By Howard Poole, MABA Board member and pitmaster of Plum Crazy BBQ.Â
It’s not often that BBQers get associated with Ironman competitions. Most of us aren’t considered brisk joggers, let alone a group known for running through intense triathlons. Yet, at the beginning of April, teams come from miles around to try their hand at the Ironman KCBS Contest in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Instead of running or swimming, teams are tasked with cooking old school. That means no electronics, and limited meat per each team. It is an intense match to find out who truly knows the smokers they use, and who can pull off near perfection with so little room for error.
Teams started Friday night with the Ironman Steak Cook-off. A lot of great steaks were turned in, and even though it rained most of Friday evening, the rain did let off in time for new SCA reps Keith and Angel Todd to announce the winner. Congrats to Michael Rosenthal of Dr. Pearls Medicinal Smoke on achieving Grand Champion at the cook-off, and for securing the golden ticket to the World Steak Championship!!!
Friday night broke into some great early April weather (woohoo Ironman!!) and made for some great cooking conditions. To truly give the Ironman its namesake, teams must take the meat into account. Teams are allowed to cook 1 pork butt, 1 brisket, 1 rack of ribs, and 7 chicken thighs max. So if one mistake is made, it could cost a cook big. Even with all of these extra challenges, teams came back with some great scores, and turned out some fantastic BBQ. Congratulations to Wolf’s Revenge BBQ for the Grand Championship and to Piggin Whiskey on RGC.
By Howard Poole, MABA Board Member and Pitmaster for Plum Crazy BBQ
If you were to look up the state slogan of West Virginia, you would find three words, “Wild and Wonderful”. After spending the weekend in beautiful Weston, West Virginia at the 4th Annual Almost Heaven BBQ Bash, you’d understand the state chose those three words.
Serving as Host to the West Virginia MABA Cup and State Championship, the stakes were high for competitors from near and far. Not only did Almost Heaven have their annual KCBS BBQ competition, but, they also hosted the first ever SCA (steak cook-off association) comp to be held in West Virginia. If that wasn’t wild enough, you should check out its location. For the past three years, the entire event has been held at the Trans-Alleghany Lunatic Asylum. Tours were offered throughout Friday and Saturday, even late into the night. Although I haven’t taken a hard count, I am fairly confident that none of the BBQ teams were kept for further psych evaluations. Not only did the Asylum act as a great backdrop for the event, but it also pleased the historical and science fiction fans in us all.
For the competition portion of the event, we couldn’t have asked for much more. The staff was courteous and fun, the weather was fantastic, and the crowds were excited. Things started off strong on Friday with the wing competition and the SCA Cook-off. Congratulations to Convicted Pigs BBQ on their 1st place wings. And congratulations to Chiles Cridlin, of Wolfes Revenge, for 1st place in the SCA Comp. Chiles win qualifies him to compete in the SCA World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas. If I had to guess what got him first place, I’d guess he snuck a few of those world famous scotch eggs in the box. Those are winners for sure!!!
After all that excitement Friday night, it was time to focus on the big four meats. From the looks of the scores, it looks like a lot of teams had some fantastic cooks. Maybe there were a few BBQ spirits in the old Asylum that gave us all such good luck. At the end of the day though, it all comes down to who’s called last. That honor goes to Spittin Feathers BBQ. Congratulations to them on not only getting Grand Champion, but also getting an Auto Qualifier to the Jack Daniels Invitational Championship. A congratulations should also be given to Wolfes Revenge BBQ on receiving RGC. And finally, congratulations to WV Loc-N-Loaded BBQ for winning the West Virginia MABA Cup, you represented your home state well.
For all the teams that made it to Weston: I hope you had a geat time, and congratulations to all who heard their names called. To those who couldn’t make it this year: Make sure you add it to your list for next year, then maybe you could see why West Virginia is so “Wild and Wonderful”.
Comments Off on Chillin & Grillin in the Glades – Wise, VA
By Luke Darnell, MABA President and Pitmaster of Old Virginia Smoke
Chillin and Grillin in the Glades
In its fourth year, Chillin and Grillin in the Glades continues to be a fantastically run contest in Wise, Virginia. Organizer Greg Cross does such a good job in making sure the teams lack for nothing.
