The heartbreaker
Came within 1.0968 points of the Grand Championship at *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest (2018-07-13).
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
Came within 1.0968 points of the Grand Championship at *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest (2018-07-13).
In the top 2% of every rated team in the data
A power rating of 1796 puts them #118 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 2% of the field.
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 81 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at 15th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ (2020-08-07) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 19-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, BOOMERANG BBQ.
Their power rating has climbed 54 points across 17 contests since 2020-09-18 — from 1742 up to 1796.
Took the Grand Championship over a 468-team field at 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST.
Smoke in the Spring is their spot: an average finish in the top 6% across 2 visits.
They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest (2018-07-13).
A call in 44 of 54 contests
A top-10 category call in 81% of their 54 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
97.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 701.7260 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST — 97.5% of a perfect 720.
They've taken 2 state championships from 37 entries at contests carrying the title.
4 LEGS UP BBQ has finished one call ahead of Boom Chicka Cow Cow 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Piggin' Whiskey ahead in 75% of their meetings
Piggin' Whiskey has come out ahead in 6 of their 8 shared contests.
Their last Grand Championship came at 16th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ on 2021-04-23 — 12 contests and 5.4 years ago.
Ahead in 79% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of ALL FORKED UP FOR Q in 22 of their 28 shared contests.
A tougher draw than 87% of rated fields
The fields they enter average a 1619 power rating — a tougher draw than 87% of every rated contest in the data.
BUFFALO'S BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Something about April: average finish in the top 14% across 4 contests, versus top 25% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,950 miles across 54 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 707 miles to Royal Oak Invitational Only (COMPETITOR SERIES).
Their overall lands within ±1.53% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
They've cooked Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest every year from 2018 to 2021 — the contest they never miss.
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.
They've been 1832 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-headOne contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Boom Chicka Cow Cow has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headCareers of much the same size, 64 contests to 54, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir rating is built on 11 Grand Championships in 151 contests, alongside a 57% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-headThey were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before Boom Chicka Cow Cow's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-headRated 3 points below Boom Chicka Cow Cow.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 31 | 13 | 18 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 LEGS UP BBQ | 29 | 12 | 17 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 29 | 11 | 18 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | 28 | 22 | 6 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 28 | 10 | 18 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| BOOMERANG BBQ | 26 | 9 | 17 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| AMERICAN FIRE BBQ | 23 | 14 | 9 | 61% | ⚔ compare |
