BBQ Craze Dying Down???

I personally think the huge surge in classes available has caused the decline in the sport as well. I love classes and try to take one every year, but it has caused everyone to be so damn good. The variability in boxes turned in must be splitting hairs at this point for judges so they have to nit pick and give a 7 for a seed in the sauce on chicken. Plus, back when we started as a new team, knowing nothing about competition BBQ we would get a call per contest. Now unless you go to classes and know your stuff, you don't have much of a chance. So we have competitions with teams that are invested and established, but we don't add new teams in year to year. They don't get hooked like we did starting out and got a call competing against the Big Teams on a couple of BGE's. So they do a contest, go home empty handed and don't do another contest. I would like to see contests give a free entry to the new teams (under 5 contests cooked) for the next year. Might be a way to replenish the pound....
Eggspert
 
Untraceable said:
Maybe the big Smithfield grant programs and alike should be used to lower entry fee's instead of inflating the prize $. The backyard guys see's 300 bucks for an entry fee and puckers.
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Excellent point. When choosing contests, I tend to be drawn to lower entry fees rather than high payouts

I do this for fun (and to win of course), but a $300 entry fee makes me think twice.

Go look at some contests back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Entry fees of $100 were very common in KCBS
 
I always like to compare competition BBQ to NASCAR and golf tournaments.

In the early days, there were A LOT of privateers in NASCAR. NASCAR went through similar swings up and down until there are now only pro teams.

They've made a lot of adjustments over the decades until now, NASCAR doesn't look anything at all like it did back in the 60's

The same cycles will likely happen with competition BBQ.

Most of the privateers are now competing in ASA or SCCA events.

When people ask me about the money, I tell them anyone going into competition BBQ to make a living at is is not a very good businessman.

I always see BBQ events just like golf tournaments. We're having fun to raise money for a good cause. If you don't find competing in competition BBQ fun, then I would advise 'don't do it'.

I'm still having a blast with it and I figure I'll keep at it until I move into the nursing home. :)
 
ynotfehc said:
Looks like this year there were 2 comps in Missouri and 1 in Kansas this weekend along with Red Dirt and the Sams Regional in Vegas. Last year there was 1 comp in Missouri, and the rest were quite a drive away frlm Oklahoma. Might have something to do with it.
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This had a direct effect on Enid. With Easter in the middle of the month I think a lot of contests in the area ended up on the same weekend.

Morris had some issues with their comp last year and some teams decided to go to a new contest in Wellington. While we don't like to see contests disappear if it's not supported by the community it will fail. Oklahoma has as many contests this year as last year and more in the works.
 
I feel like I'm trespassing big time here, but here's my observation. Actual BBQ may be in a slight temporary lull- but "cooking" is surging. Look in Q talk at the pizzas-pastas-desserts-sandwiches- almost everything but cold cereal.

Cooking is alive and well. Q is historic- it may be resetting much like golf. More economic than Culinary.

I'll leave now. Don't hit me too hard.
 
QansasjayhawQ said:
I always like to compare competition BBQ to NASCAR and golf tournaments.

In the early days, there were A LOT of privateers in NASCAR. NASCAR went through similar swings up and down until there are now only pro teams.

They've made a lot of adjustments over the decades until now, NASCAR doesn't look anything at all like it did back in the 60's

The same cycles will likely happen with competition BBQ.

Most of the privateers are now competing in ASA or SCCA events.

When people ask me about the money, I tell them anyone going into competition BBQ to make a living at is is not a very good businessman.

I always see BBQ events just like golf tournaments. We're having fun to raise money for a good cause. If you don't find competing in competition BBQ fun, then I would advise 'don't do it'.

I'm still having a blast with it and I figure I'll keep at it until I move into the nursing home. :)
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I agree with this. I don't know how or when it will happen, but at some point there will be a "pro series" and then a few lower level feeder circuits. It might not be popular with some cooks, but it's the next logical step for growth. It will dramatically increase the marketing potential and visibility of comp BBQ so someone will step in and make it happen.
 
Can't speak too much - but in MT it's much like kenthanson said about the prairie of Canada (hmmm...stop to think of it - MT is kind of south Canada...) we are seeing growth. More teams at what were traditionally small competitions - a couple more competitions added this year to our state. Then again - this is MT. We have a sign at the border that says "Welcome! Please set your watch back 5 years."
 
