 9 Memorial | May 25, 2024 |
| -9.9 | Roc City Rib Fest | May 23, 2015 |
| -9.7 | Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest | Aug 12, 2016 |
| -8.8 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival | Jul 4, 2014 |
| -7.8 | Salt City BBQ Festival | May 18, 2018 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 87.9% | 87.9% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 16% | 93.9% | 93.9% |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 100% | top 37% | 94.3% | 91.4% |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 83% | top 47% | 91.7% | 89.1% |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 83% | top 31% | 93.3% | 89.9% |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 75% | top 43% | 93.2% | 89.5% |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 83% | top 54% | 92.3% | 88.1% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 55% | 90.9% | 86.8% |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 57% | 89.2% | 86.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2024 | Jack 9 Memorial La Salette, ON | 16 / 20 (633.0172) | 15 (159.3828) | 12 (162.8228) | 14 (161.1200) | 17 (149.6916) |
| May 27, 2023 | Jack 9 Memorial La Salette, ON | 3 / 19 (675.9428) | 7 (166.8456) | 8 (165.1316) | 2 (178.8800) | 8 (165.0856) |
| Sep 21, 2019 | Oinktoberfest 🏅 Clarence, NY | 11 / 43 (663.9196) | 4 (172.5484) | 29 (156.5944) | 10 (168.5484) | 13 (166.2284) |
| Aug 31, 2019 | Route Six Ribfest 🏅 Coudersport, PA | 8 / 16 (644.4116) | 8 (163.9772) | 8 (162.2400) | 11 (156.5372) | 7 (161.6572) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON | 2 / 23 (678.8000) | 13 (162.8228) | 2 (173.7372) | 2 (168.5372) | 2 (173.7028) |
| Jul 20, 2019 | Ribs and Rhythm & Blues 🏅 Auburn, NY | 18 / 34 (649.1316) | 21 (162.2744) | 10 (172.5600) | 32 (148.5944) | 8 (165.7028) |
| Jul 5, 2019 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival 🏅 Lake Placid, NY | 21 / 32 (637.0516) | 16 (164.5372) | 29 (151.4172) | 24 (157.1200) | 9 (163.9772) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Ayr Charity BBQ Ayr Ontario | 4 / 23 (675.8968) | 16 (165.0856) | 8 (168) | 8 (168.5484) | 1 (174.2628) |
| Sep 22, 2018 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 5 / 51 (660.5372) | 7 (168) | 1 (174.8800) | 31 (151.9544) | 7 (165.7028) |
| Aug 17, 2018 | Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY | 24 / 58 (653.0056) | 16 (170.2628) | 36 (159.9772) | 42 (155.9428) | 12 (166.8228) |
| Jul 13, 2018 | Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON | 11 / 24 (658.1716) | 11 (167.4056) | 17 (158.8116) | 16 (163.9544) | 7 (168) |
| Jul 6, 2018 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 24 / 39 (620.5028) | 8 (165.7372) | 30 (149.1200) | 17 (157.1200) | 29 (148.5256) |
| May 18, 2018 | Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 24 / 34 (613.5768) | 24 (154.7884) | 34 (131.9772) | 10 (161.6684) | 7 (165.1428) |
| May 4, 2018 | BBQ in The Valley Jamestown, NY | 13 / 25 (645.0284) | 7 (163.9772) | 6 (166.8228) | 25 (146.2628) | 6 (167.9656) |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 10 / 53 (656.4684) | 26 (163.4172) | 29 (159.3600) | 19 (160.5256) | 4 (173.1656) |
| Aug 5, 2017 | Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON | 15 / 42 (635.3484) | 26 (157.1772) | 19 (157.6684) | 15 (161.6800) | 15 (158.8228) |
| Jul 7, 2017 | I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 15 / 40 (633.4852) | 27 (155.3828) | 13 (161.6456) | 8 (162.2512) | 25 (154.2056) |
| Jun 9, 2017 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival Drayton Ontario | 2 / 22 (671.9888) | 5 (169.1888) | 11 (159.9544) | 2 (169.7256) | 3 (173.1200) |
| Jun 2, 2017 | Conquer The Grill Coudersport, PA | 6 / 12 (650.1944) | 6 (163.9772) | 4 (165.1200) | 7 (158.8228) | 10 (162.2744) |
