LUNA SMOKE - Italy

LUNA SMOKE - Italy is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Fo.G & Smoke 2025 (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 6 times. They are ranked #555 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#555

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1667

peak 1667 · rated over 25 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jan 19, 2019

latest Jun 20, 2026 · 7.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#173

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

6 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

34 podiums

Overall top-10s

70% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 31%

overall standings

Best overall

697.6456 / 720

Master · Fo.G & Smoke 2025

Perfect 180s

5 🔥

Current form

689.07 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 680.98 (+8.09)

Walk rate

97%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · The War of Barbeque

Consistency

±12.02

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 173.83 · weakest Brisket (166.37)

Road miles

12,537

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 4,843 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)

Master avg

680.98 / 720

26 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (16 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

0.5600 points from the title

Came within 0.5600 points of the Grand Championship at 5th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival (Jul 23, 2022).

Among the elite

#555 of 6,476 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1667 puts them #555 of 6,476 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1667
peak 1667
25 rated contests

The 180 club

5 perfect 180s

5 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 3 different meats.

Chicken ×3
Pork Ribs ×1
Pork ×1

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championship here

Fo.G & Smoke 2025 is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 1st
average top 14%

Multi-meat days

2 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 2 times — the best of them 2 category wins at Fo.G & Smoke 2025 (Sep 20, 2025).

Chicken 1st
Pork 1st

They almost always walk

97% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 29 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 97% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

697.6456 career-best overall

96.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 697.6456 at Fo.G & Smoke 2025 — 96.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 20, 2025

Show 9 more storylines

The one to beat

5× one call ahead of them

COOKLOUNGE BBQ has finished one call ahead of LUNA SMOKE - Italy 5 times — their closest competition in the data.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.47 points below their pork, and turns into a call 69% of the time against 85%.

Brisket avg 166.37
Pork avg 173.83
18 calls in 26 entries

A strong matchup

12–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 92% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SOUTH BRIXIA in 12 of their 13 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at FO.G & SMOKE (Sep 25, 2021).

last seen Jan 18, 2020
back Sep 25, 2021

Always the bridesmaid

6 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 6 times against 1 Grand Championship — close enough to touch it, over and over.

1 Grand Championship
30 contests

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

BBQ+ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A September team

Top 16% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 16% across 6 contests, versus top 31% the rest of the year.

6 September contests
top 31% the rest of the year

The long haul

12,537 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 12,537 miles across 30 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,843 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).

30 mapped stops
furthest 4,843 mi

The metronome

±1.67% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.67% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.6% of a perfect score
30 contests

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
2026 ↗	Master	#173 (1,037 pts)	#213 (927 pts)	#284 (807 pts)	#187 (957 pts)	#241 (787 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#385 (544 pts)	#382 (604 pts)	#532 (404 pts)	#398 (554 pts)	#508 (379 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#356 (612 pts)	#408 (547 pts)	#90 (1,545 pts)	#497 (407 pts)	#458 (477 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#504 (373 pts)	#636 (288 pts)	#515 (450 pts)	#393 (538 pts)	#525 (363 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#247 (912 pts)	#338 (717 pts)	#323 (807 pts)	#238 (962 pts)	#293 (782 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#513 (332 pts)	#593 (287 pts)	#510 (392 pts)	#591 (287 pts)	#625 (272 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#496 (203 pts)	#528 (203 pts)	#813 (98 pts)	#455 (253 pts)	#425 (278 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#373 (868 pts)	#315 (978 pts)	#445 (773 pts)	#262 (1,098 pts)	#490 (683 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to LUNA SMOKE - Italy, each with one reason worth a look.

Tillman's BBQ

#556 of the rated field

1667 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1667

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to LUNA SMOKE - Italy)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team LUNA SMOKE - Italy has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Jul 9, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Mad Rocket Barbecue

#557 of the rated field

1667 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 57%
Peak: 1676

Careers of much the same size, 30 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

NCOGNITO COOKERS

#554 of the rated field

1668 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1668

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 40 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 40 contests
last seen Oct 24, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

HONKY-TONK SMOKERS

#553 of the rated field

1668 power rating

Contests: 58
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1697

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before LUNA SMOKE - Italy's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 52 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Westside BBQ

#546 of the rated field

1669 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 77%
Peak: 1675

8–4 in 12 shared contests (67% to LUNA SMOKE - Italy)

53 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 77% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2025
on a 33-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

