VIKING BBQ

VIKING BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 41 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2022. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Meat The East (2018). They are ranked #875 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#875

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1619

peak 1652 · rated over 39 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Aug 15, 2015

latest Sep 17, 2022 · 7.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#147

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 5% of the time

Category wins

18 podiums

Overall top-10s

46% of 41 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 37%

overall standings

Best overall

681.1200 / 720

Master · 2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

640.35 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 655.86 (-15.51)

Walk rate

78%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Brisket · Smoke in the North

Consistency

±15.03

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.88 · weakest Brisket (163.01)

Road miles

8,685

across 41 mapped stops · furthest 582 mi

Schedule strength

33%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1544)

Master avg

655.86 / 720

41 Master contests · 2 GCs

Storylines (14 found in their record)

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

Against the odds

25-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 75 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Oslofjord BBQ Challenge (Aug 13, 2016) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 25-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, MISS PIGGY'S U.K..

Giant slayer

34 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 34-team field at Meat The East.

Apr 14, 2018

They almost always walk

78% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 32 of 41 contests

A top-10 category call in 78% of their 41 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

681.1200 career-best overall

94.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 681.1200 at 2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival — 94.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 22, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BROS HOG has finished one call ahead of VIKING BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

24–8 behind in the head-to-head

SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ahead in 75% of their meetings

SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ has come out ahead in 24 of their 32 shared contests.

The drought

22 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Meat The East on Apr 14, 2018 — 22 contests and 8.5 years ago.

last GC Apr 14, 2018
8.5 years ago

Show 7 more storylines

A strong matchup

14–6 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 70% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of ROKENDE REGAHS in 14 of their 20 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at De Vliegende Hollander BBQ (Sep 25, 2021).

last seen Jan 18, 2020
back Sep 25, 2021

Pork nemesis

19 of 30 shared pork entries lost

SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ ahead 63% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ has out-cooked them in 19 of 30 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

White Squirrel BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An April team

Top 17% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 17% across 3 contests, versus top 37% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 37% the rest of the year

The long haul

8,685 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,685 miles across 41 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 582 miles to Oslofjord BBQ Challenge.

41 mapped stops
furthest 582 mi

The metronome

±2.09% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.09% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.1% of a perfect score
41 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
2019 ↗	Master	#654 (498 pts)	#693 (493 pts)	#654 (523 pts)	#867 (358 pts)	#399 (833 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#147 (1,650 pts)	#254 (1,214 pts)	#117 (1,640 pts)	#166 (1,465 pts)	#193 (1,425 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#461 (818 pts)	#562 (708 pts)	#484 (813 pts)	#487 (808 pts)	#537 (733 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#768 (486 pts)	#1051 (331 pts)	#940 (401 pts)	#898 (431 pts)	#1099 (301 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

Lucky Smoke

#878 of the rated field

1619 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1619

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 34 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 34 contests
last seen Aug 16, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Broken Bottle BBQ

#873 of the rated field

1619 power rating

Contests: 45
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1632

Careers of much the same size, 45 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 45 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Pigtamer BBQ

#877 of the rated field

1619 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1647

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 67 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 65 contests
last seen Jul 14, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ

#876 of the rated field

1619 power rating

Contests: 91
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1695

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

rated over 87 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

With a 180

#874 of the rated field

1619 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1619

They turned up 9 years after VIKING BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

ROKENDE REGAHS

#861 of the rated field

1620 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 83
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1627

14–6 in 20 shared contests (70% to VIKING BBQ)

