SMOKIN GNOME BBQ

SMOKIN GNOME BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 5th of 51 at the Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) (2017). They are ranked #3179 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,179

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1501

peak 1576 · rated over 34 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 10, 2013

latest Sep 24, 2021 · 8.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#450

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

18% of 34 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

671.4284 / 720

Master · Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL)

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.90 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 639.51 (+6.38)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.6172

Brisket · New Holland Summer Fest

Consistency

±17.82

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 161.22 · weakest Chicken (158.71)

Road miles

1,951

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 102 mi

Schedule strength

39%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)

Purse competed for

$47K

listed at 5 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

639.51 / 720

34 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

671.4284 career-best overall

93.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 671.4284 at Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) — 93.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 28, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BEER TIME BBQ has finished one call ahead of SMOKIN GNOME BBQ 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 21%.

4 contests
2 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 21%

A tough matchup

24–2 behind in the head-to-head

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

LO' -N- SLO' BBQ has come out ahead in 24 of their 26 shared contests.

A strong matchup

12–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WILLY'S Q SHACK in 12 of their 14 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

20 of 26 shared pork entries lost

DRILLING & GRILLING ahead 77% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DRILLING & GRILLING has out-cooked them in 20 of 26 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

REDNECK SMOKE CLUB has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 3 more storylines

An April team

Top 38% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 38% across 3 contests, versus top 52% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 52% the rest of the year

The metronome

±2.48% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.48% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.8% of a perfect score
34 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Holland Summer Fest every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 18th

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
2021 ↗	Master	#1527 (56 pts)	#1532 (56 pts)	#773 (206 pts)	#1193 (81 pts)	#1520 (56 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1019 (255 pts)	#1208 (205 pts)	#1058 (265 pts)	#946 (310 pts)	#1086 (250 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#450 (681 pts)	#396 (786 pts)	#289 (1,041 pts)	#406 (786 pts)	#666 (486 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

Stumpy Coals BBQ

#3,162 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1536

5–1 in 6 shared contests (83% to SMOKIN GNOME BBQ)

These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — SMOKIN GNOME BBQ ahead 5–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Aug 25, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

CLOUD OF SMOKE BBQ

#3,185 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1550

They've been 1550 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Jan 16, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M

#3,191 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1538

Careers of much the same size, 44 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Jun 11, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

BAR-BEAM-QUE

#3,180 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1501

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

rated over 20 contests
last seen Aug 19, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Belly Up BBQ

#3,174 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1511

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

rated over 17 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

HEAVY D BBQ

#3,171 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1542

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

rated over 15 contests
last seen Jun 15, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
DRILLING & GRILLING	26	5	21	19%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	26	2	24	8%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	25	11	14	44%	⚔ compare
HAWG NATION BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
PIG PEN BBQ	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN FOOLZ	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
Smokestack Redemption	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
PIGHEADED BBQ	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
50 Shades of Pork	15	8	7	53%	⚔ compare
WILBUR'S REVENGE	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
WILLY'S Q SHACK	14	12	2	86%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	6	0	1	173.1428	104.3772	158.71	top 57%
Pork Ribs	34	11	1	3	172.5600	146.2628	160.78	top 49%
Pork	34	4	2	3	174.2858	146.7424	161.22	top 48%
Brisket	34	3	1	1	176.6172	135.4284	158.80	top 50%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 71%
Medium (20–39)	10	top 56%
Large (40+)	23	top 50%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
PA	31	top 54%
VA	2	top 31%
MD	1	top 53%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Park	5	24	top 77%	Sep 24, 2021
New Holland Summer Fest	5	18	top 50%	Aug 25, 2017
The Ironman	4	6	top 52%	Apr 5, 2019
Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	3	16	top 60%	Oct 4, 2019
Smoke in the Grove	3	5	top 45%	Jul 26, 2019
Keystone Classic Barbeque	3	6	top 26%	Oct 2, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 31 of 34 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 17 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 538 finished ahead 778 times, behind 834

