Jiggy With the Piggy, Kannapolis, North Carolina

by Jerry Stephenson, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster of Redneck Scientific

jiggy5Jerry Stephenson from Redneck Scientific

Stop number two on the Old North State Series brought everyone to Kannapolis, NC and the fourth annual Jiggy with the Piggy competition.

Set in the middle of The North Carolina Research Campus, Jiggy is one of North Carolina’s best contests. Loading in and out is a breeze and there is plenty of space for large teams and their setups. The cooks area is a large, well-mowed field.

Eddie Smith, his staff and the town of Kannapolis go above and beyond to take care of each and every team.

The weather was cool on Friday night, but the Anything Butt dessert contest and People’s Choice wings got things heated up. After turn ins, the people of Kannapolis joined the teams and their families for an outdoor movie on the lawn. This annual event at Jiggy always pulls in a crowd. After the movie, fireworks lit the sky, as teams started to light their smokers and turn in for the night.

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First place, Anything Butt for appearance
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First place, Anything Butt for taste

After a breezy, chilly start on Friday night, Saturday morphed into beautiful skies and 70-degree temperatures. The weather was perfect for the 77 KCBS BBQ teams that turned out.

Saturday morning dawned crisp and clear with Cook’s Church led by Tommy Houston (Checkered Pig) and Kevin Gary (K&D Smokers). And if anyone is looking for a reason to attend Cook’s Church, the 2016 Jiggy’s GC and RGC attended. After the devotional, teams got a full pancake breakfast hosted by the Kannapolis YMCA.

As thousands of people began funneling into the event just before noon, teams began their KCBS turn ins. After KCBS turn ins ended, the People’s Choice Pork event began and lastly the team awards.

As anyone has ever been to Jiggy with the Piggy knows, Eddie Smith doesn’t mess around calling out team awards.

In individual categories, Checkered Pig won chicken (with a Perfect 180 score), Lady of Q in ribs, and Prime in pork and brisket.

Overall, the Reserve Grand Champion went to The Smokehouse Mafia and Grand Champion went to Sauced! BBQ. Not only did Sauced! BBQ Team earn a GC, they did it with 702 points, and only two other top ten calls.

Well done fellows and congrats to all who heard their name called!

jiggy2Grand Champions, Scott and Jolene Adams from Sauced! BBQ Team
jiggy1Andrew Rasmussen and David Williams of The Smokehouse Mafia take RGC!

First place winners:
Chicken – Checkered Pig (with a perfect 180!)
Ribs – Lady of Q (with a perfect 180!)
Pork – PRIME
Brisket – PRIME (with a perfect 180!)

Grand Champion – Sauced! BBQ Team
Reserve Grand Champion – The Smokehouse Mafia

Check out the full competition results here.