These two have cooked 20 of the same contests — VIKING BBQ ahead 14–6 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 77 contests
last seen Jun 24, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	32	8	24	25%	⚔ compare
BBQ+	25	5	20	20%	⚔ compare
IQ - NETHERLANDS	24	5	19	21%	⚔ compare
White Squirrel BBQ	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
DE VLIEGENDE HOLLANDER BBQ-TEAM	21	11	10	52%	⚔ compare
BBQ WIESEL	21	5	16	24%	⚔ compare
ROKENDE REGAHS	20	14	6	70%	⚔ compare
PUREBBQ	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
DE FILOUS	19	6	13	32%	⚔ compare
BUNCH OF SWINES	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
UNCLE TONY'S COCKNEY Q	18	9	9	50%	⚔ compare
DRAGON BBQ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
MISS PIGGY'S U.K.	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
PARKSTAD SMOKERS	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
WETTELS ON FIRE	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	41	12	0	5	174.8800	147.9084	164.75	top 48%
Pork Ribs	41	18	2	5	177.1544	142.2516	163.48	top 42%
Pork	39	18	1	3	178.3200	154.2400	164.88	top 42%
Brisket	41	15	2	5	178.8572	141.0628	163.01	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
Small (<20 teams)	3	0	top 45%
Medium (20–39)	26	2	top 42%
Large (40+)	12	0	top 23%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
NL	3	0	top 31%
BZ	2	0	top 43%
DE	2	0	top 38%
NR	1	0	top 46%
NO	1	1	top 4%
SE	1	0	top 39%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Brew N Q	4	11	top 56%	May 26, 2018
BBQ an der Burg 2019	3	4	top 30%	Jul 6, 2019
W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	2	12	top 43%	Jan 18, 2020
EUregio Barbecue Festival	2	12	top 45%	Aug 17, 2019
EUregio Barbeque Festival	2	8	top 41%	Aug 18, 2018
Regahfest 2017	2	10	top 44%	Aug 26, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 12 contests · 1 GC

Contests a season 5.1 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NL 3 of 41 contests · 6 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 32 6 of them more than once

First title Aug 13, 2016 Oslofjord BBQ Challenge

Opponents faced 423 finished ahead 992 times, behind 441

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

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

20221 milestone

Sep 17 Most recent contest Het BBQkampioenschap van het Waasland 2020

20191 milestone

Aug 31 Peak power rating (1652) 3rd International Suydersee BBQ Contest

20182 milestones

Apr 14 Biggest field won (34 teams) Meat The East
Aug 18 25th tracked contest EUregio Barbeque Festival

20171 milestone

Jul 22 Career-best overall score681.1200 2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival

20165 milestones

Aug 6 First category win (Brisket) Smoke in the North
Aug 6 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8572 Smoke in the North
Aug 13 First overall podium Oslofjord BBQ Challenge
Aug 13 First Grand Championship Oslofjord BBQ Challenge
Sep 24 10th tracked contest 3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016

20154 milestones

Aug 15 First tracked contest EUregio BBQ Festival
Aug 15 First call EUregio BBQ Festival
Sep 25 First overall top-10 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015
Sep 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.3716 2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Oslofjord BBQ Challenge	Aug 13, 2016
+13.1	Meat The East	Apr 14, 2018
+12.4	2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015	Sep 25, 2015
+11.2	Springbreak BBQ Contest	Mar 24, 2018
+11.2	2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival	Jul 22, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-18.5	De Vliegende Hollander BBQ	Sep 25, 2021
-13.6	Het BBQkampioenschap van het Waasland 2020	Sep 17, 2022
-10.5	RegahFest 2018 Yellow	Aug 25, 2018
-5.4	EUregio BBQ Festival	Aug 15, 2015
-5.3	EUregio Barbeque Festival	Aug 18, 2018