Longest layoff 1.2 yrs Jun 26, 2020 → Sep 24, 2021

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

20211 milestone

Sep 24 Most recent contest Smoke in the Park

20172 milestones

Jul 28 Career-best overall score671.4284 Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL)
Oct 6 25th tracked contest Keystone Classic BBQ

20151 milestone

Apr 3 Peak power rating (1576) The Ironman

20142 milestones

Aug 22 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.6172 New Holland Summer Fest
Sep 5 10th tracked contest 6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off

20135 milestones

May 10 First tracked contest Green Lane Fire CO's
May 10 First call Green Lane Fire CO's
Jun 28 First category win (Pork) Hogging Up Virginia Bluegrass BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)
Jun 28 First overall top-10 Hogging Up Virginia Bluegrass BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)
Jun 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.1428 Hogging Up Virginia Bluegrass BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.2	Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL)	Jul 28, 2017
+12.6	Keystone Classic Barbeque	Oct 4, 2013
+11.3	The Ironman	Apr 3, 2015
+10.8	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off	Sep 5, 2014
+10.7	Keystone Classic Barbeque	Oct 3, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.2	The Ironman	Mar 31, 2017
-9.4	Smoke in the Park	Sep 27, 2019
-9	Smoke in the Grove	Jul 27, 2018
-8.9	New Holland Summer Fest	Aug 28, 2015
-7.9	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship	Oct 5, 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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 81%	88.4%	88.4%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 70%	90.6%	90.6%
2019	4	0	0	50%	top 51%	91.3%	90.2%
2018	3	0	0	33%	top 83%	86.7%	86.4%
2017	5	1	0	40%	top 56%	93.3%	88.6%
2016	4	0	1	25%	top 62%	90.4%	88.4%
2015	5	1	0	40%	top 57%	93.2%	89%
2014	4	2	2	100%	top 21%	92.1%	90.5%
2013	7	2	1	86%	top 39%	91.3%	88.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 24, 2021	Smoke in the Park 🏅 Lemoyne, PA	25 / 31 (636.4916)	29 (149.7028)	4 (171.9888)	20 (163.3944)	29 (151.4056)
Jun 26, 2020	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	37 / 53 (652.5028)	40 (161.7484)	35 (163.9428)	34 (163.3944)	28 (163.4172)
Oct 4, 2019	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	16 / 36 (657.1084)	22 (158.8344)	27 (159.9656)	9 (170.2856)	11 (168.0228)
Sep 27, 2019	Smoke in the Park 🏅 Lemoyne, PA	35 / 40 (626.2516)	23 (161.7144)	30 (155.9888)	36 (156.5600)	32 (151.9884)
Jul 26, 2019	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	19 / 53 (657.1312)	27 (164.5828)	9 (170.2628)	16 (167.4056)	38 (154.8800)
Apr 5, 2019	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	16 / 42 (655.9204)	17 (165.1544)	13 (167.4060)	25 (162.8000)	19 (160.5600)
Oct 5, 2018	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	35 / 42 (623.9316)	36 (153.6800)	39 (151.9084)	23 (158.8572)	27 (159.4860)
Sep 28, 2018	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	24 / 31 (624.3888)	24 (158.2400)	10 (166.2744)	26 (155.3716)	26 (144.5028)
Jul 27, 2018	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	48 / 54 (618.1488)	53 (145.0628)	46 (154.8344)	45 (154.2172)	27 (164.0344)
Oct 6, 2017	Keystone Classic BBQ Harrisburg, PA	22 / 39 (648.5492)	30 (159.4404)	33 (151.9888)	15 (167.4172)	6 (169.7028)