New to Wise this year was an SCA Steak Cookoff on Friday night. This was great fun for the teams and spectators, as there was significant trash talking amongst the competitors. All in good fun. Steaks were shared afterwards. In a shocking development, the steak contest was won by first time cook Jerry Stephenson of Redneck Scientific, while Look Darnell of Old Virginia Smoke got his first ever steak call with second place.
This year, the weather had some rain showers, but nothing that the teams couldn’t overcome. The window for awards was tight, but they were able to get them in before the showers started. Wolfs Revenge ended up as champion on the day, winning GC, with Redneck Scientific earning RGC honors.
The Town of Wise is already looking forward to next year. If you haven’t cooked this contest, be sure to consider it for your calendar.
Comments Off on MABA Annual Meeting a Huge Success!
February 10th brought the annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Barbecue Association. Our venue was Addy’s in Manassas, Virginia and the support from the membership was strong, selling out the event. MABA President Luke Darnell had a full slate on the agenda and got started promptly at noon. After opening remarks, it was right into Tier I and the new Tier II awards. Congratulations to all who heard their name called and received awards and money! Here’s how the top ten. in each category ended up:
TIER I
CHICKEN:
10th place – Checkered Flag 500
9th place – 3N1 Q
8th place – Shortsville Smokers
7th place – Redneck Scientific
6th place – Wolfs Revenge
5th place – Sauce This! BBQ
4th place – 420Q
3rd place – 3Eyz BBQ
2nd place – Rockin Robyn’s
1st place, 2017 Bill Allen Memorial Chicken Team of the Year- Old Virginia Smoke
RIBS:
10th place – Sauce This! BBQ
9th place – Drillin and Grillin
8th place – Checkered Flag 500
7th place – 3N1 Q
6th place – Rockin Robyn’s
5th place – Lo -n -Slow
4th place – Muttley Crew
3rd place – Wolf’s Revenge
2nd place – Aporkalypse Now
1st place – 3 Eyz BBQ
PORK:
10th place – Checkered Flag 500
9th place – Old Virginia Smoke
8th place – 420Q
7th place – The Smokehouse Mafia
6th place – Lo – n – Slo BBQ
5th place – Redneck Scientific
4th place – Rockin Robyn’s
3rd place… – Wolf’s Revenge
2nd place – Shortsville Smokers
1st place – Aporkalypse Now
BRISKET:
10th place – Aporkalypse Now
9th place – Rockin Robyn’s
8th place – 3N1 Q
7th place – Sauce This! BBQ
6th place – Lo -N- Slo
5th place – Old Virginia Smoke
4th place – Rhode Hog
3rd place – 420Q
2nd place – Wolf’s Revenge
1st place – Checkered Flag 500 BBQ
OVERALL:
10th place – Drilling and Grilling
9th place – Muttley Crew
8th place – Redneck Scientific
7th place – Shortsville Smokers
6th place – Lo -n -Slo
5th place – Aporkalypse Now
4th place – Checkered Flag 500
3rd place – Rockin Robyns
2nd place – Old Virginia Smoke
1st place – Wolf’s Revenge
TIER II
CHICKEN:
10th place – Butt Up or Shut Up
9th place – Smokin’ Aint Easy
8th place – Smokin’ Foolz
7th place – Smokopolis
6th place – Smoke N BArrels BBQ
5th place – The BBQ Guru
4th place – Red Valley BBQ
3rd Place – Crimson Q
2nd place – Black Hart BBQ
1st place – 2 Rhodies
RIBS:
10th place – 2 Rhodies
9th place – Little Luke’s BBQ
8th place – The BBQ Guru
7th place – Holdin’ My BBQ
6th place – Lil Will’s Southern Que
5th place – The Bearded One BBQ
4th place – Black Hart BBQ
3rd place – Butt Up or Shut Up
2nd place – Dante’s Inferno
1st place – Smokey Dog
PORK
10th place – Ribs Within
9th place – Fireside Alchemy
8th place – Funny Bones BBQ
7th place – All Fired Up BBQ
6th place – Old Town Smokers
5th place – Hoos Smokin’
4th place – Black Hart BBQ
3rd place – Smokin Hoggz BBQ
2nd place – Christmas City BBQ
1st place – Dr. Pearl’s Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team
BRISKET:
10th place – Little Luke’s BBQ
9th place – Crimson Q
8th place – BBQ Guru
7th place – Game On BBQ
6th place – 2 Rhodies BBQ
5th place – Christmas City BBQ
4th place – Shady Crew
3rd place – Dr. Pearl’s Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team
2nd place – Smokin HOggz BBQ
1st place – Dante’s Inferno
OVERALL
10th place – Big D’s BBQ
9th place – Slower Lower BBQ
8th place – Nice Racks
7th place – Butt Up or Shut Up
6th place – Funny Bones BBQ
5th place – Christmas City BBQ
4th place – The BBQ Guru
3rd place – Black Hart BBQ
2nd place – Dante’s Inferno
1st place – Dr. Pearls Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team
