Ash Kickin' BBQ MN
Rating
1672
peak 1689 · rated over 40 contests
Best runs
7
straight top-10s
Contests
54
in the data
First seen
2020-08-28
latest 2026-05-08
Best ToY finish
#66
Master 2022
Grand champs
4
3 reserve
Category wins
9
30 podiums
Overall top-10s
20
of 54 contests
Avg finish
top 28%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
681.86 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 682.87 (-1.00)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
7
best run (overall)
Consistency
±10.09
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.08 · weakest Pork (168.23)
Road miles
5397
mi across 54 mapped stops · furthest 379 mi
Schedule strength
69%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1564)
Purse competed for
$448K
listed at 45 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
4 🏅
GCs in 38 state-championship entries
Master avg
682.87 / 720
40 Master contests · 4 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY has finished one call ahead of Ash Kickin' BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
Big Mike's Smokehouse has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 25 of their 33 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of SIX BUTT BBQ in 26 of their 31 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Iowa State BBQ Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 12% across 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0456 points of the Grand Championship at Iowa State BBQ Championship (2022-04-01).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 58-team field at Minnesota in May.
😤 Chicken nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, HOT DADDY'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 21 of 35 shared chicken entries.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) (2022-06-03) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 28-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Hogline.
Teams like this (closest power rating, MN first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NECTAR OF THE HOGS | 35 | 20 | 15 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 35 | 12 | 23 | 34% | ⚔ compare |
| LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | 33 | 18 | 15 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | 33 | 8 | 25 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| SIX BUTT BBQ | 31 | 26 | 5 | 84% | ⚔ compare |
| Phoenix BBQ | 31 | 20 | 11 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| Son of a Boar BBQ | 31 | 12 | 19 | 39% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 29 | 16 | 13 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| MACHETE BOYS BBQ | 27 | 21 | 6 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 27 | 15 | 12 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Steel Smoke BBQ | 26 | 24 | 2 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| UGLY BABY BBQ | 25 | 20 | 5 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| ACES HIGH BBQ | 24 | 16 | 8 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| RUM N' SMOKE BBQ | 24 | 9 | 15 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| T-Rex BBQ | 22 | 19 | 3 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 40 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 180.0000 🔥 | 162.2284 | 173.08 | top 31% |
| Pork Ribs | 54 | 22 | 4 | 11 | 178.2972 | 155.3600 | 169.64 | top 38% |
| Pork | 40 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 158.2972 | 168.23 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 40 | 24 | 2 | 9 | 180.0000 🔥 | 154.8112 | 171.77 | top 27% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| MN | 18 | 2 | top 30% |
| WI | 10 | 2 | top 22% |
| IA | 5 | 0 | top 28% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 39% |
| ND | 3 | 0 | top 28% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 2 | top 32% |
| Large (40+) | 22 | 2 | top 25% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 31% | 2026-05-08 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 24% | 2025-06-13 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 40% | 2025-05-30 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 28% | 2025-06-14 |
| ND BBQ Championship | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 28% | 2026-05-01 |
| KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 21% | 2023-07-14 |
| MN Masters BBQ | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 21% | 2025-08-22 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 12% | 2024-03-29 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 33 | 0 | top 29% | 2023-09-27 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 2 | 29 | 0 | top 49% | 2023-09-27 |
| Minnesota in May (Masters) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 20% | 2022-05-13 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2023 (14 contests)
- Cooks mostly in MN (26 of 54 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (54 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) (2022-06-03)
- Wins it all in 7% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 682.87 / 720
- 2 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2020-08-28 — First tracked contest · Minnesota in Mayaugust