Sep 22, 2017	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	28 / 44 (644.4916)	19 (164.5372)	21 (161.6800)	26 (158.2972)	30 (159.9772)
Aug 25, 2017	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	41 / 69 (636.9944)	57 (151.3600)	47 (157.1088)	22 (163.3828)	20 (165.1428)
Jul 28, 2017	Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) Spring Grove, PA	5 / 51 (671.4284)	20 (166.2972)	5 (169.7028)	2 (173.1428)	25 (162.2856)
Mar 31, 2017	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	55 / 59 (589.4744)	58 (104.3772)	44 (153.6916)	15 (165.1428)	19 (166.2628)
Oct 7, 2016	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	25 / 47 (650.7088)	46 (149.6572)	1 (172.5600)	25 (162.2400)	11 (166.2516)
Sep 23, 2016	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	28 / 38 (634.1488)	19 (164.0116)	30 (157.1200)	34 (150.7772)	21 (162.2400)
Aug 26, 2016	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	39 / 66 (632.9828)	43 (157.0972)	38 (160.5372)	25 (164.5372)	48 (150.8112)
Apr 1, 2016	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	34 / 54 (627.8624)	20 (166.8800)	41 (154.8344)	48 (146.7424)	25 (159.4056)
Oct 2, 2015	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	31 / 57 (645.1092)	41 (158.2860)	23 (162.8688)	36 (157.6800)	15 (166.2744)
Aug 28, 2015	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	51 / 70 (617.0972)	53 (154.2628)	57 (147.9772)	39 (156.5944)	33 (158.2628)
Aug 21, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	22 / 30 (623.3828)	12 (166.8572)	28 (146.2628)	26 (153.1084)	14 (157.1544)
Jun 27, 2015	Ribs & Rides BBQ Festival at Dorney Park Allentown, PA	12 / 17 (646.8004)	11 (162.8572)	9 (162.8000)	12 (162.2744)	13 (158.8688)
Apr 3, 2015	The Ironman Shady Grove, PA	6 / 48 (671.3488)	8 (169.7144)	2 (172.0116)	18 (162.2400)	10 (167.3828)
Oct 3, 2014	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	7 / 53 (663.4172)	2 (173.1428)	19 (163.4172)	16 (165.1544)	18 (161.7028)
Sep 5, 2014	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off York, PA	7 / 39 (653.6456)	16 (166.2856)	25 (156.5256)	1 (172.5600)	18 (158.2744)
Aug 22, 2014	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	18 / 70 (645.0624)	53 (151.9312)	41 (155.9884)	22 (160.5256)	1 (176.6172)
Jun 27, 2014	Hogging Up BBQ Festival Winchester, VA	13 / 46 (645.0628)	8 (165.1428)	31 (157.6684)	17 (161.1200)	12 (161.1316)
Oct 4, 2013	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	6 / 55 (656.5944)	5 (169.7028)	6 (166.8800)	16 (161.1544)	21 (158.8572)
Sep 6, 2013	5th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cookoff York, PA	15 / 31 (631.9776)	6 (166.3088)	20 (152.5144)	20 (156.5600)	13 (156.5944)
Aug 23, 2013	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	23 / 71 (640)	17 (164)	42 (153.6916)	18 (162.2856)	20 (160.0228)
Jun 28, 2013	Hogging Up Virginia Bluegrass BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Winchester, VA	9 / 26 (657.1428)	15 (162.2856)	3 (172)	1 (174.2858)	22 (148.5714)
May 31, 2013	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	22 / 46 (616.0002)	40 (147.4290)	5 (166.8570)	26 (153.7144)	28 (147.9998)
May 25, 2013	The Memorial Day Pignic Fort Ritchie, MD	20 / 38 (627.4286)	7 (168)	13 (162.2858)	14 (161.7144)	36 (135.4284)
May 10, 2013	Green Lane Fire CO's Green Lane, PA	27 / 58 (614.8576)	47 (147.4288)	4 (165.1430)	16 (156.5714)	41 (145.7144)

SMOKIN GNOME 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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April team

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)