KNIFE PORK AND SPOON CA
Rating
1568
peak 1594 · rated over 29 contests
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
2018-12-28
latest 2022-11-18
Best ToY finish
#84
Master 2022
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
5
17 podiums
Overall top-10s
12
of 29 contests
Avg finish
top 40%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
674.97 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 677.81 (-2.84)
Walk rate
86%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Best single call
180.0000 🔥
Consistency
±11.41
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 169.93 · weakest Brisket (168.40)
Road miles
20221
mi across 29 mapped stops · furthest 2167 mi
Schedule strength
34%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1529)
Purse competed for
$304K
listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 28 state-championship entries
Master avg
677.81 / 720
29 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
SMOKE HOUND BBQ has finished one call ahead of KNIFE PORK AND SPOON 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
BIG RED BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
BIG POPPA SMOKERS has come out ahead in 14 of their 16 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE in 9 of their 9 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Fire it up Frostproof! is their spot: an average finish in the top 11% across 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Finished level on points with the champion at Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest (2022-01-07) — the Grand Championship went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
😤 Pork nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, BIG POPPA SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 11 of 16 shared pork entries.
📅 A January team
Something about January: average finish in the top 28% across 3 contests, versus top 40% the rest of the year.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival (2021-11-05).
Teams like this (closest power rating, CA first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| 7 SINS BBQ | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG RED BBQ | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| West Coast BBQ Shop | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| B' Mackin BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| SD Smoke BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| All About Smokin Q | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Porterhouse BBQ | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad Boyz BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Rhythm n QUE | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 29 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 178.2972 | 161.6456 | 169.75 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 29 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 177.7372 | 162.2972 | 169.73 | top 42% |
| Pork | 29 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 179.4400 | 160.0116 | 169.93 | top 45% |
| Brisket | 29 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 180.0000 🔥 | 155.9312 | 168.40 | top 43% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 10 | 0 | top 45% |
| AZ | 7 | 0 | top 34% |
| FL | 6 | 0 | top 23% |
| UT | 2 | 0 | top 57% |
| GA | 2 | 0 | top 65% |
| NM | 2 | 0 | top 40% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 63% |
| Medium (20–39) | 20 | 0 | top 36% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 40% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant City Pig Jam | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 51% | 2022-11-18 |
| 2022 Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 46% | 2022-11-04 |
| 2022 Mazatzal Grill Masters BBQ Competition & Testicle Festival | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 39% | 2022-09-30 |
| Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 18% | 2022-05-28 |
| Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 38% | 2022-01-14 |
| Fire it up Frostproof! | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 11% | 2020-03-06 |
| Smokin On The Pecos (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 40% | 2019-06-29 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2022 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in CA (10 of 29 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (29 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 677.81 / 720
- 1 perfect 180 on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2018-12-28 — First tracked contest · Arizona National BBQ Stampede
- 📣 2018-12-28 — First call · Arizona National BBQ Stampede
- 🔥 2022-04-02 — First perfect 180 (Brisket) · 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2
- ⭐ 2022-05-27 — Career-best overall score (698.8572) · Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1)
- 📈 2022-05-28 — Peak power rating (1594) · Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2)
- 🎖️ 2022-09-16 — 25th tracked contest · BBQ on the Bay Day 1
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.5 | Fire it up Frostproof! | 2020-03-06 |
| +12.8 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1) | 2022-05-27 |
| +12.8 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival | 2021-11-05 |
| +12 | Fire it up Frostproof! | 2019-04-12 |
| +11.9 | 7th Annual Show Low BBQ Throw down | 2019-05-03 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.1 | 2022 Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival | 2022-11-04 |
| -7.6 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival | 2019-10-11 |
| -7.5 | BBQ on the Bay Day 1 | 2022-09-16 |
| -6.3 | BBQ on the Bay Day 2 | 2022-09-17 |
| -6.1 | Plant City Pig Jam | 2022-11-18 |