- 📣 2020-08-28 — First call · Minnesota in Mayaugust
- 🏆 2022-06-03 — First Grand Championship · Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest)
- 🔥 2022-06-11 — First perfect 180 (Chicken) · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- ⭐ 2023-06-09 — Career-best overall score (702.2516) · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- 🎖️ 2023-06-10 — 25th tracked contest · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- 📈 2025-05-09 — Peak power rating (1689) · Minnesota in May
- 🎖️ 2025-06-14 — 50th tracked contest · Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.5 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2022-04-01 |
| +14.2 | Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) | 2022-06-03 |
| +14 | Masters in May | 2022-04-29 |
| +13.5 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off | 2022-07-15 |
| +13.1 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2023-06-09 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -19.4 | Smokin in Steele | 2024-05-31 |
| -12 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST | 2022-09-29 |
| -10.5 | 8th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest | 2024-07-26 |
| -8.4 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-13 |
| -7.8 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2025-06-14 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 34% | 94.8% | 94.8% |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 78% | top 37% | 97.5% | 94.8% |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 70% | top 38% | 96.1% | 94.4% |
| 2023 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 57% | top 23% | 97.5% | 95.1% |
| 2022 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 85% | top 15% | 97.2% | 95.5% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 100% | top 33% | 95.1% | 94.1% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 47% | 93.4% | 93.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 31 / 77 (682.7312) | 43 (170.8228) | 53 (166.2400) | 12 (174.8456) | 28 (170.8228) |
| 2026-05-01 | ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND | 19 / 71 (682.8228) | 4 (178.3200) | 47 (165.7144) | 42 (166.8112) | 18 (171.9772) |
| 2025-10-03 | ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND | 15 / 46 (682.2744) | 5 (176.0000) | 12 (171.4172) | 33 (164.0000) | 11 (170.8572) |
| 2025-08-22 | MN Masters BBQ 🏅 Pierz, MN | 5 / 26 (683.9200) | 13 (167.9772) | 3 (173.7028) | 14 (169.6800) | 4 (172.5600) |
| 2025-06-14 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 22 / 36 (677.5656) | 27 (168.5256) | 4 (175.4172) | 34 (161.6572) | 9 (171.9656) |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 24 (165.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-06-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 25 / 36 (666.1372) | 15 (169.6800) | 32 (159.3716) | 33 (160.5028) | 2 (176.5828) |
| 2025-05-30 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 14 / 28 (683.9088) | 10 (173.1316) | 9 (171.9772) | 22 (165.6800) | 7 (173.1200) |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 1 / 58 (701.6688) | 4 (178.8572) | 32 (168.5372) | 16 (174.2744) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2025-05-09 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 17 (170.8344) | — | — |
| 2025-02-21 | Fire on Ice BBQ Championship 🏅 Onamia, MN | 9 / 42 (683.3372) | 12 (171.9884) | 19 (168.5488) | 15 (170.8228) | 9 (171.9772) |
| 2024-09-27 | ND BBQ Championship 🏅 Fargo, ND | 11 / 47 (677.0628) | 9 (172.5600) | 17 (167.4400) | 28 (163.9544) | 8 (173.1084) |
| 2024-08-23 | MN Masters BBQ 🏅 Pierz, MN | 6 / 27 (687.3368) | 11 (170.2512) | 1 (176.5944) | 12 (170.8228) | 10 (169.6684) |
| 2024-07-26 | 8th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 21 / 28 (669.0520) | 12 (171.4172) | 2 (178.2972) | 25 (162.8232) | 24 (156.5144) |
| 2024-06-08 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 6 / 37 (691.9316) | 18 (173.1200) | 3 (176.5716) | 10 (174.2744) | 24 (167.9656) |
| 2024-06-07 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 7 / 41 (685.0516) | 8 (174.2744) | 9 (171.4172) | 31 (162.8000) | 3 (176.5600) |
| 2024-06-07 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 12 (166.2284) | — | — |
| 2024-05-31 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 30 / 32 (652.4224) | 23 (166.8112) | 27 (160.5372) | 12 (170.2628) | 31 (154.8112) |
| 2024-05-10 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 21 / 58 (687.3828) | 8 (176.0000) | 24 (170.8344) | 39 (168.0000) | 15 (172.5484) |
| 2024-05-10 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 28 (166.8228) | — | — |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 8 / 42 (685.0512) | 21 (171.4056) | 27 (165.0856) | 24 (169.1200) | 2 (179.4400) |
| 2023-10-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 1 / 21 (693.6576) | 2 (177.7144) | 5 (169.6916) | 7 (171.9772) | 6 (174.2744) |
| 2023-10-13 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 12 (168.5372) | — | — |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 252 / 487 (671.8972) | 175 (170.8344) | 348 (163.3828) | 228 (168.5600) | 185 (169.1200) |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS | 29 / 211 (694.1824) | 114 (170.8112) | 77 (172.5600) | 78 (173.1084) | 17 (177.7028) |