| BUFFALO'S BBQ | 23 | 11 | 12 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 22 | 11 | 11 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Fat&Dumb BBQ | 21 | 16 | 5 | 76% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 21 | 12 | 9 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ | 20 | 18 | 2 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| SCOTTS BBQ SHACK | 20 | 15 | 5 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 19 | 15 | 4 | 79% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Hog Night Smokers | 19 | 13 | 6 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 51 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 180.0000 🔥 | 161.0856 | 171.57 | top 36% |
| Pork Ribs | 53 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 177.7372 | 143.3372 | 170.26 | top 35% |
| Pork | 51 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 177.7028 | 157.6572 | 170.85 | top 35% |
| Brisket | 51 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 178.8572 | 158.8000 | 171.57 | top 28% |
“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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 26 | 1 | top 20% |
| OK | 13 | 2 | top 27% |
| MO | 9 | 0 | top 31% |
| IA | 2 | 0 | top 21% |
| GA | 1 | 0 | top 85% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 84% |
| Medium (20–39) | 15 | 0 | top 33% |
| Large (40+) | 35 | 3 | top 20% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 4 | 2 | 0 | top 16% | 2021-07-09 |
| Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 25% | 2021-03-20 |
| Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 21% | 2021-03-19 |
| Smokin' Hot Cars & BBQ | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 40% | 2021-07-23 |
| Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 25% | 2021-06-18 |
| Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 26% | 2021-06-11 |
| Smoke in the Spring | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 6% | 2021-04-09 |
| Smoke on the Trails | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 9% | 2020-09-11 |
| BBQ and Fly In on the River | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 32% | 2019-08-16 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.2 | *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 2018-07-13 |
| +14.9 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 | 2019-03-22 |
| +14.2 | Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off | 2018-06-29 |
| +13.6 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 | 2019-03-23 |
| +13.4 | Black Silo Winery | 2020-06-19 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.9 | *Butler Chambers Of Commerce BBQ & Hucksters Days | 2018-09-07 |
| -6.6 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | 2021-06-11 |
| -4.4 | The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 2 | 2020-09-19 |
| -3.8 | Smoke on the Trails | 2021-09-10 |
| -1.5 | Smokin' Hot Cars & BBQ | 2021-07-23 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 65% | top 28% | 97.5% | 95.8% |
| 2020 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 87% | top 20% | 96.7% | 95.8% |
| 2019 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 92% | top 23% | 96.2% | 94.5% |
| 2018 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 89% | top 31% | 96.7% | 94% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-13 | 3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Master Invitational unrated Shawnee, OK | 59 / 92 (683.9200) | 89 (165.6684) | 31 (174.3088) | 28 (174.2628) | 55 (169.6800) |
| 2021-11-11 | 3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Ancillary unrated Shawnee, OK | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021-10-15 | Royal Oak Invitational Only (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Roswell, GA | 29 / 34 (677.0056) | 32 (165.0972) | 22 (170.2628) | 6 (175.4172) | 27 (166.2284) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 46 / 467 (500.4684) | 310 (162.2628) | 315 (162.2628) | 140 (168.5484) | 215 (165.6684) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 4 / 185 (701.7260) | 56 (173.1544) | 22 (176.5716) | 34 (174.2972) | 12 (177.7028) |
| 2021-09-10 | Smoke on the Trails 🏅 Gardner, KS | 20 / 53 (685.0400) | 15 (175.4056) | 13 (174.8572) | 26 (170.8344) | 27 (163.9428) |
