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WHEN PIGS FLY

WHEN PIGS FLY is a competition barbecue team with 48 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2012 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 4th of 37 at the Wings 4 Water 10 (COMPETITOR SERIES) (2026). They are ranked #1761 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,761
of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1550
peak 1550 · rated over 43 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

48
in the data

First seen

Dec 31, 2012
latest Sep 10, 2026 · 13.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#365
Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0
0 reserve

Category wins

4
9 podiums

Overall top-10s

6
13% of 48 contests

Best top-10 run

3
straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 51%
overall standings

Best overall

674.2512 / 720

Perfect 180s

0

Current form

651.68 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 649.57 (+2.11)

Walk rate

44%
contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8800

Consistency

±15.03
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork
avg 164.94 · weakest Brisket (159.88)

Road miles

37,237
across 48 mapped stops · furthest 1,785 mi

Schedule strength

30%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1541)

Purse competed for

$35K
listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.57 / 720
36 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

337.38 / 360
6 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Backyard (3-meat) avg

509.65 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

On the rise

+37 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 37 points across 5 contests since Nov 20, 2020 — from 1512 up to 1550.

  • 5 contests since Nov 20, 2020
  • now 1550

High-water mark

674.2512 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 674.2512 at West Coast BBQ Classic — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

  • Master
  • May 9, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PATIO PITMASTERS has finished one call ahead of WHEN PIGS FLY 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2021 their best year

2021 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 26%.

  • 4 contests
  • 3 overall top-10s
  • 1 category win
  • average top 26%

A tough matchup

21–1 behind in the head-to-head

Burnin and Lootin ahead in 95% of their meetings

Burnin and Lootin has come out ahead in 21 of their 22 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.07 points below their pork, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 18%.

  • Brisket avg 159.88
  • Pork avg 164.94
  • 4 calls in 36 entries
Show 6 more storylines

A strong matchup

12–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of TWISTED BRISKET BBQ in 12 of their 16 shared contests.

The comeback

4.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.9 years, then back at Wings 4 Water 10 (COMPETITOR SERIES) (Sep 10, 2026).

  • last seen Oct 22, 2021
  • back Sep 10, 2026

Pork nemesis

14 of 20 shared pork entries lost

LEFT COAST Q ahead 70% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LEFT COAST Q has out-cooked them in 14 of 20 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

ROYAL SMOKIN' HOT has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 38% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 38% across 8 contests, versus top 51% the rest of the year.

  • 8 September contests
  • top 51% the rest of the year

The long haul

37,237 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 37,237 miles across 48 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,785 miles to Smokin' On The River.

  • 48 mapped stops
  • furthest 1,785 mi

In the record book (on 1 all-time board)

Where this team sits in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on.

  • #9 📆 Longest career 13.7 yrs from a first contest to the last · 2012 → 2026 · 48 contests · Sep 10, 2026

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

YearSeriesOverallChickenRibsPorkBrisket
2019 ↗ Master #1955 (60 pts) #2049 (60 pts) #2026 (60 pts) #2029 (60 pts) #2010 (60 pts)
2017 ↗ Master #2212 (60 pts) #2286 (60 pts) #2304 (60 pts) #2170 (75 pts) #2197 (70 pts)
2016 ↗ Master #1418 (190 pts) #1547 (180 pts) #1007 (355 pts) #1536 (185 pts) #1503 (180 pts)
2015 ↗ Master #1030 (293 pts) #1171 (263 pts) #1184 (263 pts) #755 (493 pts) #639 (583 pts)
2014 ↗ Master #563 (668 pts) #492 (788 pts) #550 (708 pts) #431 (883 pts) #652 (568 pts)
2013 ↗ Master #365 (834 pts) #356 (853 pts) #224 (1,240 pts) #257 (1,098 pts) #321 (949 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to WHEN PIGS FLY, each with one reason worth a look.

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

DRUM DADDY BBQ
#1,751 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
37
GCs
1
Top-10s
14%
Peak
1555
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to WHEN PIGS FLY)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team WHEN PIGS FLY has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

  • rated over 34 contests
  • last seen Jun 4, 2021
⚔ Head-to-head
HOGS ON THE RUN
#1,752 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
8
GCs
0
Top-10s
13%
Peak
1553
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to WHEN PIGS FLY)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

  • rated over 8 contests
  • last seen May 11, 2018
⚔ Head-to-head
Modest Meats
#1,756 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
42
GCs
1
Top-10s
29%
Peak
1577

Careers of much the same size, 42 contests to 48, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

  • rated over 40 contests
  • last seen Sep 18, 2026
  • on a 4-contest top-10 run
⚔ Compare careers
MIDNIGHT SMOKERS MJ
#1,750 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
17
GCs
0
Top-10s
29%
Peak
1554

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before WHEN PIGS FLY's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

  • rated over 17 contests
⚔ Compare careers
Ambition Que
#1,759 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
114
GCs
1
Top-10s
17%
Peak
1637

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 114 contests, alongside a 17% overall top-10 rate.