| 2023-07-28 | 7th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 8 / 32 (687.3832) | 3 (176.0000) | 13 (170.8344) | 17 (169.6916) | 9 (170.8572) |
| 2023-07-14 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 11 / 39 (676.5144) | 30 (166.2400) | 3 (174.3088) | 22 (168.0000) | 14 (167.9656) |
| 2023-07-14 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-of (ONE MEAT RIBS) Worthington, MN | — | — | 8 (170.8344) | — | — |
| 2023-07-07 | Art of the Que 🏅 Spencer, IA | 4 / 28 (686.1944) | 9 (171.9656) | 8 (171.4172) | 20 (167.3944) | 2 (175.4172) |
| 2023-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 11 / 40 (681.6576) | 5 (177.1428) | 30 (165.1088) | 28 (165.1088) | 3 (174.2972) |
| 2023-06-09 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 1 / 43 (702.2516) | 3 (177.7028) | 12 (170.8344) | 4 (175.4172) | 1 (178.2972) |
| 2023-06-09 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | 13 (167.9772) | — | — |
| 2023-06-02 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 4 / 29 (677.6000) | 8 (173.7144) | 5 (171.9772) | 8 (169.6800) | 18 (162.2284) |
| 2023-05-12 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 27 / 59 (673.6000) | 18 (173.1200) | 30 (167.3828) | 23 (169.6800) | 42 (163.4172) |
| 2023-05-12 | Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 27 (165.0856) | — | — |
| 2022-10-15 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II (One Meat Ribs) West Salem, WI | — | — | 12 (159.9428) | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST Kansas City, KS | 210 / 249 (667.2568) | 118 (171.9656) | 246 (155.3600) | 216 (164.5256) | 36 (175.4056) |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 33 / 505 (694.2400) | 145 (171.4172) | 105 (173.1200) | 161 (170.8228) | 7 (178.8800) |
| 2022-07-15 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 2 / 40 (690.2288) | 6 (174.2744) | 14 (169.1200) | 20 (168.5372) | 2 (178.2972) |
| 2022-07-15 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off (One Meat Ribs) Worthington, MN | — | — | 3 (174.2628) | — | — |
| 2022-06-11 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 2 / 37 (699.9428) | 1 (180.0000) | 13 (169.6800) | 3 (176.5600) | 7 (173.7028) |
| 2022-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 3 / 39 (692.5484) | 1 (177.7372) | 5 (173.1200) | 18 (169.7256) | 8 (171.9656) |
| 2022-06-03 | Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 1 / 33 (689.6684) | 16 (168.5484) | 1 (176.0116) | 10 (172.5600) | 7 (172.5484) |
| 2022-05-13 | Minnesota in May (Masters) 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 7 / 59 (682.8000) | 46 (162.2284) | 3 (174.2744) | 16 (172.0344) | 5 (174.2628) |
| 2022-05-13 | Minnesota in May (One Meat Ribs) Cambridge, MN | — | — | 7 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2022-04-29 | Masters in May 🏅 Bancroft, WI | 4 / 43 (679.4400) | 2 (177.7028) | 9 (170.2856) | 37 (158.2972) | 5 (173.1544) |
| 2022-04-29 | Masters in May (One Meat Ribs) Bancroft, WI | — | — | 6 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2022-04-01 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 2 / 48 (689.6344) | 26 (168.5372) | 21 (170.2628) | 14 (171.9772) | 2 (178.8572) |
| 2021-08-20 | 13th Annual Big Island BBQ 🏅 Albert Lea, MN | 14 / 35 (674.2288) | 1 (179.4400) | 18 (166.2516) | 27 (162.8228) | 17 (165.7144) |
| 2021-07-16 | KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 10 / 33 (684.5256) | 2 (178.8572) | 2 (176.0000) | 27 (163.4056) | 17 (166.2628) |
| 2021-07-16 | KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off - One Meat Rib Contest Worthington, MN | — | — | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| 2021-05-07 | Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 17 / 60 (673.0856) | 3 (176.5828) | 23 (165.1200) | 35 (164.5600) | 24 (166.8228) |
| 2021-05-07 | Minnesota in May - One Meat Contest - Ribs Cambridge, MN | — | — | 1 (178.2972) | — | — |
| 2020-08-28 | Minnesota in Mayaugust 🏅 Cambridge, MN | 21 / 45 (672.4912) | 16 (169.7028) | 19 (167.4056) | 27 (164.5600) | 10 (170.8228) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #641 (150 pts) | #544 (270 pts) | #841 (120 pts) | #616 (185 pts) | #669 (155 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #229 (959 pts) | #241 (929 pts) | #226 (1074 pts) | #393 (569 pts) | #138 (1324 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #211 (1002 pts) | #248 (937 pts) | #126 (1368 pts) | #335 (672 pts) | #190 (1067 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #84 (1555 pts) | #101 (1460 pts) | #129 (1402 pts) | #200 (1010 pts) | #92 (1500 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | — | #283 (106 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #66 (1793 pts) | #123 (1348 pts) | #63 (1712 pts) | #245 (948 pts) | #86 (1598 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #505 (348 pts) | #261 (778 pts) | #211 (962 pts) | #791 (178 pts) | #640 (263 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #803 (80 pts) | #782 (105 pts) | #831 (90 pts) | #899 (60 pts) | #651 (135 pts) |