| 2021-07-23 | Smokin' Hot Cars & BBQ 🏅 Iola, KS | 10 / 28 (679.8624) | 19 (162.8112) | 10 (170.8228) | 2 (175.4172) | 11 (170.8112) |
| 2021-07-09 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 12 / 43 (690.2172) | 6 (177.1428) | 27 (167.9772) | 16 (171.9772) | 13 (173.1200) |
| 2021-06-18 | Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 6 / 37 (695.9544) | 2 (179.4400) | 7 (175.4288) | 18 (169.6800) | 10 (171.4056) |
| 2021-06-11 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 10 / 28 (689.6228) | 4 (178.2972) | 17 (169.6684) | 13 (170.8344) | 13 (170.8228) |
| 2021-06-11 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest - One Meat Contest - Ribs Derby, KS | — | — | 8 (164.5600) | — | — |
| 2021-05-01 | Columbia Elks BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbia, MO | 4 / 39 (693.6688) | 14 (173.1200) | 14 (170.8572) | 17 (171.9772) | 1 (177.7144) |
| 2021-04-23 | 16th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ Enid, OK | 1 / 41 (698.8000) | 1 (179.4400) | 6 (171.9772) | 14 (171.9656) | 5 (175.4172) |
| 2021-04-09 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 6 / 105 (698.8000) | 10 (177.7028) | 29 (172.5716) | 8 (177.7028) | 37 (170.8228) |
| 2021-03-20 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 Shawnee, OK | 17 / 50 (687.3256) | 33 (169.6800) | 7 (174.2628) | 13 (173.1316) | 21 (170.2512) |
| 2021-03-19 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 Shawnee, OK | 17 / 56 (685.0628) | 29 (171.4172) | 22 (170.2628) | 34 (167.3828) | 4 (176.0000) |
| 2021-03-19 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off - One Meat Contest Ribs Shawnee, OK | — | — | 25 (164.5716) | — | — |
| 2020-11-13 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition 🏅 unrated Mayetta, KS | 18 / 94 (694.2056) | 42 (171.9656) | 13 (176.5600) | 52 (170.8228) | 20 (174.8572) |
| 2020-10-30 | Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS | 5 / 93 (695.3712) | 8 (177.7028) | 31 (170.8228) | 39 (170.2628) | 3 (176.5828) |
| 2020-10-24 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 12 / 58 (693.6344) | 6 (178.8572) | 40 (166.2516) | 24 (171.9656) | 6 (176.5600) |
| 2020-10-23 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off-Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 12 / 64 (693.6572) | 55 (165.6684) | 5 (175.4288) | 14 (176.5600) | 7 (176.0000) |
| 2020-10-02 | Ottumwa Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 2 / 66 (688.4684) | 9 (173.7028) | 11 (170.8228) | 12 (173.1200) | 15 (170.8228) |
| 2020-09-19 | The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 32 / 56 (679.8856) | 31 (171.9772) | 12 (172.5600) | 53 (162.2284) | 19 (173.1200) |
| 2020-09-18 | The Oklahoma Grand BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 11 / 56 (686.7540) | 12 (173.1200) | 14 (173.7028) | 7 (174.8456) | 39 (165.0856) |
| 2020-09-11 | Smoke on the Trails 🏅 Gardner, KS | 4 / 48 (696.5028) | 8 (175.4172) | 3 (177.7028) | 9 (173.1200) | 22 (170.2628) |
| 2020-08-21 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 15 / 43 (685.6800) | 31 (167.9772) | 14 (172.5600) | 18 (170.8572) | 6 (174.2856) |
| 2020-08-07 | 15th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK | 1 / 54 (693.6572) | 2 (176.0000) | 14 (170.2744) | 12 (170.8228) | 2 (176.5600) |
| 2020-07-24 | Farm Stock Smoke Off 🏅 Lane, KS | 8 / 21 (692.5604) | 16 (170.8460) | 7 (173.1316) | 8 (174.8800) | 6 (173.7028) |
| 2020-07-10 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 11 / 61 (689.0628) | 19 (172.5600) | 47 (164.5256) | 18 (173.1200) | 3 (178.8572) |
| 2020-06-19 | Black Silo Winery 🏅 Trenton, MO | 2 / 31 (695.9772) | 2 (176.0000) | 10 (171.4172) | 4 (176.5828) | 6 (171.9772) |
| 2020-06-12 | Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK | 16 / 55 (681.6688) | 18 (171.4172) | 18 (170.8344) | 38 (165.7144) | 9 (173.7028) |
| 2020-03-13 | 2nd Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 13 / 68 (684.4568) | 29 (169.1200) | 7 (174.8456) | 5 (177.7028) | 44 (162.7884) |