MABA Rookie Team of the Year for 2017 – Love N Smoke
After the awards, a special President’s award was presented to Sauce This BBQ. Then it was onto the raffle for the three smokers and Grizzy Coolers. Special thanks to BBQ Guru for the Monolith Ceramic Grill, Deep South Smokers for the Mailbox Smoker, and Traeger for the Pro Series 34. Also, thanks to Eric Forrester of Mason Dixon BBQ Services for donating two Grizzly coolers. Here are the winners of these items:
Monolith Ceramic Grill – Tex Loudenslager
Deep South Mailbox Smoker – Todd Johnston
Traeger Pro Series 34 – Jason Bradfield
Grizzly Cooler – Rolfe Garrett
Grizzly Cooler – Chris Safley
Finally, perhaps the best part of the meeting, the raffle for nearly 40 contests and dozens of barbecue related prizes! All in all, the MABA Annual Banquet was a tremendous success. Thanks to all of our sponsors and generous companies that donated product for the raffles pictured below. Congratulations to everyone who won awards and raffle prizes, we can’t wait to see everyone in 2018 on the competition trail.
Comments Off on MABA Well Represented at the KCBS Banquet
by Luke Darnell, MABA President and Pitmaster for Old Virginia Smoke
2017 was another fantastic year for MABA teams at the upper levels of the KCBS rankings. This region continues to thrive year in and year out, and has become a force to be reckoned with in the BBQ world. Congrats to all that heard their name called at the KCBS Banquet in January, and good luck to everyone in the upcoming year!
Comments Off on MABA Teams Have Strong Showing at Prestigious KOS Event
By Brian Walrath, Pitmaster of Brown Liquor BBQ
Four MABA member teams had the extreme privilege and honor to compete in the annual Smithfield King of the Smoker Invitational earlier this month in Rancho Mirage, California. Sterling Ball of well know Big Poppa Smokers created this event years ago to bring together the best of the best to compete in one last contest of the year in a format where the playing field is about as level as you can get. It’s a literal who’s who of barbecue royalty mixed in with teams that have qualified by kicking butt week in and week out on the KCBS circuit and finishing toward the top. Sterling hand picks 25 teams and provides much of what they need to cook, in many circumstances, a very long way from home!
Our very own MABA President, Luke Darnell of Old Virginia Smoke was fortunate to be invited, along with Scott Adams and his team, Sauced!, Chiles Cridlin of Wolf’s Revenge, and Dave Pavone of Pavone Brothers BBQ. Dave earned his way in by winning the Smithfield BBQ Classic earlier in the year! All of these pitmasters had such a memorable time that they wanted to each share a little about their experience in California. Way to go guys and thanks for sharing!
Scott Adams, pitmaster of Sauced!
When you get an invitation to spend a weekend at a beautiful resort in the Palm Springs, California desert and cook against 24 of the top pitmasters in the country it doesn’t take you long to say ‘Yes!’.
We’ve been fortunate enough to get this invitation 2 years in a row and each time it has exceeded our expectations. Being able to test your BBQ skills in an old school, no gimmicks, no frills, no holds barred cook off you really get to see who is the best pitmaster. With a crowd like this you can have this event 24 times and you would potentially get 24 different winners. There is a reason they call it King of the Smoker.
Not too long ago, a BBQ competition used to be showing up with a smoker, a table and few chairs and a tent and sleep (maybe) while tending the fire and cooking meat you bought at the local grocery store or maybe local butcher. The King of the Smoker takes you back to those days by making the playing field as even as you can make it. Everyone gets the same meat, 2 whole chickens, 3 racks of ribs, 3 pork butts and 1 wagyu brisket. Having major sponsors like Smithfield and Snake River providing the meat (and meals) show how important they think competitive BBQ is to their business Add to that 2 prep tables, 2 chairs and the usual equipment (foil, pans, gloves, cutting boards) and you providing your knives, rubs, injections, marinades and sauces. Most everyone gets to use the smoker they use back home and you are doing all of this under a tent, out in the open, for all to see. No heading off in to your RV or trailer to put those secret touches on the meat without prying eyes. It really is an event unlike any other.