BROCK'S BBQ

#548 of the rated field

1669 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 75%
Peak: 1669

7 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Sep 27, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
COOKLOUNGE BBQ	19	5	14	26%	⚔ compare
SOUTH BRIXIA	13	12	1	92%	⚔ compare
Westside BBQ	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
Onkel Felix BBQ	11	11	0	100%	⚔ compare
White Squirrel BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
Tracica BBQ Team	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
Art Razza Piave Bbq	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
Smoky Cotte	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
BBQ+	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
THE GRILL GATHERING BBQ-Team	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
Smoking Butcher	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
BURROS BBQ	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
Gold’s BBQ	6	5	1	83%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	22	2	8	180 🔥	158.2400	171.76	top 37%
Pork Ribs	30	21	3	12	180 🔥	150.8344	169.62	top 37%
Pork	26	22	6	11	180 🔥	165.6800	173.83	top 28%
Brisket	26	18	1	3	174.8456	158.2284	166.37	top 45%

“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)	12	0	top 27%
Medium (20–39)	12	1	top 31%
Large (40+)	2	0	top 52%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
BZ	6	top 22%
GG	1	top 30%
TN	1	top 74%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	4	3	0	top 23%	Feb 25, 2023
Fo.G & Smoke 2025	3	1	1	top 14%	Sep 20, 2025
The War of Barbeque	3	4	0	top 23%	Jun 20, 2026

More numbers

Busiest season 2024 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in BZ 6 of 30 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 19 3 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 30 entries · 3 wins · 21 calls

First title Sep 20, 2025 Fo.G & Smoke 2025

Opponents faced 259 finished ahead 380 times, behind 182

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs Jan 18, 2020 → Sep 25, 2021

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

20263 milestones

Jun 20 5th perfect 180 The War of Barbeque
Jun 20 Peak power rating (1667) The War of Barbeque
Jun 20 Most recent contest The War of Barbeque

20254 milestones

Jun 14 25th tracked contest The War of Barbeque
Sep 20 First Grand Championship Fo.G & Smoke 2025
Sep 20 10th category win Fo.G & Smoke 2025
Sep 20 Career-best overall score697.6456 Fo.G & Smoke 2025

20223 milestones

Mar 12 10th tracked contest W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Jul 23 First multi-meat day 5th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival
Jul 23 First perfect 180 (Chicken) 5th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival

20197 milestones

Jan 19 First tracked contest W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Jan 19 First call W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Jan 19 First overall top-10 W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Jan 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score675.3372 W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
Sep 14 First category win (Pork) Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)
Sep 14 First overall podium Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)
Sep 14 First Reserve Championship Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.9	5th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival	Jul 23, 2022
+14.8	The War of Barbeque	Jun 18, 2022
+13.6	Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2)	Sep 14, 2019
+13.5	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	Jan 18, 2020
+12.4	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	Jan 19, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-3	BBQ Friui Venezia Giulia	May 11, 2019
-2.8	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge	Mar 29, 2025
-1.7	Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day1	Mar 22, 2019
-1.5	Austrian BBQ Festival BARBECUE on ICE	Feb 16, 2019
-1.1	Country Road & BBQ Contest-Day 2	Oct 30, 2021

