CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#810

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1626

peak 1641 · rated over 30 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-04-19

latest 2019-06-28

Best ToY finish

#394

Master 2014

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

18 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 30 contests

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

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Smoke in the Park

Consistency

±20.55

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.45 · weakest Brisket (161.59)

Road miles

2,867

mi across 30 mapped stops · furthest 268 mi

Schedule strength

44%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1557)

Purse competed for

$7K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.94 / 720

30 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

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 (2015-04-10).

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 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 (2014-06-20) 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.

2014-06-20

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
2015-04-10

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.

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 2014-06-20 — 23 contests and 12.2 years ago.

last GC 2014-06-20
12.2 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

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.

33 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

#813 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1649

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 2019-06-22

⚔ Head-to-head

COCHON 225

#815 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1633

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 39 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 38 contests
last seen 2021-05-01

⚔ Head-to-head

GIRLS CAN GRILL

#811 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1684

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1684 at their best, 58 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 50 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

5 FINGER BBQ

#816 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 66
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1662

No shared contest yet.

66 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 38% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 66 contests
last seen 2018-10-05

⚔ Head-to-head

JAMBO PITS

#812 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1626

No shared contest yet.

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 12 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

B & C SMOKERS

#814 of the rated field

1626 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 111
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 26%
Peak: 1709

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 110 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

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	180.0000 🔥	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	176.0000	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 state / province

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%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	11	1	top 35%
Large (40+)	19	0	top 34%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest(JUDGES FULL)	6	4	top 45%	2018-08-24
*Pit at the Park	3	9	top 55%	2018-08-03
York County BBQ Festival	2	19	top 65%	2019-06-28
Smoke in the Park	2	6	top 21%	2017-09-22
Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition	2	3	top 32%	2016-05-06

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 6.2 yrs 2013-04-19 → 2019-06-28

Busiest season 2018 6 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in PA 22 of 30 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 30 entries · 1 win · 6 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 163.45 · weakest Brisket (161.59)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 20 of 30 contests

Overall top-10 rate 40% 12 of 30 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 1 reserve

First title 2014-06-20 Sun BBQ Fest

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 649.94 out of 720 · 30 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 564 1,011–507 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,867 30 mapped stops · furthest 268 mi

Schedule strength 1557 average field rating faced — tougher than 44% of rated contests

Purse competed for $6,700 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Power rating 1626 peak 1641 · #810 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
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
2014
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
2015
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
2016
Sep 23 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smoke in the Park
2018
Jun 29 25th tracked contest *York County BBQ Festival
Jul 27 Peak power rating (1641) Smoke in the Grove
2019
Jun 28 Most recent contest York County BBQ Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.7	Sun BBQ Fest	2014-06-20
+15.1	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition	2014-05-09
+14.9	Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival	2015-04-10
+14.1	*Covington Cork & Pork Festival	2017-06-23
+12.6	Pig and A Jig BBQ Festival	2014-05-30

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13	New Holland Summer Fest(JUDGES FULL)	2018-08-24
-11.2	York County BBQ Festival	2019-06-28
-7.3	*Pit at the Park	2017-08-04
-5.7	New Holland Summer Fest	2015-08-28
-4.2	New Holland Summer Fest	2014-08-22

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)
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
2019-06-28	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	35 / 48 (642.0568)	38 (158.7884)	40 (153.6572)	30 (163.9312)	25 (165.6800)
2018-10-05	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	3 / 42 (671.9200)	8 (169.1200)	7 (167.3944)	18 (162.2284)	3 (173.1772)
2018-08-24	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)
2018-08-03	*Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	14 / 25 (645.5544)	19 (158.8688)	5 (168.5256)	17 (158.2172)	13 (159.9428)
2018-07-27	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	18 / 54 (657.5540)	15 (167.9656)	35 (160.5256)	10 (167.3944)	31 (161.6684)
2018-06-29	*York County BBQ Festival Delta, PA	19 / 33 (654.6972)	22 (161.1088)	27 (153.0972)	15 (165.0856)	3 (175.4056)
2018-04-28	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)
2017-10-06	Keystone Classic BBQ Harrisburg, PA	15 / 39 (656.4112)	4 (173.1200)	2 (172.5600)	13 (168.5256)	37 (142.2056)
2017-09-22	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	6 / 44 (670.7428)	24 (162.8344)	19 (163.3828)	6 (168.5256)	1 (176.0000)
2017-08-25	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	4 / 69 (670.1828)	24 (164.5372)	6 (173.7028)	9 (166.8228)	22 (165.1200)
2017-08-04	*Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	22 / 32 (644.9828)	17 (165.6684)	30 (149.0972)	17 (162.2400)	9 (167.9772)
2017-06-23	*Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	3 / 32 (669.5884)	14 (166.8228)	17 (162.8228)	3 (170.2628)	5 (169.6800)
2017-05-05	BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY	11 / 26 (658.6856)	15 (161.0972)	21 (157.0972)	1 (175.4172)	12 (165.0740)
2016-09-23	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	11 / 38 (669.5656)	1 (180.0000)	17 (163.9544)	13 (166.2284)	25 (159.3828)
2016-08-26	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	16 / 66 (659.2912)	18 (166.8572)	11 (170.2628)	50 (155.3484)	14 (166.8228)
2016-08-05	Pit at the Park Macungie, PA	9 / 23 (661.0168)	9 (165.0856)	14 (160.5028)	1 (174.2856)	13 (161.1428)
2016-05-06	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA	27 / 47 (635.9084)	38 (156.5600)	37 (150.2284)	19 (162.8572)	16 (166.2628)
2016-04-08	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)
2015-08-28	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	42 / 70 (626.6280)	61 (148.4912)	39 (159.9656)	28 (161.0856)	36 (157.0856)
2015-05-08	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)
2015-04-10	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)
2014-09-26	Lehigh Valley QueFest Allentown, PA	9 / 32 (649.0056)	12 (161.7028)	26 (149.0628)	2 (168.5600)	3 (169.6800)
2014-08-22	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	41 / 70 (621.0628)	22 (164.0116)	27 (159.4744)	67 (142.7884)	35 (154.7884)
2014-06-20	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	1 / 32 (670.9028)	2 (171.4744)	1 (176.5828)	19 (161.7028)	14 (161.1428)
2014-05-30	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)
2014-05-09	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)
2013-10-04	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	19 / 55 (639.2568)	13 (163.9772)	36 (153.0856)	1 (169.1084)	30 (153.0856)
2013-08-23	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	28 / 71 (635.3376)	11 (166.8344)	34 (157.1204)	41 (155.9544)	35 (155.4284)
2013-05-10	Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA	35 / 58 (603.9998)	35 (153.7142)	33 (149.1428)	35 (150.2856)	32 (150.8572)
2013-04-19	Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD	17 / 106 (640.5712)	59 (156.5712)	25 (160.5716)	18 (165.1428)	31 (158.2856)

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
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 (1045 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)