| 2019-10-19 | Rock-N-Q on the planes 🏅 Great Bend, KS | 7 / 28 (676.5028) | 1 (176.5828) | 5 (170.8228) | 19 (162.2628) | 13 (166.8344) |
| 2019-10-18 | Harper County Bullseye BBQ 🏅 Harper, KS | 7 / 25 (684.4800) | 12 (170.8228) | 4 (173.1544) | 8 (171.9772) | 14 (168.5256) |
| 2019-10-04 | Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 19 / 49 (678.7656) | 25 (169.6912) | 1 (177.7372) | 14 (169.6800) | 29 (161.6572) |
| 2019-09-27 | Smoke on the Trails 🏅 Gardner, KS | 5 / 53 (680.5256) | 11 (169.6800) | 12 (168.5828) | 12 (169.1084) | 6 (173.1544) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 1 / 468 (521.1772) | 189 (167.9656) | 301 (162.2744) | 180 (167.9772) | 61 (173.7028) |
| 2019-08-16 | BBQ and Fly In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO | 33 / 68 (670.7312) | 6 (176.5600) | 15 (171.9656) | 45 (163.4056) | 50 (158.8000) |
| 2019-07-12 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 8 / 59 (687.3712) | 29 (168.5256) | 12 (174.2628) | 23 (170.2628) | 6 (174.3200) |
| 2019-06-07 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 6 / 39 (674.7540) | 5 (171.4172) | 8 (169.1428) | 5 (171.4056) | 18 (162.7884) |
| 2019-05-03 | Apple Blossom BBQ Made with Uncommon Character 🏅 St. Joseph, MO | 17 / 39 (668.4456) | 15 (166.8228) | 8 (170.8456) | 35 (157.6572) | 5 (173.1200) |
| 2019-04-26 | 14th Annual HANOR Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ 🏅 Enid, OK | 14 / 39 (677.0288) | 21 (166.8344) | 24 (162.8116) | 9 (173.1200) | 4 (174.2628) |
| 2019-04-12 | Smoke In the Springs 🏅 Osage City, KS | 12 / 104 (687.9428) | 5 (178.8572) | 32 (169.6800) | 69 (163.9656) | 9 (175.4400) |
| 2019-03-23 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 2 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 12 / 62 (692.5028) | 27 (170.8344) | 28 (169.6800) | 12 (174.8456) | 6 (177.1428) |
| 2019-03-22 | Firelake BBQ Cook Off Day 1 🏅 Shawnee, OK | 10 / 74 (686.7884) | 13 (172.5600) | 9 (173.1428) | 40 (166.8228) | 13 (174.2628) |
| 2018-10-05 | *Independence Fire & Ice BBQ Independence, MO | 6 / 56 (690.2512) | 20 (166.2628) | 3 (177.7144) | 8 (174.8456) | 11 (171.4284) |
| 2018-09-15 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 111 / 467 (677.0400) | 235 (166.2744) | 156 (169.1200) | 99 (170.8228) | 96 (170.8228) |
| 2018-09-07 | *Butler Chambers Of Commerce BBQ & Hucksters Days Butler, MO | 16 / 19 (640.9256) | 14 (161.0856) | 19 (143.3372) | 4 (171.4056) | 10 (165.0972) |
| 2018-08-17 | *BBQ and Fly In on the River(JUDGES FULL) Excelsior Springs, MO | 9 / 57 (687.9316) | 20 (169.1316) | 18 (169.1316) | 4 (175.4056) | 8 (174.2628) |
| 2018-07-27 | Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ Iola, KS | 12 / 27 (676.4800) | 9 (171.9656) | 12 (170.8344) | 18 (161.6916) | 2 (171.9884) |
| 2018-07-13 | *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 2 / 48 (696.0000) | 1 (180.0000) | 3 (174.8572) | 26 (165.1428) | 1 (176.0000) |
| 2018-06-29 | Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO | 11 / 52 (684.5256) | 37 (163.9772) | 13 (173.1428) | 7 (174.2972) | 4 (173.1084) |
| 2018-06-15 | *Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4 Life Kansas City, KS | 11 / 32 (666.7196) | 10 (170.8112) | 29 (154.2516) | 2 (174.8456) | 16 (166.8112) |
| 2018-05-04 | Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q St. Joseph, MO | 15 / 37 (673.0972) | 10 (170.2744) | 22 (164.5828) | 21 (166.2628) | 7 (171.9772) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1309 (60 pts) | #1341 (60 pts) | #1404 (60 pts) | #1348 (60 pts) | #1333 (60 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #80 (1641 pts) | #90 (1486 pts) | #143 (1248 pts) | #150 (1176 pts) | #100 (1436 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #25 (1847 pts) | #32 (1547 pts) | #45 (1467 pts) | #46 (1397 pts) | #21 (1832 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #174 (1428 pts) | #157 (1438 pts) | #136 (1543 pts) | #255 (1113 pts) | #141 (1498 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #347 (978 pts) | #373 (933 pts) | #481 (773 pts) | #309 (1053 pts) | #229 (1288 pts) |