  • rated over 114 contests
  • last seen Oct 16, 2026
⚔ Compare careers
NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM
#1,758 of the rated field
1550 power rating
Contests
15
GCs
0
Top-10s
20%
Peak
1554

They turned up 6 years after WHEN PIGS FLY did, first appearing in 2018.

  • rated over 15 contests
  • last seen Oct 4, 2019
⚔ Compare careers

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

OpponentMeetingsAheadBehindWin rate
Burnin and Lootin 22 1 21 5% ⚔ compare
SMOKIN MO'S BBQ 21 3 18 14% ⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ 20 3 17 15% ⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ 20 2 18 10% ⚔ compare
LADY OF Q 20 1 19 5% ⚔ compare
LEFT COAST Q 20 1 19 5% ⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ 19 3 16 16% ⚔ compare
TWISTED BRISKET BBQ 16 12 4 75% ⚔ compare
COOL GRILLING 16 11 5 69% ⚔ compare
VICIOUS SMOKE 16 4 12 25% ⚔ compare
Rooftop BBQ 16 3 13 19% ⚔ compare
PORKETEERS 16 3 13 19% ⚔ compare
KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ 16 2 14 13% ⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q 16 2 14 13% ⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS 15 2 13 13% ⚔ compare

By meat

CategoryEntriesCallsWinsPodiumsBestWorstAverageAvg finish
Chicken 44 10 1 3 176.5600 145.7140 163.89 top 54%
Pork Ribs 44 5 1 2 178.8800 147.9544 162.80 top 53%
Pork 38 7 2 3 178.8572 147.3484 164.94 top 44%
Brisket 36 4 0 1 175.4172 147.3716 159.88 top 55%

“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

FieldContestsGCsAvg finish
Medium (20–39)160top 49%
Large (40+)280top 53%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

WhereContestsGCsAvg finish
CA250top 54%
AL100top 57%
KS40top 30%
MO20top 34%
NV20top 59%
TN10top 20%

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

ContestVisitsBestGCsAvg finishLast visit
Mission Q (Backyard Only) 2 15 0 top 73% Nov 20, 2020
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 2 19 0 top 18% Sep 21, 2018
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 2 43 0 top 42% Sep 23, 2016
West Coast BBQ Classic 2 4 0 top 24% May 8, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 13 contests
Contests a season 4.4 across 11 seasons in the data
Most contests held in CA 25 of 48 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited 40 4 of them more than once
Opponents faced 1,071 finished ahead 1,258 times, behind 1,136
Longest layoff 4.9 yrs Oct 22, 2021 → Sep 10, 2026

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

20261 milestone
  1. Most recent contest Wings 4 Water 10 (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20211 milestone
  1. Peak power rating (1550) Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY)
20143 milestones
  1. First overall top-10 West Coast BBQ Classic
  2. Career-best overall score674.2512 West Coast BBQ Classic
  3. 25th tracked contest USA Barbecue Championship
20134 milestones
  1. First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.5714 Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cookoff
  2. 10th tracked contest Dana Point State BBQ Championship
  3. First category win (Pork Ribs) Riverside Resort Casino USA Barbecue Championship
  4. Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8800 Riverside Resort Casino USA Barbecue Championship
20122 milestones
  1. First tracked contest Wild Wild West III BBQ Championship
  2. First call Wild Wild West III BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

SwingContestDate
+15.6West Coast BBQ ClassicMay 9, 2014
+13.5RiverFestSep 13, 2019
+11.5Great Americana BBQ FestivalAug 27, 2021
+11.5Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)Apr 23, 2021
+10.9Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship BarbequeSep 22, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

SwingContestDate
-13.4Cullman Oktoberfest BBQ ChallengeOct 11, 2013
-13.120th Annual Decatur Jaycee's RiverfestSep 19, 2014
-11.4The Golden State BattleJan 25, 2019
-8.58th Annual Vista BBQ ClassicJul 29, 2016
-6.8Mission Q (Backyard Only)Nov 22, 2019

