CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ

CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Sun BBQ Fest (2014), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #800 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#800

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1628

peak 1643 · rated over 30 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest Jun 28, 2019 · 6.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#394

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

18 podiums

Overall top-10s

40% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 34%

overall standings

Best overall

679.9312 / 720

Master · Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

640.98 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 649.94 (-8.96)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Smoke in the Park

Consistency

±20.55

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.45 · weakest Brisket (161.59)

Road miles

2,867

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 268 mi

Schedule strength

44%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)

Purse competed for

$6,700

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.94 / 720

30 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

4.0116 points from the title

Came within 4.0116 points of the Grand Championship at Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival (Apr 10, 2015).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

Against the odds

31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 69 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Sun BBQ Fest (Jun 20, 2014) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 31-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA.

Giant slayer

32 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 32-team field at Sun BBQ Fest.

Jun 20, 2014

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

679.9312 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.9312 at Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 10, 2015

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has finished one call ahead of CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Show 6 more storylines

Their season

2014 1 Grand Championship

2014 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 22%.

5 contests
4 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 22%

The drought

23 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Sun BBQ Fest on Jun 20, 2014 — 23 contests and 12.3 years ago.

last GC Jun 20, 2014
12.3 years ago

Pork nemesis

15 of 25 shared pork entries lost

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ ahead 60% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has out-cooked them in 15 of 25 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An April team

Top 19% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 19% across 4 contests, versus top 34% the rest of the year.

4 April contests
top 34% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL) every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 4th

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#461 (768 pts)	#674 (538 pts)	#492 (753 pts)	#493 (748 pts)	#443 (818 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#407 (920 pts)	#614 (650 pts)	#539 (750 pts)	#352 (1,045 pts)	#469 (860 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#764 (488 pts)	#619 (658 pts)	#859 (453 pts)	#669 (603 pts)	#839 (448 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#725 (485 pts)	#1312 (225 pts)	#946 (370 pts)	#774 (480 pts)	#1431 (180 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#394 (954 pts)	#564 (694 pts)	#476 (839 pts)	#587 (664 pts)	#503 (749 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#825 (370 pts)	#759 (430 pts)	#1029 (300 pts)	#594 (560 pts)	#995 (300 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

DIZZY PIG

#801 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1651

2–4 in 6 shared contests (33% to CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ)

These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — DIZZY PIG ahead 4–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Jun 22, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

FAT ANDY'S BBQ

#799 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1633

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

rated over 30 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

FRONT DOOR GANG

#796 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1641

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 3 years before CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 29 contests

⚔ Compare careers

PIGGIN' OUT

#804 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1648

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 28 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Apr 7, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

HOT CHIHUAHUA BARBECUE

#802 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1628

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Poppin Smoke BBQ

#803 of the rated field

1628 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1631

They turned up 11 years after CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	25	3	22	12%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN FOOLZ	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
HAWG NATION BBQ	17	8	9	47%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	16	8	8	50%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
PIG PEN BBQ	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
Smokestack Redemption	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
4:20 Q	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
DRILLING & GRILLING	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
LITTLE CREEK BAR B CUE COMPANY	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
SMOKEN DUDES BBQ	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN GNOME BBQ	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
WILBUR'S REVENGE	12	7	5	58%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	30	6	1	2	180 🔥	144.5372	163.25	top 44%
Pork Ribs	30	9	2	4	177.7600	149.0628	161.65	top 45%
Pork	30	11	4	7	177.7028	142.7884	163.45	top 37%
Brisket	30	7	1	5	176	142.2056	161.59	top 41%

“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)	11	1	top 35%
Large (40+)	19	0	top 34%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
PA	22	0	top 40%
DE	2	0	top 24%
MD	2	0	top 15%
NJ	1	0	top 13%
VA	1	0	top 9%
NY	1	0	top 42%
CT	1	1	top 3%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL)	6	4	top 45%	Aug 24, 2018
Pit at the Park	3	9	top 55%	Aug 3, 2018
York County BBQ Festival	2	19	top 65%	Jun 28, 2019
Smoke in the Park	2	6	top 21%	Sep 22, 2017
Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition	2	3	top 32%	May 6, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 6 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 22 of 30 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them more than once

First title Jun 20, 2014 Sun BBQ Fest

Opponents faced 548 finished ahead 1,011 times, behind 496

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

20191 milestone

Jun 28 Most recent contest York County BBQ Festival

20182 milestones

Jun 29 25th tracked contest York County BBQ Festival
Jul 27 Peak power rating (1643) Smoke in the Grove

20161 milestone

Sep 23 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke in the Park

20153 milestones

Apr 10 First Reserve Championship Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival
Apr 10 10th tracked contest Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival
Apr 10 Career-best overall score679.9312 Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival

20145 milestones

May 9 First overall top-10 Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition
May 9 First overall podium Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition
May 9 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.6684 Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition
Jun 20 First Grand Championship Sun BBQ Fest
Jun 20 Biggest field won (32 teams) Sun BBQ Fest

20133 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival
Oct 4 First call Keystone Classic Barbeque
Oct 4 First category win (Pork) Keystone Classic Barbeque

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.6	Sun BBQ Fest	Jun 20, 2014
+15.1	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition	May 9, 2014
+14.8	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival	Apr 10, 2015
+14.1	Covington Cork & Pork Festival	Jun 23, 2017
+12.5	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	Oct 5, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.1	New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL)	Aug 24, 2018
-11.2	York County BBQ Festival	Jun 28, 2019
-7.4	Pit at the Park	Aug 4, 2017
-5.8	New Holland Summer Fest	Aug 28, 2015
-4.2	New Holland Summer Fest	Aug 22, 2014