Sterling Ball, aka Big Poppa, and company make it a 5 star event and all of this is done to bring BBQ to the public in a way its not really presented anymore. Out in the open for all to see. Getting to interact with the ticket buying public after turn ins is a blast. These patrons know they are seeing the best of the best and being able to go up and strike up a conversation with a top pitmaster is a truly unique experience. And on top of it all money is raised for a great cause, the Casey Lee Ball Foundation. Everything done here raises money for the foundation. The event really takes BBQ for a good cause to a new level.
Luke Darnell, pitmaster of Old Virginia Smoke
This year, Old Virginia Smoke was blessed to be invited to cook at the Smithfield King of the Smokers event in Palm Springs, California.
There is no other event like it.
Sterling Ball and his team from Big Poppa Smokers make sure that the BBQ teams want for nothing. All of the food for all of the functions – expertly prepared. 1st class entertainment. Great learning opportunities and a real focus on interacting with the public. Basically—a BBQ amusement park.
The best part of the entire event however is the focus on charity, particularly raising more than $170,000 for the Casey Lee Ball Foundation. The charity doesn’t stop there, as Big Poppa Smokers also awards funds to his teams in the Elite Team program to the charities of their choice. The focus is on giving all weekend, and the experience was an inspiration.
We had a fantastic time, meeting new people and seeing old friends, and cooking BBQ in an amazing setting. There were many funny moments that you just don’t have at a BBQ contest, because we were all basically exposed. There was no trailer to hide in. Everyone had the same amount of space, and cooked out in the open. There was singing, dancing, lucky beers, unlucky beers and a camaraderie that has rekindled the love and excitement of what we do.
Very proud of how the MABA teams cooked and participated! The Mid-Atlantic is strong and did well in an all star field.
Dave Pavone, pitmaster of Pavone Brothers BBQ
KOS…Oh My!
Pavone Brothers set out to win the Guinea Pig in Smithfield, VA in August 2017.
Not that we don’t want to win them all but this one had a seat at the King of the Smoker up for grabs.
KOS is a prestigious competition that only a handful of top notch teams get invited to. Well, we won; it was a surprise to even me.
This was a double edged sword. Why? Because all I could think of was how to get ready for KOS. The logistics are a huge undertaking, NOT The KOS team, Jessie, Jody and James the flame. They know just how to make everything work and man, work they did. Sleep…not so much.
Now here is a thought, you call someone you do not know 2,500 miles away and say, “Hey, I am Dave Pavone and I get to cook KOS, would you mind lending me your Jambo?” I expected a very long silence, but right away I got a, “sure thing, I’ll have it there for you on Friday morning.” From then on it was unreal!
Our plan for KOS…family, food, and fun, and try not to come in last just like every competition we cook.
At KOS, you only need to worry about cooking. It’s the Meca of BBQ, it’s BBQ Christmas, it’s the biggest, bestest BBQ party you will ever see. Every one is treated like kings and queens.
I have never cooked a competition that catered to the cooks like this one. The welcome party was food, drink, music, and who knew Annella Kelso from Snake River Farms could sing? Full of surprises!
I woke up early eastern time on the west coast, all very still on the competition site. Then Big Poppa’s trucks started rolling in, and in what seemed like minutes, tent city was set up and everyone’s cook area was setup.
If you said I need…you can bet it was there. We were provided box lunches on Friday during set up. Then right into meat draw. Dinner followed and this was all top-notch food…no slacking. I did not fix breakfast burritos as I would normally do, so I was pleased to see tamales being handed out to all the teams; and man I could have just keep eating them, they were the best I have ever had.
Our cook went as normal, but I really liked our chicken and felt that was our best shot for a call.
Our ribs were, well our ribs (not a good year for ribs). The pork was average and I just knew it would not hold up to this group of cooks. Now my brisket – I loved my burnt ends but I overcooked the flat to my standards.
We finished Chicken 17th out of 25, ribs 14th out of 25, pork 24th out of 25 (say what), and brisket 2nd out of 25, for a finish of 19th out of 25. So we were on top and on bottom and some place in the middle.