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)
2022	1	0	0	0	0%	top 88%	86.6%	86.6%
2021	2	0	1	0	50%	top 63%	91.1%	88.5%
2020	1	0	0	0	100%	top 43%	90.2%	90.2%
2019	8	0	4	1	88%	top 36%	92.4%	90.9%
2018	12	1	6	3	83%	top 30%	94.6%	91.8%
2017	7	0	4	0	71%	top 38%	94.6%	91.3%
2016	8	1	3	1	75%	top 32%	93.4%	91.8%
2015	2	0	1	0	100%	top 44%	91.6%	89.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 17, 2022	Het BBQkampioenschap van het Waasland 2020 Sint Niklaas	22 / 25 (623.2800)	20 (162.2512)	16 (159.9772)	21 (154.2628)	22 (146.7888)
Oct 2, 2021	Gruenenwalds BBQ Battle Bremen	5 / 16 (655.8284)	16 (147.9084)	3 (170.8344)	5 (167.9656)	2 (169.1200)
Sep 25, 2021	De Vliegende Hollander BBQ Terneuzen	20 / 21 (618.6864)	18 (161.1316)	19 (146.7776)	20 (154.2628)	14 (156.5144)
Jan 18, 2020	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	12 / 28 (649.1548)	7 (168.6172)	19 (158.8572)	13 (165.1316)	17 (156.5488)
Sep 7, 2019	Jack Daniel's presents Burgerfest Prague	7 / 13 (654.8000)	11 (156.5828)	4 (169.1316)	8 (161.1200)	3 (167.9656)
Aug 31, 2019	3rd International Suydersee BBQ Contest Zeewolde Flevoland	8 / 31 (659.3484)	15 (163.9656)	5 (171.4400)	8 (170.2856)	21 (153.6572)
Aug 17, 2019	EUregio Barbecue Festival Erlenstr Waldfeucht-Haaren	12 / 28 (643.3144)	11 (166.2628)	14 (162.2516)	—	16 (155.9772)
Jul 20, 2019	4th Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen	20 / 44 (648.4000)	26 (162.2284)	31 (158.8116)	—	9 (166.8456)
Jul 6, 2019	BBQ an der Burg 2019 Geestland	4 / 36 (655.3600)	15 (163.4056)	10 (159.9888)	9 (163.4172)	4 (168.5484)
Apr 13, 2019	Meat the East Hengelo	10 / 41 (665.0744)	3 (174.8800)	11 (166.8344)	35 (154.2400)	8 (169.1200)
Mar 30, 2019	Spring Break BBQ Contest Lommel	16 / 40 (649.6460)	33 (155.4284)	20 (160.5488)	32 (155.9544)	1 (177.7144)
Jan 19, 2019	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	13 / 30 (661.1656)	18 (161.7372)	12 (165.7256)	15 (164.5600)	5 (169.1428)
Sep 22, 2018	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 Waltrop	21 / 73 (644.4916)	42 (159.9884)	34 (159.3832)	25 (161.7144)	18 (163.4056)
Sep 1, 2018	2nd International Suydersee BBQ Contest Zeewolde Flevoland	5 / 44 (672.5260)	3 (173.1544)	6 (169.7372)	8 (168.5372)	16 (161.0972)
Aug 25, 2018	Regahfest 2018 Green The Hague	12 / 35 (655.9772)	26 (159.4056)	9 (164.5372)	11 (167.4400)	7 (164.5944)
Aug 25, 2018	RegahFest 2018 Yellow The Hague	23 / 29 (632.4916)	12 (165.7028)	26 (154.2400)	24 (155.9772)	21 (156.5716)
Aug 18, 2018	EUregio Barbeque Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren/NRW	18 / 32 (648.9256)	22 (161.6456)	4 (169.1200)	23 (158.8116)	19 (159.3484)
Jul 21, 2018	3rd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen	4 / 48 (670.8344)	29 (161.7028)	1 (173.7144)	5 (170.8800)	13 (164.5372)
Jun 30, 2018	BBQ an der Burg 2018 Geestland	9 / 30 (654.3316)	6 (167.4856)	9 (166.2972)	9 (163.9772)	18 (156.5716)
May 26, 2018	Brew N Q Burton Upon Trent	14 / 34 (662.1712)	20 (165.7028)	18 (165.0856)	25 (160.5256)	4 (170.8572)