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 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 80% | top 43% | 97.1% | 94.4% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 10% | 96.1% | 96% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 9% | 95.4% | 95.4% |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 90% | top 44% | 95.5% | 93.3% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 30% | 94.8% | 94.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-18 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 15 / 25 (672.3996) | 20 (163.9428) | 7 (171.4172) | 16 (167.3712) | 12 (169.6684) |
| 2022-11-04 | 2022 Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival 🏅 Indio, CA | 28 / 35 (662.6972) | 19 (170.8228) | 23 (166.2400) | 33 (161.6800) | 25 (163.9544) |
| 2022-09-30 | 2022 Mazatzal Grill Masters BBQ Competition & Testicle Festival 🏅 Payson, AZ | 3 / 21 (691.9084) | 4 (174.2628) | 9 (170.2628) | 11 (170.8228) | 3 (176.5600) |
| 2022-09-17 | BBQ on the Bay Day 2 🏅 San Diego, CA | 11 / 16 (678.7544) | 11 (169.1316) | 12 (169.1316) | 8 (173.1084) | 13 (167.3828) |
| 2022-09-16 | BBQ on the Bay Day 1 🏅 San Diego, CA | 12 / 17 (669.0744) | 12 (168.5372) | 14 (162.2972) | 2 (175.4400) | 13 (162.8000) |
| 2022-09-09 | Western Legends BBQ Contest 🏅 Kanab, UT | 20 / 31 (665.5772) | 25 (161.6456) | 22 (163.3944) | 15 (169.6800) | 7 (170.8572) |
| 2022-05-28 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 7 / 25 (694.7884) | 15 (171.4056) | 2 (175.4056) | 12 (170.8344) | 2 (177.1428) |
| 2022-05-27 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1) 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 2 / 25 (698.8572) | 9 (171.4172) | 2 (177.7372) | 1 (179.4400) | 8 (170.2628) |
| 2022-04-29 | 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 15 / 29 (673.0284) | 16 (166.2400) | 12 (170.2744) | 11 (170.2628) | 16 (166.2512) |
| 2022-04-08 | BBQ, Boots & Brew 🏅 Perris, CA | 10 / 29 (681.0284) | 14 (170.2628) | 5 (172.5600) | 1 (175.4172) | 20 (162.7884) |
| 2022-04-02 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 13 / 27 (694.8000) | 21 (167.3828) | 12 (172.5600) | 11 (174.8572) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2022-04-01 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 17 / 37 (675.3600) | 7 (174.2628) | 11 (169.7144) | 21 (168.0000) | 25 (163.3828) |
| 2022-02-18 | BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival 🏅 Yuma, AZ | 15 / 34 (685.0400) | 2 (177.7028) | 18 (169.1316) | 20 (169.6800) | 14 (168.5256) |
| 2022-01-14 | Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 14 / 59 (677.0284) | 13 (171.9656) | 28 (166.8344) | 30 (167.9656) | 13 (170.2628) |
| 2022-01-07 | Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 🏅 Lake Wales, FL | 2 / 29 (175.4056) | 21 (166.2400) | 6 (175.4172) | 21 (164.5372) | 28 (157.6456) |
| 2021-11-19 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 3 / 37 (690.7772) | 12 (173.1200) | 7 (171.4172) | 8 (171.9772) | 6 (174.2628) |
| 2021-11-05 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival 🏅 Indio, CA | 4 / 33 (691.9544) | 8 (174.8572) | 3 (175.4172) | 12 (172.0000) | 15 (169.6800) |
| 2020-03-06 | Fire it up Frostproof! 🏅 Frostproof, FL | 3 / 32 (686.7544) | 12 (168.5372) | 4 (175.4172) | 12 (169.6800) | 3 (173.1200) |
| 2019-11-22 | Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL | 16 / 39 (665.6344) | 8 (171.9772) | 16 (167.4172) | 31 (160.0116) | 18 (166.2284) |
| 2019-10-11 | The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA | 17 / 27 (669.5312) | 27 (162.8000) | 8 (170.8344) | 15 (168.5256) | 16 (167.3712) |
| 2019-09-27 | Mazatzal Grill Masters-BBQ Competition & Testicle Festival 🏅 Payson, AZ | 21 / 33 (660.9940) | 14 (166.8112) | 23 (162.8344) | 10 (170.8572) | 22 (160.4912) |
| 2019-08-16 | Western Legends Roundup BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kanab, UT | 9 / 18 (675.3368) | 14 (164.5600) | 16 (165.0856) | 8 (170.8456) | 3 (174.8456) |
| 2019-06-29 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 2) 🏅 Artesia, NM | 10 / 34 (686.7656) | 15 (170.2628) | 22 (166.2400) | 11 (172.5600) | 3 (177.7028) |
| 2019-06-28 | Smokin On The Pecos (Day 1) 🏅 Artesia, NM | 21 / 41 (667.8512) | 23 (163.3828) | 3 (176.5600) | 14 (171.9772) | 30 (155.9312) |
| 2019-05-24 | Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival 🏅 Evans, GA | 48 / 72 (664.9484) | 47 (165.0856) | 54 (163.9428) | 60 (160.5144) | 10 (175.4056) |
| 2019-05-03 | 7th Annual Show Low BBQ Throw down 🏅 Show Low, AZ | 6 / 45 (681.6456) | 20 (169.7256) | 10 (170.2628) | 4 (176.5600) | 17 (165.0972) |
| 2019-04-12 | Fire it up Frostproof! 🏅 Frostproof, FL | 3 / 25 (687.9316) | 1 (178.2972) | 1 (177.7144) | 8 (171.4172) | 18 (160.5028) |
| 2019-01-18 | Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 33 / 63 (659.2800) | 17 (171.4400) | 37 (162.8000) | 40 (162.8000) | 40 (162.2400) |
| 2018-12-28 | Arizona National BBQ Stampede Phoenix, AZ | 14 / 47 (682.7656) | 3 (176.5600) | 34 (163.9772) | 21 (169.1084) | 6 (173.1200) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #829 (160 pts) | #879 (165 pts) | #820 (225 pts) | #882 (155 pts) | #840 (175 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #84 (1645 pts) | #99 (1485 pts) | #61 (1743 pts) | #63 (1687 pts) | #73 (1673 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #334 (337 pts) | #424 (277 pts) | #392 (312 pts) | #552 (182 pts) | #371 (327 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #254 (1137 pts) | #258 (1117 pts) | #216 (1247 pts) | #245 (1152 pts) | #252 (1157 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #324 (1031 pts) | #146 (1571 pts) | #268 (1136 pts) | #331 (1016 pts) | #404 (871 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #310 (1165 pts) | #528 (755 pts) | #257 (1250 pts) | #292 (1185 pts) | #284 (1225 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #178 (1609 pts) | #157 (1584 pts) | #339 (1083 pts) | #162 (1529 pts) | #149 (1669 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #302 (1168 pts) | #412 (928 pts) | #375 (978 pts) | #164 (1508 pts) | #335 (1053 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #367 (1008 pts) | #492 (788 pts) | #238 (1318 pts) | #403 (928 pts) | #463 (818 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #353 (870 pts) | #213 (1235 pts) | #363 (845 pts) | #277 (1040 pts) | #439 (720 pts) |