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)
2026	4	0	3	1	100%	top 24%	96.7%	95.4%
2025	3	1	2	2	100%	top 27%	96.9%	95.5%
2024	7	0	3	2	86%	top 32%	96.6%	95.1%
2023	3	0	2	2	100%	top 26%	96.2%	94.9%
2022	4	0	4	3	100%	top 17%	96.8%	95.3%
2021	2	0	2	0	100%	top 44%	94.8%	93.9%
2020	1	0	1	1	100%	top 14%	95.2%	95.2%
2019	6	0	4	1	100%	top 45%	93.8%	92.7%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 20, 2026	The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda	4 / 25 (694.8000)	2 (180)	16 (167.9888)	14 (171.9656)	5 (174.8456)
May 23, 2026	BBQ Knife Clash Romano Di Lombardia, GG	3 / 10 (675.3828)	4 (171.9884)	5 (167.9772)	4 (173.7028)	7 (161.7144)
Apr 11, 2026	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge Parma	13 / 42 (681.6340)	14 (174.2628)	18 (169.1200)	5 (174.2856)	23 (163.9656)
Mar 7, 2026	W.E.S.T. - Winter Extreme South Tyrol Muhlwald - Selva di Molini, BZ	2 / 10 (695.8968)	2 (175.4056)	2 (180)	1 (177.7028)	8 (162.7884)
Sep 20, 2025	Fo.G & Smoke 2025 Spilamberto	1 / 24 (697.6456)	1 (180)	6 (171.9656)	1 (180)	12 (165.6800)
Jun 14, 2025	The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda	6 / 20 (691.4516)	14 (168.5828)	5 (174.2972)	5 (175.4400)	6 (173.1316)
Mar 29, 2025	BBQ Expo Master's Challenge Brescia	14 / 30 (673.5540)	3 (174.2628)	22 (162.2284)	14 (170.8228)	15 (166.2400)
Oct 11, 2024	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	64 / 87 (667.3256)	82 (158.2400)	49 (170.2744)	38 (169.7028)	39 (169.1084)
Sep 21, 2024	Fo.G & Smoke 2024 Providence of MODENA (MO)	2 / 19 (695.3712)	2 (177.7028)	2 (174.2856)	5 (176)	4 (167.3828)
Jun 15, 2024	The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda	4 / 17 (694.2172)	8 (171.9772)	2 (178.8572)	6 (174.8456)	7 (168.5372)
Jun 15, 2024	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Peschiera del Garda	—	—	2 (177.1428)	—	—
Apr 6, 2024	"Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #1 Brescia	—	—	2 (174.8572)	—	—
Apr 6, 2024	"Smokin' Ribs Showdown" (ONE MEAT RIBS) #2 Brescia	—	—	1 (177.7144)	—	—
Feb 24, 2024	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol Rein in Taufers, BZ	5 / 26 (682.2284)	6 (173.7256)	1 (176.5600)	19 (165.6800)	9 (166.2628)
Sep 16, 2023	FO.G & Smoke 2023 Spilamberto, It	2 / 15 (692.4800)	5 (170.8228)	2 (174.2744)	1 (178.8572)	4 (168.5256)
Jul 1, 2023	The War of Barbeque (ONE MEAT RIBS) Isola della Scala (VR)	—	—	9 (164.5256)	—	—
Feb 25, 2023	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	9 / 23 (674.7084)	10 (168.5256)	19 (159.3716)	1 (177.7028)	5 (169.1084)
Sep 17, 2022	FO.G & SMOKE Spilamberto, Mo	3 / 12 (687.9428)	4 (172.5600)	2 (171.9772)	3 (175.4056)	6 (168)
Jul 23, 2022	5th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival	2 / 20 (697.1200)	1 (180)	8 (163.9656)	1 (179.4400)	2 (173.7144)
Jun 18, 2022	The War of Barbeque Isola della Scala (VR)	2 / 15 (690.2284)	8 (169.7028)	1 (173.7028)	2 (174.8456)	2 (171.9772)
Mar 12, 2022	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	3 / 15 (669.6340)	9 (166.2628)	5 (169.7256)	2 (174.8572)	7 (158.7884)
Oct 30, 2021	Country Road & BBQ Contest-Day 2 Catigliano, Vicenza	7 / 11 (669.6340)	9 (166.2628)	6 (169.1772)	9 (167.9656)	5 (166.2284)
Sep 25, 2021	FO.G & SMOKE Modena	4 / 16 (682.8228)	5 (173.7028)	2 (176)	5 (170.8572)	11 (162.2628)
Jan 18, 2020	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	4 / 28 (685.6456)	4 (173.7028)	16 (160.5256)	2 (177.7028)	1 (173.7144)
Sep 14, 2019	Italian Hardcore Barbecue (DAY 2) Carugate MI	2 / 13 (673.0168)	2 (173.1428)	3 (168.5256)	1 (173.1200)	10 (158.2284)
May 11, 2019	BBQ Friui Venezia Giulia Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine	15 / 23 (651.9312)	3 (172.5600)	22 (150.8344)	8 (169.1312)	14 (159.4056)
Mar 23, 2019	Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day2 Torreglia	10 / 25 (673.0396)	5 (174.8456)	22 (159.9656)	4 (170.8228)	14 (167.4056)
Mar 22, 2019	Country Road & BBQ Contest -Day1 Torreglia	13 / 20 (663.9312)	7 (168.5828)	15 (164.5600)	9 (171.4056)	16 (159.3828)
Feb 16, 2019	Austrian BBQ Festival BARBECUE on ICE Weissensee	8 / 12 (668.5028)	10 (169.1084)	8 (165.1544)	3 (173.1084)	10 (161.1316)
Jan 19, 2019	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	6 / 30 (675.3372)	20 (159.9428)	4 (173.1428)	8 (174.2744)	7 (167.9772)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

LUNA SMOKE - Italy

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (16 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Among the elite

The 180 club

Happy hunting ground

Multi-meat days

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Always the bridesmaid

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

The metronome

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

Overall rank by season

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)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

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)