BLUE ISLAND BBQ

BLUE ISLAND BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 8th of 39 at the Rockin' BBQ - Day 2 (2021). They are ranked #1961 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,961

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1540

peak 1540 · rated over 10 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 25, 2015

latest Sep 27, 2023 · 8.2 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

17% of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5712 / 720

Master · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

677.89 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 662.97 (+14.92)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Brisket · Rockin' BBQ - Day 2

Consistency

±19.21

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 167.79 · weakest Brisket (160.94)

Road miles

1,946

across 12 mapped stops · furthest 386 mi

Schedule strength

64%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1580)

Purse competed for

$90K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

662.97 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

696.5712 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5712 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 27, 2023

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

BIG "E" BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BIG "E" BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.85 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 160.94
Pork Ribs avg 167.79
2 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

3.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.7 years, then back at Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 (May 14, 2021).

last seen Sep 1, 2017
back May 14, 2021

Pork Ribs nemesis

5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries lost

Mac Attack BBQ ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Mac Attack BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries.

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BLUE ISLAND BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

64 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

PIG CITY BBQ

#1,963 of the rated field

1540 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1540

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2015

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Syndicate BBQ

#1,962 of the rated field

1540 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 73%
Peak: 1541

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

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AbiCue

#1,966 of the rated field

1540 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1545

They turned up 7 years after BLUE ISLAND BBQ did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

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Ahh Townley BBQ

#1,953 of the rated field

1541 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1542

Level with BLUE ISLAND BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Mar 13, 2026

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Pig Time BBQ

#1,958 of the rated field

1540 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1548

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 5 years before BLUE ISLAND BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 12 contests

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ROWDY PIG BBQ

#1,957 of the rated field

1540 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1545

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 7 years before BLUE ISLAND BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 8 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
iBQ'n	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
QUAU	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	3	0	174.8456	159.9540	167.24	top 46%
Pork Ribs	11	3	1	173.7372	163.4516	167.79	top 34%
Pork	10	4	0	173.7028	151.3716	166.91	top 42%
Brisket	10	2	1	176	138.7772	160.94	top 56%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 59%
Large (40+)	5	top 35%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
KS	3	top 26%
IN	3	top 52%
IL	3	top 61%
MI	1	top 64%

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 4 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 4 of 12 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 10 a different one every time

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 11 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Opponents faced 1,168 finished ahead 1,191 times, behind 493

Longest layoff 3.7 yrs Sep 1, 2017 → May 14, 2021

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

20233 milestones

Sep 27 Career-best overall score696.5712 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Sep 27 Peak power rating (1540) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Sep 27 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides

20212 milestones

May 15 Career-best single call (Brisket)176 Rockin' BBQ - Day 2
Sep 24 10th tracked contest Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com

20154 milestones

Jul 25 First tracked contest Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Jul 25 First call Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Jul 25 First overall top-10 Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Sep 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5144 Windy City BBQ Classic

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.3	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	Sep 27, 2023
+13.8	Rockin' BBQ - Day 2	May 15, 2021
+8.4	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Oct 29, 2016
+6.6	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Sep 1, 2017
+3.2	Windy City BBQ Classic	Sep 11, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.9	Marshall County Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass	Sep 18, 2015
-4.8	10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q	Oct 16, 2015
-1.9	Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center	Jul 25, 2015
-0.5	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 24, 2021

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	2	0	0%	top 4%	96.7%	96.7%
2021	3	1	100%	top 46%	95.7%	93.8%
2017	1	0	0%	top 39%	92.7%	92.7%
2016	2	0	50%	top 34%	92.3%	92.3%
2015	4	1	50%	top 66%	90.9%	89.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	21 / 487 (696.5712)	85 (174.8456)	90 (173.7372)	95 (173.7028)	55 (174.2856)
Sep 24, 2021	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	18 / 28 (663.2796)	8 (171.9884)	12 (169.1200)	10 (168.5256)	26 (153.6456)
May 15, 2021	Rockin' BBQ - Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN	8 / 39 (689.0972)	8 (174.8456)	24 (165.1200)	10 (173.1316)	3 (176)
May 14, 2021	Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN	22 / 41 (673.0624)	20 (168.5256)	9 (170.8456)	34 (162.2628)	13 (171.4284)
Sep 1, 2017	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	160 / 407 (667.4400)	225 (165.1656)	137 (168.5716)	97 (170.8800)	232 (162.8228)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	190 / 557 (664.5712)	331 (162.2628)	135 (169.7256)	216 (166.8800)	209 (165.7028)
Sep 24, 2016	Barbeque on the Hill (COMPETITORS SERIES) Blue Island, IL	—	—	2 (166.8344)	—	—
Oct 16, 2015	10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	25 / 35 (630.7660)	20 (162.2516)	18 (163.4516)	14 (166.2856)	33 (138.7772)
Sep 18, 2015	Marshall County Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass Plymouth, IN	22 / 27 (654.2288)	16 (166.2628)	12 (166.2628)	20 (162.8800)	23 (158.8232)
Sep 11, 2015	Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL	27 / 61 (648.5144)	45 (159.9540)	22 (164.5832)	6 (173.2000)	46 (150.7772)
Jul 25, 2015	Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center Orion, IL	10 / 15 (642.1604)	6 (166.2628)	4 (167.4288)	10 (151.3716)	10 (157.0972)

BLUE ISLAND BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (6 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

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)

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 — 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)