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

SeasonContestsGCsTop-10sCategory winsWalk rateAvg finishBest overall (% of perfect)Avg overall (% of perfect)
20261010 0% top 11% 97.5% 97.5%
20214031 100% top 26% 95.9% 94.6%
20201000 0% top 71% 91.6% 91.6%
20193010 67% top 61% 94.9% 91.6%
20182000 50% top 19% 93.1% 93.1%
20172000 50% top 46% 93.1% 90.7%
20164000 25% top 56% 92.6% 90.6%
20156000 50% top 51% 93.3% 92%
201411011 36% top 56% 93.6% 90.1%
201313002 31% top 56% 92.1% 89.4%
20121000 100% top 72% 88.5% 88.5%

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

DateEventOverallChickenRibsPorkBrisket
Sep 10, 2026 Wings 4 Water 10 (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Lee's Summit, MO 4 / 37 (175.4172) — — — —
Oct 22, 2021 Railyard BBQ Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Madison, AL 11 / 30 (334.8116) 5 (173.1200) 15 (161.6916) — —
Aug 27, 2021 Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN 5 / 25 (509.6456) 1 (176.5600) 9 (169.1200) 16 (163.9656) —
Jun 11, 2021 Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL 8 / 31 (342.2284) 3 (175.4056) 16 (166.8228) — —
Apr 23, 2021 Smoke on the Water Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL 6 / 29 (345.1316) 4 (174.2856) 11 (170.8460) — —
Nov 20, 2020 Mission Q (Backyard Only) Tuscumbia, AL 15 / 21 (329.6684) 17 (162.8112) 13 (166.8572) — —
Nov 22, 2019 Mission Q (Backyard Only) Tuscumbia, AL 15 / 20 (330.7772) 18 (162.2400) 8 (168.5372) — —
Sep 13, 2019 RiverFest 🏅 Decatur, AL 5 / 37 (341.6688) 6 (173.1316) 13 (168.5372) — —
Jan 25, 2019 The Golden State Battle 🏅 Santa Ynez, CA 46 / 48 (633.0280) 37 (165.1428) 40 (159.9540) 42 (155.9540) 45 (151.9772)
Sep 21, 2018 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS 20 / 107 (670.2172) 74 (160) 30 (167.9888) 31 (167.9656) 9 (174.2628)
Sep 14, 2018 Riverfest BBQ and Music Festival Decatur, AL — — — — —
Sep 22, 2017 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Barbeque 🏅 Shawnee, KS 19 / 112 (670.2400) 5 (174.8572) 76 (158.2744) 12 (172.5600) 36 (164.5484)
Jul 28, 2017 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA 30 / 40 (635.2912) 37 (152.5028) 31 (155.9544) 22 (165.6684) 23 (161.1656)
Sep 23, 2016 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS 51 / 111 (649.6344) 61 (161.6800) 49 (163.9772) 37 (166.8456) 64 (157.1316)
Jul 29, 2016 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic Vista, CA 35 / 42 (635.3256) 39 (151.4056) 16 (167.4172) 24 (165.0972) 36 (151.4056)
Apr 1, 2016 5th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arciadia, CA 23 / 72 (666.8228) 30 (168.0228) 18 (170.8344) 45 (162.2628) 29 (165.7028)
Feb 19, 2016 The Pig (Guinea Pig) Indio, CA 31 / 48 (657.7028) 42 (158.8456) 8 (173.1428) 27 (166.8228) 36 (158.8916)
Nov 13, 2015 Indio California State BBQ Championship- JUDGES FULL Indio, CA 20 / 34 (666.7540) 19 (167.3828) 22 (166.2512) 25 (162.2400) 12 (170.8800)
Sep 25, 2015 Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship 🏅 Shawnee, KS 43 / 112 (654.8116) 41 (166.2860) 42 (166.2628) 43 (165.1200) 62 (157.1428)
Jun 19, 2015 Stagecoach Days 1st Annual State BBQ Championship Banning, CA 19 / 29 (671.9428) 28 (165.6800) 22 (161.7028) 13 (169.1428) 2 (175.4172)
May 8, 2015 West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA 24 / 57 (669.7484) 41 (160.0112) 45 (158.8688) 2 (177.1428) 9 (173.7256)
Mar 20, 2015 4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA 70 / 100 (648.5372) 76 (162.8456) 93 (147.9544) 28 (170.8800) 48 (166.8572)
