Travis is the Pitmaster for Gold-N-Blue Barbecue out of Martinsburg, WV. He got involved with competition BBQ in 2018 and has been serious about it ever since. Smokers of choice for Gold-N-Blue are hand built drum smokers, including their very own “T-Drum”. Travis is a strong advocate for the backyard circuit and has been a valued part of getting the backyard series off the ground and grown within MABA.

Outside of BBQ, Travis and his wife, Lauren are very active with the 4-H program and both serve as leaders, board members, and officers of different 4-H clubs and associations. They have 3 kids, a daughter Arlie, and twin newborns, Brisan and Caden.

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Shannon Turner is the pitmaster of Muttley Crew BBQ, a husband/wife team who has been competing since 2014.  Shannon has been a CBJ for several years and competes in SCA contests as well.  Muttley Crew BBQ competes in 25-35 contests per year, traveling all over the East coast as well as to Kansas City and Oklahoma.  Shannon won the 2017 Fire and Ice Cowboy Charcoal Female BBQ Contest during the World Food Championships.

Bill has previously served on the MABA Board of Directors and brings his experience and insight as a KCBS Master Judge, Contest Organizer and KCBS Rep to the board. He has hosted two judges training classes and assisted on several others. Bill has also worked to help various teams with trial cooks and lined up judges to give instant feedback to those teams or what works and what did not work.  Bill enjoys cooking on various pieces of equipment from gas to pellet to wood fired.

Competitive BBQ is not just a hobby for me, it is part of my life, and a big part at that!  As a judge, table captain, organizer and cook team, I have experienced almost every facet of competition BBQ.

I would like to see the area of Backyard continue to grow with partnerships with experienced or master series teams, classes and learning opportunities, and more contests. I intend to be an advocate for all members of MABA, from cook teams (both Master Series and Backyard) to the volunteers that help run events in our region.

I am a pitmaster with Blue and Gray BBQ competing across the mid-Atlantic for the past 6 years. 

I was introduced into the world of competitive BBQ in the Fall of 2016. Since that time the BBQ community has provided me with new friendships, opportunities, great experiences, and an overall respect for everyone involved. In addition to organizing Smoke in the Grove BBQ Festival and mostly recently the Giant National BBQ Battle in DC, I have completed the KCBS Certified Judge course, and cook on a Master Series Team, 50 Shades of Pork.

I look forward to serving, giving back, and improving the competitive BBQ experience for teams, judges, and organizers in the Mid-Atlantic region

Dave Travis is the pitmaster at ShaaZaam-A-Que.