Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC
By Stephanie West, MABA Vice-President and “The Neck” Pitmaster for Team 270 Smokers
SUPERHEROs prevail!! Once again, the brother-sister power house of (MABA Board Member) Jerry Stephenson and Roxanne Stephenson Manly knocked it out of the park to capture their 5th Grand Championship of the year, secure their lead in the Old North State Series, and propel them into the Top 10 KCBS teams in the world!! What an awesome run for Redneck Scientific!!
This was the 3rd year for Pigs & Pedals in the charming town of Asheboro, NC and 47 BBQ teams turned out to vie for $12K in prize money. The BBQ comp is coupled with cycling and foot races, and you can feel the energy and enthusiasm for this event throughout the entire town. Local sponsors generously donated a dozen or more “door prizes” for the BBQ teams along with an ample goodie bag, and the City provided breakfast at nearby HOPS BBQ. They opened the city pool for BBQ teams, including free use of indoor showers. Live music was provided on Friday and Saturday, with quiet hours fully respected (thank you!) Contest organizer Pam Morgan and her team of volunteers were awesome, shuttling ice and other necessities to the teams all weekend.
A few tips: If you plan to attend next year, get there at 8am on Friday as team placement in the parking lot is pretty much sequential to your arrival time – the later you arrive, the further away you’ll be from the judging tent. (Teams are not allowed to set up on Thursday night as the event is held downtown.) Meat inspection was conducted roadside (not at your site) where teams queued up on a side street for check-in, so pack your meat cooler where it is readily accessible. And, if you can, bring a large misting station and an extra garden hose. It’s August, it’s North Carolina, it’s steamy hot in a beautifully paved parking lot. You get the idea!
First place winners:
Chicken – Contagious Q
Ribs –Wolf’s Revenge BBQ
Pork –Redneck Scientific
Brisket –Wolf’s Revenge BBQ
Grand Champion –Redneck Scientific
Reserve Grand Champion –Smoking Butt Heads
Check out the full competition results here.