On the plane ride over Jayne asked, “How do you feel?” My answer, “It’s like I am Rocky, I just do not know if I was doing the first or second show ☺.” I made sure I met every team and every team had time to say hello and spend time talking. Poor Johnny Trigg, I think I talked his ear off. Every team was top notch. Hell I got to cook next to Chris Lilly, needless to say, I was star struck from one end of this comp to the other.
My goal is to get back to the best competition I have ever seen. Sterling Ball and crew not only out did any competition I’ve ever seen, but they also raised $160K plus for the Casey Ball Foundation that benefits kids pediatric kidney foundation. Just a note with all this BBQ competition and fund raising going on, Sterling’s son Casey was set for a kidney transplant the following Tuesday. I don’t think I could have kept my head on the competition especially one this far over the top.
Chiles Cridlin, pitmaster of Wolf’s Revenge
It’s not just about competition BBQ
Over the past few years we have seen the social media postings about King of the Smokers or KOS for short. Yes, it’s an invitational contest that is organized by Sterling C. Ball, or “Big Poppa” as we have come to know him. Ok, so it’s a BBQ contest. What’s the big deal?
Guess what? It’s A VERY BIG DEAL and arguably one of the biggest deals in BBQ! This contest brings together 25 of some of the best cooking teams in the country, including more than a hand full of legendary pit masters! This is also an invite to cook for one of the highest payouts (over $75,000.00) in all of competition BBQ. King of the Smokers is a KCBS recognized contest (I am not saying sanctioned because Team of the year or TOY points are not awarded) but the philanthropy, hospitality and format are like nothing we have ever experienced in BBQ.
Imagine putting your rubs, spices and knives in the cargo hold of an airplane and traveling to the other side of the country.
No trailers, no running water, no electricity for the pits, no digital monitoring devices or electric knives! Only one lonely lightbulb from a single clamp on painters light is allowed to guide us through the cold desert night. We also have no idea what the judges may be looking for on the West Coast. The cook has not even started and we are already feeling the challenges of being outside of our time zone and way outside of our comfort zone. The venue is the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort in Rancho Mirage, California and its five star all the way. Every meal, including the reception, Sterling’s handmade tamale’s for breakfast, Smithfield and Snake River Farms provided proteins for dinners… It was all over the top. This could be a little intimidating as we are used to sleeping in trailers and eating gas station hot dogs, not fine dining and resort hotel rooms when on the road competing.
The contest format is not typical for KCBS. All the teams are given coolers via lottery containing two whole chickens (you have to turn in both white and dark meat), three Smithfield Prime racks of ribs, three Smithfield pork butts and one Snake River Farm brisket. No one gets to bring in their own meats and there is even a secondary inspection after the coolers are received. When you are used to turning in six thighs, one quickly realizes that two whole chickens don’t have six of anything. More pressure… At least we didn’t have to garnish our boxes and that’s a big relief. Oh, chicken turn in time is 11AM and not noon. All times have been moved up by an hour. That’s ok, just keep the curve balls coming.
Next we (and most other teams) had a smoker loaned to us that we have never cooked on before. We were fortunate enough to land an Ole Hickory ACE BP (Big Poppa that is) and a brand spanking new BPS drum. We fired the ACE up on Friday to make sure it would reach and maintain our preferred cooking temperature. Bingo! It worked like a charm and we can keep our timeline. Santa needs to bring us one of these!
All the teams are provided a 10×10 tent, two 4 foot plastic tables and basic supplies such as gloves, foil, paper towels, foil pans and charcoal. A trip to the local Walmart revealed that there was an unexplained shortage of Blue Bonnet margarine… Who would have bought all that? Onto the next store and then the next.
A quick look across the courtyard and we see the banners going up on the tents of all the teams. It took the fingers on both of my hands to count that there was not one, not two but SEVEN pit masters that I have taken classes from! To me, all of these guys are living BBQ legends and the ones I have not taken classes from will be or at least should be teaching BBQ classes in the future. Either way, no pressure here, right? I am sweating and its 50 degrees out.
With the exception of carving up the two chickens, our cook went without a hitch. Barry and Randy (Wolf’s team mates) continuously reminded me how much faster the other teams were at trimming their meats on both side of us. Thanks guys, more pressure. With a few adjustments, we succeeded in nailing our timelines and still managed to make appealing presentations, even without garnish. We finished first place in chicken with a score of 180, 11th in ribs and although our pork and brisket were near the bottom of the pack, Wolf’s Revenge BBQ placed 14th overall in a field of 25 of the toughest competitors and conditions we have ever faced. As tough as it was, it was a very even playing field and tested our cooking skills in a way we had never been tested before, all while still having fun!