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)
2019	1	0	0	0	0%	top 73%	89.2%	89.2%
2018	6	0	2	0	83%	top 41%	93.3%	90%
2017	6	0	3	2	100%	top 30%	93.2%	91.9%
2016	5	0	1	2	40%	top 39%	93%	90.7%
2015	3	0	2	1	67%	top 25%	94.4%	90.7%
2014	5	1	4	2	80%	top 22%	93.2%	90.3%
2013	4	0	0	1	25%	top 38%	89%	87.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 28, 2019	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	35 / 48 (642.0568)	38 (158.7884)	40 (153.6572)	30 (163.9312)	25 (165.6800)
Oct 5, 2018	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	3 / 42 (671.9200)	8 (169.1200)	7 (167.3944)	18 (162.2284)	3 (173.1772)
Aug 24, 2018	New Holland Summer Fest (JUDGES FULL) New Holland, PA	58 / 71 (587.8172)	65 (144.5372)	50 (153.0628)	66 (145.0972)	56 (145.1200)
Aug 3, 2018	Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	14 / 25 (645.5544)	19 (158.8688)	5 (168.5256)	17 (158.2172)	13 (159.9428)
Jul 27, 2018	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	18 / 54 (657.5540)	15 (167.9656)	35 (160.5256)	10 (167.3944)	31 (161.6684)
Jun 29, 2018	York County BBQ Festival Delta, PA	19 / 33 (654.6972)	22 (161.1088)	27 (153.0972)	15 (165.0856)	3 (175.4056)
Apr 28, 2018	New Jersey KnoQ-out-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ	5 / 40 (671.9428)	28 (161.1200)	3 (171.9772)	2 (173.1428)	13 (165.7028)
Oct 6, 2017	Keystone Classic BBQ Harrisburg, PA	15 / 39 (656.4112)	4 (173.1200)	2 (172.5600)	13 (168.5256)	37 (142.2056)
Sep 22, 2017	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	6 / 44 (670.7428)	24 (162.8344)	19 (163.3828)	6 (168.5256)	1 (176)
Aug 25, 2017	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	4 / 69 (670.1828)	24 (164.5372)	6 (173.7028)	9 (166.8228)	22 (165.1200)
Aug 4, 2017	Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	22 / 32 (644.9828)	17 (165.6684)	30 (149.0972)	17 (162.2400)	9 (167.9772)
Jun 23, 2017	Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	3 / 32 (669.5884)	14 (166.8228)	17 (162.8228)	3 (170.2628)	5 (169.6800)
May 5, 2017	BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY	11 / 26 (658.6856)	15 (161.0972)	21 (157.0972)	1 (175.4172)	12 (165.0740)
Sep 23, 2016	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	11 / 38 (669.5656)	1 (180)	17 (163.9544)	13 (166.2284)	25 (159.3828)
Aug 26, 2016	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	16 / 66 (659.2912)	18 (166.8572)	11 (170.2628)	50 (155.3484)	14 (166.8228)
Aug 5, 2016	Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	9 / 23 (661.0168)	9 (165.0856)	14 (160.5028)	1 (174.2856)	13 (161.1428)
May 6, 2016	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA	27 / 47 (635.9084)	38 (156.5600)	37 (150.2284)	19 (162.8572)	16 (166.2628)
Apr 8, 2016	Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE	34 / 75 (638.6744)	20 (167.4172)	56 (151.9660)	43 (156.5028)	29 (162.7884)
Aug 28, 2015	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	42 / 70 (626.6280)	61 (148.4912)	39 (159.9656)	28 (161.0856)	36 (157.0856)
May 8, 2015	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA	7 / 57 (653.6228)	17 (166.8228)	10 (167.4516)	10 (167.3828)	34 (151.9656)
Apr 10, 2015	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE	2 / 99 (679.9312)	24 (167.4056)	6 (170.8456)	1 (177.7028)	33 (163.9772)
Sep 26, 2014	Lehigh Valley QueFest Allentown, PA	9 / 32 (649.0056)	12 (161.7028)	26 (149.0628)	2 (168.5600)	3 (169.6800)
Aug 22, 2014	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	41 / 70 (621.0628)	22 (164.0116)	27 (159.4744)	67 (142.7884)	35 (154.7884)
Jun 20, 2014	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	1 / 32 (670.9028)	2 (171.4744)	1 (176.5828)	19 (161.7028)	14 (161.1428)
May 30, 2014	Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival Snow Hill, MD	4 / 30 (661.5996)	9 (165.1428)	11 (164.5256)	11 (161.0740)	2 (170.8572)
May 9, 2014	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA	3 / 54 (649.6684)	23 (159.9428)	1 (177.7600)	16 (160.5484)	31 (151.4172)
Oct 4, 2013	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	19 / 55 (639.2568)	13 (163.9772)	36 (153.0856)	1 (169.1084)	30 (153.0856)
Aug 23, 2013	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	28 / 71 (635.3376)	11 (166.8344)	34 (157.1204)	41 (155.9544)	35 (155.4284)
May 10, 2013	Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA	35 / 58 (603.9998)	35 (153.7142)	33 (149.1428)	35 (150.2856)	32 (150.8572)
Apr 19, 2013	Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD	17 / 106 (640.5712)	59 (156.5712)	25 (160.5716)	18 (165.1428)	31 (158.2856)

CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

Giant slayer

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

The drought

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April team

A standing appointment

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)