Man if there were $100 fees we could be more into it. $300 for contests is a bit much. Hard to get any sort of footing doing 1 a year. Its where were at now. Unless you got sponsorship or teammates you really don't have much of a chance.
On that note anyone who wants to come help me out at Sam's Club in Harrisburg check out my other thread and pm if you like. Could use a hand. No cost to you if you come aside from getting there. Free beer just saying. Back to the topic at hand.
 
Untraceable said:
Maybe the big Smithfield grant programs and alike should be used to lower entry fee's instead of inflating the prize $. The backyard guys see's 300 bucks for an entry fee and puckers.
Click to expand...

I agree with this to a point, but I have recently seen contests slashing prize money and sneakily splitting prize money over back to backs and still charging the same entrance fee. If the prize money goes down too much more that will be the death of the sport. I can rationalize spending $1000 to split a $3000 pot. In the infamous words of Myron Mixon, "I won't fire up my pit for that." I know more than likely I won't make money or break even at a contest, but I can't enter one that there is no chance of me doing so.

The back to back contest BS is driving me nuts as well. Contests that used to be a normal $10000 contest switching to back to back and splitting the money to $5-7,000 per contest and advertise how great it is for the teams. No it's not, I have to cook two contests, plus finance two contests to win the same amount. Dumb.

Eggspert
 
Eggspert said:
The back to back contest BS is driving me nuts as well. Contests that used to be a normal $10000 contest switching to back to back and splitting the money to $5-7,000 per contest and advertise how great it is for the teams. No it's not, I have to cook two contests, plus finance two contests to win the same amount. Dumb.

Eggspert
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But it is great for us judges. :becky: Firelake in Shawnee, OK was a really good one this year, with $15K in prize money. Lots of very good cooks there.
 
Rusty Kettle said:
Man if there were $100 fees we could be more into it. $300 for contests is a bit much. Hard to get any sort of footing doing 1 a year. Its where were at now. Unless you got sponsorship or teammates you really don't have much of a chance.
On that note anyone who wants to come help me out at Sam's Club in Harrisburg check out my other thread and pm if you like. Could use a hand. No cost to you if you come aside from getting there. Free beer just saying. Back to the topic at hand.
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I will say that's one advantage that IBCA has over KCBS. I'm cooking this weekend and the entry fee is $155 with full RV hookups and free entry for visitors. Buying wristbands for visitors at $10-15 a pop at some cooks drives me nuts.
 
It amazes me how IBCA can charge such low entry fees. I've been to KCBS contests with $275-$300 entry fees and the organizer says they barely make any money. I've been to others with $200 entry fees that have been going on for 25+ years.

Does IBCA do something different that allows organizers to make more money or lower their costs? Just wondering. Never done a IBCA or attended one
 
Even with steep entry fees, I've seen large contests in my area this year. It would be great to get the entry fees down to make it more affordable. I think there is also a building frustration amongst teams because the judging is all over the place. KCBS really needs to do something about the judging and the seating of the judges. There shouldn't be any Angel tables of Tables of Death.
 
This thing we do takes a lot out of you. Cooks get tired! I'm tired. I work a full time job and it's just hard. I do love the process.


I think this will pass. They said competitions would die when gas hit $4/gallon. It didn't. I do believe that KCBS needs to work out some problems. I do believe that IBCA needs to work out some problems. There were 8 IBCA comps in Arkansas last year. There is maybe one this year, but I'm not sure of that one either.
 
Okie Sawbones said:
Not saying it doesn't exist, but I have not seen this occurring.
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You might try looking a little farther east. Most of the politics seems to be in the smaller eastern states trying to compete with MBN and KCBS. Just my $0.02.

I just made up my mind to let it go and enjoy my weekend cooks with friends and family.
 
backdraftbbq said:
Even with steep entry fees, I've seen large contests in my area this year. It would be great to get the entry fees down to make it more affordable. I think there is also a building frustration amongst teams because the judging is all over the place. KCBS really needs to do something about the judging and the seating of the judges. There shouldn't be any Angel tables of Tables of Death.
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They already do. They spread around the master judges, and they try to not put more than one noob per table. Low scoring judge is pitched anyway. I would like to see required testing of judges, and required continuing education, but I think I am tilting at windmills.
 
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