Feb 20, 2015 The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series Rancho Mirage, CA 16 / 49 (663.9428) 16 (168.5600) 18 (167.3828) 8 (168.5828) 32 (159.4172)
Oct 30, 2014 USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV 64 / 79 (648.4456) 57 (164.5600) 60 (159.9656) 12 (174.2628) 71 (149.6572)
Oct 24, 2014 Jack Daniel's World Championship Backyard Contest (BACKYARD) Lynchburg, TN — 29 (164) 32 (156.5600) 30 (158.8572) —
Sep 19, 2014 20th Annual Decatur Jaycee's Riverfest Decatur, AL 70 / 75 (617.4968) 55 (160.5140) 70 (151.3828) 74 (147.3484) 53 (158.2516)
Jul 25, 2014 6th Annual Vista Q Classic Vista, CA 42 / 60 (646.6400) 43 (163.3944) 52 (152.4684) 18 (169.6800) 36 (161.0972)
Jun 13, 2014 Smokin' On The River Jeffersonville, IN — — — — —
Jun 6, 2014 3rd Annual VC Music Fest & BBQ Valley Center, CA 22 / 32 (646.8228) 2 (172.5600) 27 (156.5484) 12 (165.7144) 28 (152)
May 16, 2014 Cotton Pickin' BBQ Cookoff Hartselle, AL — — — — —
May 9, 2014 West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA 4 / 59 (674.2512) 9 (169.7028) 2 (176) 35 (161.6684) 14 (166.8800)
Mar 21, 2014 3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA 31 / 69 (642.7656) 20 (167.3940) 32 (159.4288) 16 (164) 47 (151.9428)
Feb 28, 2014 Havasu Landing California BBQ Championship Havasu Landing, CA 13 / 28 (663.8624) 21 (161.6684) 13 (163.9428) 8 (170.2628) 6 (167.9884)
Feb 21, 2014 The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) Indio, CA 16 / 48 (646.7316) 8 (169.6684) 32 (155.4172) 1 (174.2744) 43 (147.3716)
Dec 27, 2013 4th Annual Wild Wild West BBQ Championship Lake Elsinore, CA 14 / 28 (658.2284) 11 (166.2400) 13 (164.5600) 1 (178.8572) 23 (148.5712)
Oct 31, 2013 Riverside Resort Casino USA Barbecue Championship Laughlin, NV 31 / 85 (663.3712) 81 (148.5256) 1 (178.8800) 17 (169.7028) 26 (166.2628)
Oct 18, 2013 Cowboy Up at the PRCA Rodeo & BBQ Lancaster, CA 23 / 41 (646.8800) 26 (160.5944) 16 (166.3200) 7 (168.5484) 32 (151.4172)
Oct 11, 2013 Cullman Oktoberfest BBQ Challenge Cullman, AL 32 / 32 (627.3484) 22 (165.6912) 31 (150.2744) 29 (153.6800) 27 (157.7028)
Oct 4, 2013 Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA 25 / 99 (662.8344) 29 (167.4744) 41 (163.3944) 32 (163.4172) 18 (168.5484)
Sep 13, 2013 Decatur Jaycees 19th Annual Riverfest Decatur, AL 55 / 80 (641.1084) 26 (167.4056) 48 (158.8572) 70 (155.4288) 47 (159.4168)
Aug 2, 2013 5th Annual Vista Smokin' Q Classic Vista, CA 33 / 46 (627.2800) 41 (149.7028) 29 (158.2400) 33 (155.3600) 14 (163.9772)
Jun 21, 2013 2nd Annual Pechanga BBQ Championship Temecula, CA 24 / 70 (647.4284) 20 (165.7142) 19 (164.5714) 17 (164.5714) 42 (152.5714)
May 10, 2013 West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA 29 / 54 (634.8570) 41 (154.2860) 39 (154.8570) 30 (159.9998) 11 (165.7142)
May 3, 2013 The Whistle Stop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL 43 / 62 (638.8570) 41 (161.7142) 23 (165.7144) 37 (163.4284) 53 (148)
Apr 27, 2013 7th Stagecoach BBQ Fest Indio, CA 14 / 30 (638.8574) 7 (167.4288) 12 (165.1430) 21 (152.5714) 18 (153.7142)
Apr 5, 2013 Kennett Jaycee's Show Me State BBQ Cookoff Kennett, MO 25 / 44 (656.5714) 31 (160.5714) 22 (165.7144) 21 (167.9998) 26 (162.2858)
Apr 5, 2013 The Ultimate BBQ Showdown East vs. West IV Wildomar, CA 30 / 48 (622.8570) 29 (155.9998) 27 (152) 13 (161.1430) 27 (153.7142)
Dec 31, 2012 Wild Wild West III BBQ Championship Lake Elsinore, CA 18 / 25 (637.1428) 25 (145.7140) 11 (164.5716) 9 (166.8572) 15 (160)

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

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