DANCES WITH SMOKE BARBEQUE

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

Power ranking

#1199

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1586

peak 1599 · rated over 22 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-04-12

latest 2022-05-28

Best ToY finish

#538

Master 2015

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 26 contests

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

700.5028 / 720

Master · *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

675.89 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 662.27 (+13.61)

Walk rate

69%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork Ribs · *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off

Consistency

±17.23

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 167.00 · weakest Pork (163.67)

Road miles

15,123

mi across 26 mapped stops · furthest 1498 mi

Schedule strength

23%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1531)

Purse competed for

$13K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

662.27 / 720

24 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (17 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

4.6744 points from the title

Came within 4.6744 points of the Grand Championship at *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off (2018-08-18).

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 pork ribs.

Pork Ribs ×1

A multi-meat day

1 contests with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at Washington State Spring BBQ Championship (2014-04-25).

Pork Ribs 1st
Brisket 1st

They almost always walk

69% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 18 of 26 contests

A top-10 category call in 69% of their 26 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

700.5028 career-best overall

97.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 700.5028 at *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off — 97.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-08-18

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Wine Country Q has finished one call ahead of DANCES WITH SMOKE BARBEQUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 22%.

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

The drought

8 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at BBQ off the Bypass on 2016-09-10 — 8 contests and 10 years ago.

last GC 2016-09-10
10 years ago

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of JERIMIAH JOHNSON MOUNTAIN MAN BBQ in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

3.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.8 years, then back at BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay (2022-05-28).

last seen 2018-08-18
back 2022-05-28

Brisket nemesis

6 of 6 shared brisket entries lost

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 6 shared brisket entries.

A big fish in small ponds

Top 26% average finish in small fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 26% finish in small fields against top 62% in large ones.

Small (<20 teams): top 26% (7)
Large (40+): top 62% (5)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

SMOKIN TIMBERS NORTHWEST has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 23% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 23% across 3 contests, versus top 39% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 39% the rest of the year

The long haul

15,123 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 15,123 miles across 26 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,498 miles to 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open.

26 mapped stops
furthest 1,498 mi

The metronome

±2.39% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.39% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.0% of a perfect score
26 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 3rd

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.

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

GREENWITCH QUE CO.

#1200 of the rated field

1586 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1591

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 21 contests to 26, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2022-07-23

⚔ Head-to-head

GECKO BBQ

#1202 of the rated field

1586 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 61%
Peak: 1606

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before DANCES WITH SMOKE BARBEQUE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 25 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

EASTERN BEAST BBQ TEAM

#1203 of the rated field

1586 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1586

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2018-08-24

⚔ Head-to-head

Sugba Smokehouse

#1204 of the rated field

1585 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1585

No shared contest yet.

15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 67% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2026-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA

#1198 of the rated field

1586 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1586

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2017-08-04

⚔ Head-to-head

JMB BBQ

#1195 of the rated field

1586 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1632

No shared contest yet.

Level with DANCES WITH SMOKE BARBEQUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 41 contests
last seen 2026-03-20

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Rusty's BBQ	11	4	7	36%	⚔ compare
Wine Country Q	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
JERIMIAH JOHNSON MOUNTAIN MAN BBQ	10	9	1	90%	⚔ compare
MADDDOG'S BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
BOOTIES BBQ	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
LAKE HOUSE BBQ	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
BAD BONES BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
UFF-DA-Q	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
Northwest Smokehouse	7	7	0	100%	⚔ compare
DUELIN' J'S	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
503BACKYARDBBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TIMBERS NORTHWEST	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
PIGGY D'S BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY'S BARBQUE WA	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
SLOW PORKIN	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	14	1	5	177.7144	148.4800	165.33	top 48%
Pork Ribs	26	11	2	2	180.0000 🔥	149.6916	164.79	top 52%
Pork	26	8	0	3	175.4172	150.2628	163.67	top 56%
Brisket	26	15	3	5	176.5714	148.5716	167.00	top 35%