| May 19, 2017 | Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY | 15 / 41 (635.8856) | 19 (161.7144) | 18 (157.6912) | 24 (154.2400) | 10 (162.2400) |
| Oct 21, 2016 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 68 / 96 (661.5768) | 61 (166.2284) | 46 (169.7256) | 57 (166.8228) | 81 (158.8000) |
| Sep 23, 2016 | Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY | 21 / 54 (639.8860) | 22 (162.3088) | 35 (151.9544) | 29 (159.3828) | 10 (166.2400) |
| Sep 3, 2016 | Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY | 18 / 35 (641.0172) | 25 (159.3600) | 14 (160.5716) | 17 (161.1200) | 17 (159.9656) |
| Aug 12, 2016 | Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY | 23 / 28 (634.6740) | 28 (147.9200) | 13 (163.4172) | 23 (156.5140) | 10 (166.8228) |
| Aug 6, 2016 | Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship Ottawa, CA | 5 / 41 (626.1940) | 6 (164) | 14 (154.2628) | 11 (157.7028) | 18 (150.2284) |
| Jul 2, 2016 | I love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 17 / 28 (616.4916) | 19 (151.3944) | 16 (154.2400) | 20 (148.5600) | 4 (162.2972) |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Conquer The Grill Coudersport, PA | 1 / 18 (670.8572) | 1 (169.7372) | 1 (171.4172) | 2 (166.2856) | 4 (163.4172) |
| May 28, 2016 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 13 / 50 (663.3600) | 35 (159.3944) | 11 (169.1200) | 14 (166.8456) | 7 (168) |
| Sep 19, 2015 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 10 / 52 (650.7432) | 24 (159.4056) | 8 (167.3944) | 12 (164.5488) | 18 (159.3944) |
| Sep 4, 2015 | Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY | 19 / 25 (617.0400) | 22 (152.5256) | 19 (153.7144) | 17 (153.6572) | 11 (157.1428) |
| Jul 10, 2015 | Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festval Drayton, ON | 8 / 18 (664.5032) | 15 (158.2744) | 2 (171.4400) | 5 (169.6916) | 9 (165.0972) |
| Jul 3, 2015 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 18 / 31 (622.3200) | 29 (146.2284) | 20 (153.1888) | 2 (164.5600) | 12 (158.3428) |
| Jun 19, 2015 | Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY | 19 / 47 (636.4800) | 10 (167.4516) | 12 (161.1428) | 4 (167.4056) | 42 (140.4800) |
| May 23, 2015 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 50 / 57 (614.1372) | 53 (148.5484) | 56 (137.0744) | 8 (170.8228) | 36 (157.6916) |
| Sep 20, 2014 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 38 / 66 (619.2916) | 35 (157.6800) | 45 (151.4060) | 13 (166.8228) | 58 (143.3828) |
| Jul 4, 2014 | I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY | 22 / 27 (598.7432) | 27 (142.8344) | 18 (146.8116) | 10 (153.6916) | 14 (155.4056) |
| Jun 13, 2014 | Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY | 14 / 47 (654.7428) | 23 (161.6684) | 21 (162.8572) | 13 (165.6800) | 14 (164.5372) |
| May 24, 2014 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 43 / 86 (628.4344) | 79 (146.7884) | 27 (161.7144) | 23 (163.4172) | 50 (156.5144) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY | 26 / 71 (631.8856) | 18 (166.2628) | 35 (153.7144) | 11 (165.6800) | 55 (146.2284) |
| Jun 28, 2013 | Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY | 27 / 49 (622.8568) | 34 (156) | 18 (161.7142) | 30 (155.9998) | 39 (149.1428) |
| Jun 21, 2013 | Brockport BBQ - Music Festival Brockport, NY | 9 / 18 (642.2854) | 6 (164.5714) | 1 (171.4286) | 15 (144.5714) | 4 (161.7140) |
| Jun 14, 2013 | Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY | 16 / 31 (623.9998) | 19 (157.1428) | 10 (157.7142) | 18 (152) | 16 (157.1428) |
| Jun 7, 2013 | Podunk Pig Party Springwater, NY | 15 / 20 (623.4284) | 19 (150.2858) | 17 (154.2858) | 7 (161.1428) | 12 (157.7140) |
| May 25, 2013 | Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY | 60 / 80 (596.5710) | 17 (164.5714) | 74 (137.7142) | 56 (149.1426) | 52 (145.1428) |