That’s just the BBQ. For those of you that have not picked up on the philanthropy and generosity that BPS does for different children’s charities, it’s worth taking a read at elite.bigpoppasmokers.com. This single Smithfield KOS 2017 event raised over $167,000 for the Casey Lee Ball foundation for Pediatric kidney Disease Research. 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to the cause as this is truly a non-profit foundation. In addition to the money raised for the foundation, Sterling also announced the contributions raised for the BPS Elite Teams. Each BPS Elite Team gets to choose a charity near and dear to their hearts. Based on how a team performs during the year, their KCBS points are tallied and a dollar value is assigned. BPS cuts a check to the chosen charity on behalf of that BPS Elite team. Over $35,000 dollars in donations were announced for those charities that span coast to coast and all for benefit of children.
King of the Smokers is the best example of what can happen when big BBQ comes together with great cooking teams and both corporate and private sponsors, all for a great cause. Everyone wins, especially the kids that benefit through BBQ.
Comments Off on Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA
By Edward R. B’Que
The Covington Cork and Pork Festival 2017 is in the books. David “BB” Bryant and his team once again did a stellar job getting teams to his event. These folks treat BBQ teams like royalty. They supply an Italian dinner on Friday night that is delivered to your site by a John Deere Gator. On Saturday morning they bring breakfast to you as well! This is just about the most competitor-friendly contest on the MABA circuit for sure!
32 teams were there this year and BB wants to get 45 next year. These guys are committed to BBQ and growing the sport for sure! We had great weather and a really good crowd of locals visiting downtown Covington. The Mayor was hands-on at the event as well. He visited sites and welcomed teams just as he does every year.
Jay Reeder and 4:20Q from Hagerstown, MD overcame their Pork woes that have been hankering him to bring home the GC. Chiles Cridlin and Wolf’s Revenge out of Richmond, VA continued their rampage through the schedule with a nice RGC. Tom and Stacey Feil of Christmas City BBQ out of where else, but Bethlehem, PA brought home 3rd place honors.
Grate Smoke took home top Chicken honors, E.T.’s BBQ was 1st in Ribs, Wolf’s Revenge scored 1st in Pork and the GC 4:20 took home first place brisket money for his work!
Congrats to everyone that was called and if you need to fill a spot in your schedule I would highly recommend this contest in 2018!
Comments Off on Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV – June 16-17
By LaRee Fink, Pitmaster – House of Smoke BBQ
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was an open and functioning state hospital from 1858 until 1994.
In 2017, it became home to the Almost Heaven BBQ Bash We couldn’t think of a more fitting place for BBQ folks then a Mental Hospital.
Hats off to Jody Light, who always puts on a top notch event. This year was no different. The sites were beautiful with lots of shade trees. There were multiple activities for teams when not cooking, such as asylum tours and Zombie paint ball.
The competition was fierce as well, with 60 teams from all over the country vying for the grand championship and automatic birth in the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championship.
Congratulations to the winners:
GC: Rocky Top Barbecue
RGC: Wolf’s Revenge BBQ
Chicken: Who Cares BBQ
Ribs:Rocky Top Barbecue
Pork: Smoke Central BBQ
Brisket: Game On BBQ
Comments Off on Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC – May 5-6
By LaRee Fink, Pitmaster – House of Smoke BBQ
Entry Fee: $300.00
Payout: $22,750
Cook all four categories, plus People’s Choice, wings, and pork
Jiggy with the Piggy is a KCBS sanctioned event and is a HUGE festival type of event. Seventy-five teams cooked this event and the weather was a mix, from beautiful to chilly, and back to beautiful again. The organizers, staff, and volunteers were extremely helpful and made everyone feel welcome.
Eddie Smith and company did an awesome job putting this event together. Turn-ins were about a five minute walk from the furthest most site.
Sites were a big 25 X 50 and if you needed more, like Eddie says, “you need to downsize!” Breakfast was provided and there was a choice of a boxed meal. Lots of rides and freebies to keep the kids entertained and tons of vendors linked the festival grounds. It was an amazing contest and I definitely recommend it to anyone that can come, put it on your calendars for next year folks, you DO NOT want to miss this one.
