Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.
- Brisket ×1
At Ease
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1507
peak 1507 · rated over 27 contests ⓘ
Contests
28
in the data
First seen
2021-05-07
latest 2026-08-28
Best ToY finish
#270
Master 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 28 contests
Avg finish
top 62%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
678.06 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 665.49 (+12.57)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±20.46
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 168.47 · weakest Brisket (162.14)
Road miles
9,720
mi across 28 mapped stops · furthest 642 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$349K
listed at 28 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 26 state-championship entries
Master avg
665.49 / 720
27 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (12 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
64%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 18 of 28 contests
A top-10 category call in 64% of their 28 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
694.8228
career-best overall
96.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 694.8228 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest — 96.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2025-11-05
The one to beat
3×
one call ahead of them
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ has finished one call ahead of At Ease 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
A tough matchup
18–0
behind in the head-to-head
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ has come out ahead in 18 of their 18 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.3
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.33 points below their pork, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 33%.
- Brisket avg 162.14
- Pork avg 168.47
- 2 calls in 27 entries
A strong matchup
5–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 71% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Q LIVE CREW in 5 of their 7 shared contests.
Pork nemesis
12 of 19
shared pork entries lost
Brinkerhoff BBQ ahead 63% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Brinkerhoff BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 19 shared pork entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
A March team
Top 52%
average finish in March
Something about March: average finish in the top 52% across 3 contests, versus top 62% the rest of the year.
- 3 March contests
- top 62% the rest of the year
The long haul
9,720
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 9,720 miles across 28 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 642 miles to Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off.
- 28 mapped stops
- furthest 642 mi
A standing appointment
6
years running at one contest
They've cooked Wild West BBQ Cook-Off every year from 2021 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.
- 6 visits in all
- best finish 16th
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.
115 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2911 of the rated field
- Contests
- 41
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1515
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to At Ease)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team At Ease has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2909 of the rated field
- Contests
- 53
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1552
3–4 in 7 shared contests (43% to At Ease)
They've been 1552 at their best, 45 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#2904 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 3%
- Peak
- 1508
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before At Ease's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#2927 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1540
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 24 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2921 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1526
No shared contest yet.
21 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 10% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#2917 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1509
No shared contest yet.
Level with At Ease on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brinkerhoff BBQ | 19 | 2 | 17 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Hooligans Barbecue | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Monarchbbq | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Texas Smoke Whisperer | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| Bushmaster BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked & Furious | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 177.1772 | 153.0628 | 167.98 | top 51% |
| Pork Ribs | 27 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 178.2972 | 153.6800 | 166.90 | top 56% |
| Pork | 27 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 179.4400 | 129.6800 | 168.47 | top 46% |
| Brisket | 27 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 180.0000 🔥 | 143.9656 | 162.14 | top 69% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 13 | 0 | top 69% |
| MT | 5 | 0 | top 53% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 42% |
| WY | 2 | 0 | top 68% |
| SD | 2 | 0 | top 68% |
| NM | 1 | 0 | top 77% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 22 | 0 | top 66% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 45% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild West BBQ Cook-Off | 6 | 16 | 0 | top 73% | 2026-04-24 |
| Montana Pitmaster Classic | 3 | 19 | 0 | top 55% | 2026-08-28 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado KCBS Pitmaster BBQ Contest | 2 | 25 | 0 | top 81% | 2024-09-06 |
| Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 41% | 2024-08-09 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
5.3 yrs
2021-05-07 → 2026-08-28
Busiest season
2025
7 contests
Contests a season
4.7
across 6 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
CO
13 of 28 contests · 6 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
18
4 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
27 entries · 0 wins · 8 calls
Strongest meat
Pork
averages 168.47 · weakest Brisket (162.14)
Walk rate
64%
a top-10 call in 18 of 28 contests
Overall top-10 rate
4%
1 of 28 contests
Master average
665.49
out of 720 · 27 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
703
698–603 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
9,720
28 mapped stops · furthest 642 mi
Schedule strength
1577
average field rating faced — tougher than 61% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$349,465