May 25, 2018	Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL) unrated Burton Upon Trent	13 / 24 (666.8000)	7 (170.8456)	16 (163.4288)	10 (167.9656)	18 (164.5600)
May 19, 2018	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp	5 / 60 (675.3828)	37 (160.5600)	1 (177.1544)	12 (169.1428)	6 (168.5256)
Apr 14, 2018	Meat The East Hengelo	1 / 34 (681.0856)	13 (166.2972)	11 (166.2628)	1 (176.5600)	2 (171.9656)
Mar 24, 2018	Springbreak BBQ Contest Lommel Belgium	3 / 39 (666.2404)	3 (170.8228)	13 (159.9888)	2 (173.7144)	13 (161.7144)
Sep 22, 2017	4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017 Waltrop NRW, Germany	27 / 66 (644.9944)	49 (156.5484)	25 (162.8116)	36 (159.3716)	14 (166.2628)
Aug 26, 2017	Regahfest 2017 The Hague	10 / 28 (652.4912)	9 (168.5828)	5 (165.6800)	20 (157.6568)	11 (160.5716)
Aug 19, 2017	EUregio Barbeque Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren/NRW	8 / 31 (673.6456)	15 (167.4172)	3 (173.1200)	14 (166.2628)	11 (166.8456)
Jul 22, 2017	2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen	6 / 40 (681.1200)	22 (167.9772)	13 (165.1316)	2 (178.3200)	13 (169.6912)
Jul 1, 2017	BBQ An Der Burg Geestland	5 / 25 (652.4116)	2 (169.1200)	10 (162.8460)	7 (165.6800)	18 (154.7656)
May 27, 2017	Brew N Q (OPEN) Burton Upon Trent	11 / 34 (670.7772)	21 (165.6800)	17 (165.6916)	9 (170.2972)	7 (169.1084)
May 26, 2017	Brew N Q (INVITATIONAL) unrated Burton Upon Trent	25 / 26 (628.0004)	25 (161.1888)	26 (142.2516)	19 (162.2628)	18 (162.2972)
Sep 24, 2016	3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE	18 / 67 (654.2288)	16 (169.1544)	18 (166.8460)	32 (160)	41 (158.2284)
Aug 27, 2016	Regahfest 2016 Den Hagg, NL	18 / 35 (662.1372)	19 (167.9772)	24 (161.0972)	14 (166.2400)	12 (166.8228)
Aug 20, 2016	EUregio Barbecue Festival Waldfeutch-Haaren/NRW, NR	13 / 28 (667.9432)	16 (166.2628)	20 (161.7032)	4 (178.2972)	19 (161.6800)
Aug 13, 2016	Oslofjord BBQ Challenge OSLO, Norway, NO	1 / 28 (672.6628)	10 (165.1656)	3 (172.6172)	6 (167.4400)	7 (167.4400)
Aug 6, 2016	Smoke in the North Gothenburg, Sweden	12 / 31 (651.3716)	19 (159.9772)	30 (146.2744)	8 (166.2628)	1 (178.8572)
Jul 2, 2016	BBQ An Der Burg Geestland, DE	6 / 12 (646.7772)	2 (171.4400)	10 (152.5144)	5 (162.8228)	8 (160)
May 14, 2016	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp Netherlands, NL	11 / 65 (672.5372)	7 (173.1772)	11 (169.1544)	21 (169.1084)	32 (161.0972)
Apr 23, 2016	Baseball & BBQ Cookoff II Hoofdorp, NL	8 / 34 (658.7888)	11 (165.1660)	10 (166.2856)	4 (171.4172)	21 (155.9200)
Sep 25, 2015	2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015 Herten, NRW	10 / 67 (659.3716)	25 (165.7372)	6 (168.5372)	24 (163.9772)	26 (161.1200)
Aug 15, 2015	EUregio BBQ Festival Waldfeucht-Haaren / Nordrhein	16 / 22 (625.6232)	5 (166.2972)	10 (159.9772)	12 (158.2860)	21 (141.0628)

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

VIKING 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

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Against the odds

Giant slayer

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April 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)