“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
WA	7	0	top 26%
OR	6	0	top 41%
BC	4	1	top 21%
MO	4	0	top 67%
NV	2	0	top 68%
ID	1	0	top 26%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	7	1	top 26%
Medium (20–39)	12	0	top 38%
Large (40+)	5	0	top 62%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay	6	3	top 41%	2022-05-28
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	3	3	top 31%	2017-03-31
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2	14	top 68%	2017-04-21

The story so far (21 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.1 yrs 2013-04-12 → 2022-05-28

Busiest season 2015 6 contests

Contests a season 3.7 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WA 7 of 26 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 16 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 26 entries · 2 wins · 11 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 167.00 · weakest Pork (163.67)

Walk rate 69% a top-10 call in 18 of 26 contests

Overall top-10 rate 50% 13 of 26 contests

Wins it all 4% 1 Grand Championship · 2 reserve

First title 2016-09-10 BBQ off the Bypass

Best top-10 run 4 straight contests

Master average 662.27 out of 720 · 24 contests · 1 GC

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

Opponents faced 1,121 743–1,260 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 15,123 26 mapped stops · furthest 1,498 mi

Schedule strength 1531 average field rating faced — tougher than 23% of rated contests

Purse competed for $13,000 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.8 yrs 2018-08-18 → 2022-05-28

Power rating 1586 peak 1599 · #1199 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Apr 12 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 12 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 12 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Apr 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.1428 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
May 25 First overall podium BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay
2014
Apr 25 First category win (Pork Ribs) Washington State Spring BBQ Championship
Apr 25 First Reserve Championship Washington State Spring BBQ Championship
Apr 25 First multi-meat day Washington State Spring BBQ Championship
Nov 13 10th tracked contest World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series)
2016
Sep 10 First Grand Championship BBQ off the Bypass
2018
Aug 18 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
Aug 18 25th tracked contest *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
Aug 18 Career-best overall score700.5028 *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
Aug 18 Peak power rating (1599) *2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
2022
May 28 Most recent contest BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.4	BBQ off the Bypass	2016-09-10
+13.9	Washington State Spring BBQ Championship	2014-04-25
+13.8	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay	2013-05-25
+12.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-04-03
+11.4	*2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off	2018-08-18

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay	2022-05-28
-10.2	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
-8.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2017-04-21
-6.8	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	2013-10-03
-1.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-03-31

