High-water mark
687.3716
career-best overall
95.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 687.3716 at The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) — 95.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Nov 15, 2013
Traditions BBQ
Traditions BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 15 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 5th of 35 at the Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ (2022). They are ranked #3309 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1498
peak 1504 · rated over 14 contests
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
Jul 26, 2013
latest Jun 9, 2023 · 9.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
7% of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 58%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
649.68 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 652.01 (-2.32)
Walk rate
33%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±18.13
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 166.07 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.42)
Road miles
2,454
across 15 mapped stops · furthest 379 mi
Schedule strength
33%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1545)
Purse competed for
$20K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 1 state-championship entry
Master avg
652.01 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
335.95 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 Traditions BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
107 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,320 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1507
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Traditions BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Traditions BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,310 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1506
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to Traditions BBQ)
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 6 years before Traditions BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,308 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1528
They've been 1528 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#3,297 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1511
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,300 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1519
17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 35% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#3,305 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 30%
- Peak
- 1504
Level with Traditions 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHECKERED PIG | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE THIS | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| WAYLON'S WICKEDLY GOOD Q | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Killer B's BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BUBBAJACK'S | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| EB'S BAR-B-QUE | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| PICKIN' PORKERS | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Bald Hawg BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| MIDNIGHT BURN | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 173.7028 | 150.7540 | 165.84 | top 54% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 147.9200 | 160.42 | top 65% |
| Pork | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.1084 | 143.3484 | 161.85 | top 66% |
| Brisket | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 177.1428 | 153.0744 | 166.07 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 4 | 0 | top 63% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 57% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) | 2 | 33 | 0 | top 68% | Mar 11, 2016 |
| The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 37% | Nov 21, 2014 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2014
6 contests
Contests a season
2.5
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NC
6 of 15 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
12
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
515
finished ahead 415 times, behind 448
Longest layoff
6.5 yrs
Mar 11, 2016 → Sep 8, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20241 milestone
- Most recent contest The Great Alabama Public Television BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT PORK)
20221 milestone
- First overall top-10 Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ
20141 milestone
- 10th tracked contest Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally
20136 milestones
- First tracked contest Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score660.4800 Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
- First call Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
- Career-best single call (Brisket)177.1428 Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
- Peak power rating (1504) Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
- Career-best overall score687.3716 The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.8 | Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ | Sep 8, 2022 |
| +14 | The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) | Nov 15, 2013 |
| +8.3 | Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge | May 9, 2014 |
| +4.9 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic | Sep 20, 2013 |
| +2.9 | The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) | Nov 21, 2014 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.8 | Smoke-n-Thunder BBQ Classic | Oct 12, 2013 |
| -11 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally | Sep 19, 2014 |
| -9.8 | Hog Happnin' | Nov 1, 2013 |
| -9.4 | Lincolnton Hog Happenin' | Jun 6, 2014 |
| -6 | Flames on the Flint (SBBQA) | Mar 14, 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 62% | 91.9% | 91.9% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 14% | 94.8% | 94.8% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 58% | 91.4% | 91.4% |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 64% | 93% | 89.8% |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 60% | 95.5% | 91.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2024 | The Great Alabama Public Television BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT PORK) Birmingham, AL | — | — | — | 7 (168.5372) | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 16 / 26 (330.7888) | 17 (165.0972) | 14 (165.6916) | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2022 | Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL | 5 / 35 (341.1200) | 17 (164.5600) | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Mar 11, 2016 | Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) Bainbridge, GA | 52 / 89 (658.1256) | 65 (163.9428) | 79 (156.5028) | 32 (167.4172) | 17 (170.2628) |
| Nov 21, 2014 | The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA | 48 / 86 (669.6112) | 64 (166.2284) | 44 (166.8572) | 38 (169.1084) | 49 (167.4172) |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally Salisbury, NC | 59 / 64 (622.6852) | 40 (165.6800) | 49 (155.9884) | 64 (143.3484) | 46 (157.6684) |
| Jun 6, 2014 | Lincolnton Hog Happenin' Lincolnton, NC | 31 / 38 (635.7712) | 13 (170.2628) | 32 (147.9200) | 32 (158.2056) | 25 (159.3828) |
| May 9, 2014 | Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC | 23 / 80 (662.2288) | 17 (170.8228) | 31 (163.9772) | 67 (154.2744) | 5 (173.1544) |
| Apr 18, 2014 | 17th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-off Kings Mountain, NC | 28 / 55 (652.9828) | 33 (164.5484) | 36 (157.1088) | 22 (165.0856) | 18 (166.2400) |
| Mar 14, 2014 | Flames on the Flint (SBBQA) Bainbridge, GA | 33 / 43 (638.1372) | 3 (171.9656) | 37 (155.3944) | 36 (157.7028) | 35 (153.0744) |
| Nov 15, 2013 | The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) Cumming, GA | 14 / 79 (687.3716) | 18 (173.7028) | 14 (173.1200) | 50 (166.2628) | 12 (174.2860) |
| Nov 1, 2013 | Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC | 65 / 75 (625.4628) | 70 (150.7540) | 71 (150.2172) | 53 (161.6800) | 41 (162.8116) |
| Oct 12, 2013 | Smoke-n-Thunder BBQ Classic Rome, GA | 24 / 25 (647.7944) | 17 (167.4060) | 25 (157.6572) | 25 (161.0856) | 17 (161.6456) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC | 28 / 72 (663.4168) | 26 (168.0228) | 63 (153.1428) | 44 (165.1084) | 2 (177.1428) |
| Jul 26, 2013 | Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN | 32 / 54 (660.4800) | 47 (158.8000) | 29 (165.6916) | 29 (166.2628) | 16 (169.7256) |