listed at 28 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 26 state-championship entries
Power rating
1507
peak 1507 · #2910 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2021
- First tracked contest Wild West BBQ Cook-Off
- 2022
- First call Wild West BBQ Cook-Off
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3716 Wild West BBQ Cook-Off
- 2024
- 10th tracked contest Wild West BBQ Cook-Off
- First overall top-10 Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews
- 2025
- Career-best overall score694.8228 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- 2026
- 25th tracked contest Montana BBQ Cookoff
- First category win (Brisket) Montana Pitmaster Classic
- First perfect 180 (Brisket) Montana Pitmaster Classic
- Peak power rating (1507) Montana Pitmaster Classic
- Most recent contest Montana Pitmaster Classic
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2025-11-05 |
| +9.1 | Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews | 2024-08-09 |
| +8.6 | Montana BBQ Cookoff | 2026-06-12 |
| +5.6 | 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship | 2025-03-21 |
| +5.4 | Art of Barbeque | 2023-06-30 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off | 2021-05-07 |
| -8.9 | Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado KCBS Pitmaster BBQ Contest | 2023-05-27 |
| -8.8 | The Art of BBQ | 2022-07-01 |
| -7.8 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off | 2025-04-25 |
| -5.5 | The Art of Barbeque | 2024-06-28 |
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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 83% | top 54% | 95.8% | 94.1% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43% | top 57% | 96.5% | 93.9% |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57% | top 63% | 94.6% | 92.7% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80% | top 64% | 93.6% | 91.5% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 79% | 91% | 89.6% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 82.1% | 82.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 19 / 39 (687.8972) | 30 (162.8000) | 26 (169.6800) | 6 (175.4172) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2026-08-14 | Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championships & Bluegrass Festival 🏅 Worland, WY | 18 / 29 (681.5884) | 6 (174.2628) | 20 (166.2284) | 5 (174.2628) | 18 (166.8344) |
| 2026-07-03 | Dillon Days Blowin' Smoke BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Dillon, MT | 16 / 26 (689.6456) | 13 (171.9884) | 17 (171.4172) | 5 (176.5716) | 18 (169.6684) |
| 2026-06-12 | Montana BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Absarokee, MT | 11 / 29 (676.5028) | 25 (160.5256) | 8 (172.5600) | 6 (172.0000) | 6 (171.4172) |
| 2026-04-24 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 16 / 27 (654.6512) | 24 (153.0628) | 14 (163.9428) | 5 (174.2628) | 14 (163.3828) |
| 2026-03-20 | 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 36 / 68 (675.3484) | 36 (169.1084) | 25 (170.2628) | 14 (175.4172) | 55 (160.5600) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 50 / 401 (694.8228) | 145 (172.5484) | 186 (169.7028) | 85 (174.8688) | 25 (177.7028) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-08-22 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 21 / 38 (678.8000) | 32 (164.0000) | 4 (178.2972) | 18 (171.4056) | 24 (165.0972) |
| 2025-06-06 | Original SD BBQ Championships 🏅 Huron, SD | 28 / 48 (672.5144) | 16 (171.9772) | 29 (166.2972) | 16 (172.0000) | 32 (162.2400) |
| 2025-05-02 | The All American Comeback BBQ, Bourbon, & Bands Ruidoso Downs, NM | 23 / 30 (678.1944) | 15 (172.5716) | 28 (165.0972) | 2 (179.4400) | 28 (161.0856) |
| 2025-04-25 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 27 / 30 (650.6740) | 26 (160.5256) | 25 (162.2284) | 16 (167.9772) | 23 (159.9428) |
| 2025-03-21 | 7th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 35 / 70 (681.6228) | 9 (176.5600) | 25 (171.9772) | 42 (170.2628) | 55 (162.8228) |
| 2024-09-06 | Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado KCBS Pitmaster BBQ Contest 🏅 Castle Rock, CO | 25 / 36 (665.0744) | 4 (177.1772) | 35 (155.3832) | 19 (169.6684) | 27 (162.8456) |
| 2024-08-23 | Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT | 24 / 39 (666.6740) | 23 (166.2284) | 28 (165.6800) | 27 (167.3828) | 21 (167.3828) |
| 2024-08-09 | Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews 🏅 Alamosa, CO | 10 / 29 (681.1088) | 16 (166.2744) | 3 (176.5600) | 7 (171.4172) | 15 (166.8572) |
| 2024-07-12 | Smoke & Soul Fest 🏅 Casper, WY | 19 / 26 (664.4000) | 23 (159.9544) | 15 (168.5256) | 13 (169.6800) | 17 (166.2400) |
| 2024-06-28 | The Art of Barbeque 🏅 Sterling, CO | 20 / 25 (656.5264) | 24 (159.9888) | 19 (161.6688) | 2 (177.7372) | 23 (157.1316) |
| 2024-05-10 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 19 / 29 (663.3260) | 15 (167.9772) | 15 (166.2972) | 21 (166.2516) | 21 (162.8000) |
| 2024-03-15 | 6th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 31 / 58 (674.1600) | 27 (170.8572) | 46 (162.8000) | 5 (177.7144) | 40 (162.7884) |
| 2023-08-25 | Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ Fest 🏅 Hill City, SD | 20 / 26 (651.8396) | 18 (163.9884) | 14 (167.9656) | 19 (163.9544) | 23 (155.9312) |
| 2023-08-11 | Beat the Heat BBQ & Brews 🏅 Alamosa, CO | 13 / 27 (667.3372) | 7 (171.9772) | 2 (173.1428) | 20 (164.5372) | 24 (157.6800) |
| 2023-06-30 | Art of Barbeque 🏅 Sterling, CO | 18 / 35 (673.6684) | 8 (173.7144) | 13 (172.0000) | 29 (163.9656) | 27 (163.9884) |
| 2023-05-27 | Veterans of Foreign Wars Colorado KCBS Pitmaster BBQ Contest 🏅 Castle Rock, CO | 34 / 37 (639.3480) | 5 (174.3200) | 32 (157.6568) | 31 (163.4056) | 36 (143.9656) |
| 2023-05-12 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 16 / 30 (660.5948) | 12 (168.5600) | 9 (170.3088) | 16 (167.4516) | 28 (154.2744) |
| 2022-07-01 | The Art of BBQ 🏅 Sterling, CO | 24 / 28 (635.3028) | 7 (172.5484) | 16 (163.9544) | 26 (146.8572) | 24 (151.9428) |
| 2022-05-06 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 24 / 33 (655.3716) | 6 (171.4400) | 22 (162.8572) | 17 (165.1428) | 29 (155.9316) |
| 2021-05-07 | Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Lamar, CO | 33 / 35 (591.2800) | 25 (160.5372) | 28 (153.6800) | 35 (129.6800) | 30 (147.3828) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #270 (618 pts) | #300 (588 pts) | #321 (613 pts) | #114 (1068 pts) | #187 (868 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #612 (255 pts) | #588 (320 pts) | #551 (385 pts) | #571 (315 pts) | #640 (250 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #385 (554 pts) | #352 (659 pts) | #355 (694 pts) | #236 (929 pts) | #414 (529 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #442 (443 pts) | #327 (703 pts) | #371 (678 pts) | #525 (378 pts) | #598 (293 pts) |