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)
2022	1	0	0	0	100%	top 81%	90.5%	90.5%
2018	2	0	2	1	100%	top 17%	97.3%	95.9%
2017	5	0	2	1	80%	top 42%	93.6%	92.3%
2016	2	1	1	1	100%	top 23%	91.3%	91.1%
2015	6	0	2	1	50%	top 46%	93.9%	91.4%
2014	4	0	3	2	75%	top 22%	93.7%	92.6%
2013	6	0	3	0	50%	top 46%	96.3%	91.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-05-28	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay 🏅 North Bend, OR	22 / 27 (651.2572)	27 (151.9200)	14 (168.0000)	18 (165.0972)	10 (166.2400)
2018-08-18	*2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off DuPont, WA	2 / 27 (700.5028)	8 (171.9656)	1 (180.0000)	2 (175.4172)	4 (173.1200)
2018-07-13	*The Great Northwest Barbecue & Beer Festival Coeur d' Alene, ID	5 / 19 (680.4456)	8 (167.3828)	13 (165.6800)	5 (174.2628)	5 (173.1200)
2017-08-19	*Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off DuPont, WA	3 / 18 (674.1828)	3 (176.5600)	11 (162.8344)	3 (173.1084)	8 (161.6800)
2017-05-27	*BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay(JUDGES FULL) North Bend, OR	14 / 37 (673.0400)	1 (177.7144)	22 (162.8228)	26 (160.5372)	7 (171.9656)
2017-04-21	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	27 / 30 (663.2684)	28 (165.6684)	27 (162.8228)	28 (163.9544)	14 (170.8228)
2017-04-08	Barn Burner BBQ Chilliwack, BC	3 / 19 (667.3600)	8 (166.2628)	8 (165.1316)	10 (162.2628)	2 (173.7028)
2017-03-31	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA	15 / 30 (644.9940)	4 (171.4056)	29 (152.5256)	16 (158.2628)	13 (162.8000)
2016-09-10	BBQ off the Bypass Langley, British of Columbia, BC	1 / 18 (657.0512)	8 (161.6916)	6 (165.6684)	14 (155.9884)	1 (173.7028)
2016-05-28	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay North Bend, OR	17 / 43 (655.3488)	40 (148.4800)	8 (170.8688)	18 (166.2972)	9 (169.7028)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	438 / 606 (633.0052)	536 (151.9312)	517 (151.3828)	279 (164.5828)	237 (165.1084)
2015-10-02	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	117 / 187 (670.2284)	56 (172.5484)	143 (162.8460)	126 (166.2512)	98 (168.5828)
2015-09-12	BBQ On the Bypass Langley, BC	7 / 19 (646.8116)	12 (155.9656)	5 (166.2744)	16 (154.2628)	1 (170.3088)
2015-05-22	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay North Bend, OR	18 / 38 (661.0744)	29 (160.5144)	22 (165.0972)	24 (165.1428)	13 (170.3200)
2015-04-24	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	14 / 30 (676.4344)	30 (161.6572)	14 (169.6800)	13 (171.9772)	9 (173.1200)
2015-04-03	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA	3 / 28 (658.8228)	3 (173.1200)	26 (149.6916)	7 (166.8684)	5 (169.1428)
2014-11-13	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championships (Competitiors Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	42 (157.7032)	31 (162.2856)	36 (159.9544)
2014-09-13	BBQ on the Bypass Langley, BC	4 / 15 (667.9084)	3 (170.8572)	5 (169.6800)	5 (165.1312)	4 (162.2400)
2014-05-24	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay North Bend, OR	9 / 31 (674.8344)	9 (172.0000)	8 (173.1428)	28 (155.3944)	4 (174.2972)
2014-04-25	Washington State Spring BBQ Championship Monroe, WA	2 / 22 (657.6000)	3 (167.4172)	1 (167.3944)	21 (151.9312)	1 (170.8572)
2013-11-07	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championship(Competitor's Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	49 (161.6800)	46 (159.3940)	51 (154.2628)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	383 / 535 (620.4344)	370 (155.9428)	285 (158.8116)	455 (150.2628)	311 (155.4172)
2013-10-03	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	108 / 174 (654.8568)	137 (161.6684)	63 (166.8800)	132 (159.4284)	70 (166.8800)
2013-07-20	Kla Ha Ya Days Barbeque Championship Snohomish, WA	7 / 13 (662.2512)	6 (165.7028)	10 (167.4172)	3 (169.7028)	11 (159.4284)
2013-05-25	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay North Bend, OR	3 / 31 (693.7140)	8 (171.4284)	5 (173.7144)	8 (171.9998)	3 (176.5714)
2013-04-12	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Renton, WA	9 / 29 (649.1428)	5 (167.9998)	6 (166.8572)	11 (165.7142)	21 (148.5716)

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
2022 ↗	Master	#1286 (67 pts)	#1687 (52 pts)	#1224 (107 pts)	#1251 (87 pts)	#997 (127 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#775 (421 pts)	#1041 (286 pts)	#887 (381 pts)	#814 (421 pts)	#880 (371 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#552 (712 pts)	#420 (902 pts)	#894 (437 pts)	#741 (552 pts)	#511 (772 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#920 (368 pts)	#1447 (198 pts)	#1093 (313 pts)	#1516 (193 pts)	#878 (413 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#538 (702 pts)	#667 (572 pts)	#724 (527 pts)	#695 (547 pts)	#455 (827 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#640 (578 pts)	#657 (578 pts)	#650 (588 pts)	#1135 (288 pts)	#554 (668 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#609 (513 pts)	#682 (483 pts)	#718 (463 pts)	#680 (488 pts)	#777 (413 pts)