Has the interest in BBQ contests dried up?

[Juggy D Beerman]

This page used to be an active site with competitors posting about contests, competition questions, hints and tips. That all has seemed to have passed. In the last 100 days, there has only been one thread posted. I don't cook the contests like I used to, but I still cook the Royal.

So what gives? Where are all the contest cookers who used to hang out here?

 

[smoke ninja]

it has been slow on this side of the forum lately. if I remember correctly it's always been pretty dead around here in the comp off-season

 

[TravelingJ]

I don't think the competition interest is drying up, I think this forum is drying up. It was already a bit slower-then there were all the issues with subscriptions, and now it's usually a struggle even to get on the site. It's 'force of habit' that keeps the tab open on my web browser, but I imagine to many people it's just not worth the headache any more. Especially when there are other options that make it so much easier to post and share pictures and cooks.

I still see a ton of posting about competitions on my instagram, so it's alive and well.

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

Smoke Ninja, The contest season has started with no fanfare here. In the last six months including today, there have been have been a total of 33 posts. That includes the fall season which includes the American Royal. Ten of those 33 posts were made by me.



Justin, I guess I am just a Luddite and a dinosaur. Posting on this site is as close to participating in social media as I get. I have a Facebook site with nothing posted on it. The only reason I have that page is because the Royal did a write up on me and my team on their Facebook site and the only way I could access the article was to be a member of Facebook. I am not active on Facebook at all. It was 25 years ago this past week I made my very first post on Ray Basso's forum. This site was not yet up and running in 1999. I miss the exchange of ideas and cooking tips for competition BBQ. I was wondering where everybody went.........

Thanks for the replies!

Juggy

 

[thirdeye]

So what gives? Where are all the contest cookers who used to hang out here?

I think Facebook has become wildly popular because an event with a FB page will directly connect organizers, sponsors, teams, judges, and special events like Kids-Q, Calcutta wagering, peoples choice, etc. The FB page for our local event updates the teams signing up every couple of days.

 

[PatAttack]

The exorbitant costs makes doing a contest prohibitive.

A lot of folks doing contests on the regular are sponsored making it somewhat easier on the pocket.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Interest up north may or may not have dried up, but it certainly seems to have around here.


Quick KCBS.us search of Illinoiz from now through 11/1 shows 7 contests in the Northern half of the state (9 total in the state), 3 contests listed have been Cancelled already, including the only State Championship up north, the next closest being around 6 hours south. Another 3 of the 7 are Backyard only. 2 more are listed as One Meat Ribs, only one appears to be a full contest.


Not sure how much was waning pre-post Covid, as my membership lapsed over a decade ago.

 

[eap0510]

I know that here in Ga. there use to a ton of contests around but within the past 2 or 3 years it has dried up. My normal driving range to judge a contest was 2-3 hours from the Atlanta area and I was able to easily judge 10 contests a year. Now I am lucky to judge 3 contests with a 2-3 hour driving range. For some reason, I assume lack of sponsors, the contests around here are all dying for sure.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

Around here a lot of sanctioning bodies have pulled out and BCA has come in to fill the gap. When we first started doing comps years ago, we were competing in KCBS, Memphis in May and IBCA sanctioned events. Now it seems the only group putting on contests here in Louisiana is BCA.

 

[BBQchef33]

Around here there were 3 each year. Now there's non.

Maybe because I was the organizer for all 3 of them and won't ever do that again.

I competed for 16 years. Was an organizer for 4.

Between the KCBS drama. The bullshit at the American royal every year. Tables of angels, tables from hell, broken scoring systems, whiney teams bitching about long grass or bad weather. Imo many of us just got fed up. As contests became further and further apart teams got more frustrated.. travel further for more stress and drama. Organizers were prepping contests for 6 months only to find they couldn't fill the spaces. I think that bbq pitmasters was the start of the downfall. Contests went from a bunch of us burping and farting and smokin cigars under a 10x10 ezup while we cooked a 25$ brisket on a wsm and had a pot luck dinner to $100k rvs, $20k jambos and $300 SRF briskets that would cook perfectly on the parking lot asphalt. To me..it just wasn't fun anymore. Within 20 miles of me there were 15-20 teams at one point.. now there's none. I think folks just got fed up between costs and drama and just gave up. I for one do all bbq charity work now. Cook for veterans and cancer coalitions. Less stress, more warm and fuzzies and no one grades my cooking for texture and tenderness.

 

[Brandon_Lutz]

ontests went from a bunch of us burping and farting and smokin cigars under a 10x10 ezup while we cooked a 25$ brisket on a wsm and had a pot luck dinner to $100k rvs, $20k jambos and $300 SRF briskets that would cook perfectly on the parking lot asphalt. To me..it just wasn't fun anymore.

Basically how it has gone here. If my employer didn't fund our team, I probably would not compete anymore. I'm using my equipment but they foot the bill for all of the supplies, fuel, etc..

We used to compete in up towards 10 contests at year but now are down only to 3 or 4. Lot of sanctioning bodies have pulled out and a lot of local contests don't exist anymore.

 

[CBQ]

Around here there were 3 each year. Now there's non.

Maybe because I was the organizer for all 3 of them and won't ever do that again.

I competed for 16 years. Was an organizer for 4.

Between the KCBS drama. The bullshit at the American royal every year. Tables of angels, tables from hell, broken scoring systems, whiney teams bitching about long grass or bad weather. Imo many of us just got fed up. As contests became further and further apart teams got more frustrated.. travel further for more stress and drama. Organizers were prepping contests for 6 months only to find they couldn't fill the spaces. I think that bbq pitmasters was the start of the downfall. Contests went from a bunch of us burping and farting and smokin cigars under a 10x10 ezup while we cooked a 25$ brisket on a wsm and had a pot luck dinner to $100k rvs, $20k jambos and $300 SRF briskets that would cook perfectly on the parking lot asphalt. To me..it just wasn't fun anymore. Within 20 miles of me there were 15-20 teams at one point.. now there's none. I think folks just got fed up between costs and drama and just gave up. I for one do all bbq charity work now. Cook for veterans and cancer coalitions. Less stress, more warm and fuzzies and no one grades my cooking for texture and tenderness.

Cooking in Sayville during the annual flooded contest is one reason I moved from an EZ-UP to an RV. There are a LOT of new contests in the northeast there, so it's recovering from the pandemic, but mostly new people. Only a few of the old schoolers remain. I haven't posted on here in ages - this site was a great resource, but Facebook and Instagram seem to be the places to be for most teams new. Ton of disinformation though...learned a lot here when I was starting out.

 

[Vince RnQ]

2024 marks my 19th season as a competition barbeque cook. I try to do 10 to 15 a year these days, but that requires a lot of driving from my home in Phoenix, AZ. I'm also much more selective about where and when I compete, so that also factors into the logistics.

A lot has changed over the years, some good, some bad, but I still love the challenge.

 

[2Fat]

Around here there were 3 each year. Now there's non.

Maybe because I was the organizer for all 3 of them and won't ever do that again.

I competed for 16 years. Was an organizer for 4.

Between the KCBS drama. The bullshit at the American royal every year. Tables of angels, tables from hell, broken scoring systems, whiney teams bitching about long grass or bad weather. Imo many of us just got fed up. As contests became further and further apart teams got more frustrated.. travel further for more stress and drama. Organizers were prepping contests for 6 months only to find they couldn't fill the spaces. I think that bbq pitmasters was the start of the downfall. Contests went from a bunch of us burping and farting and smokin cigars under a 10x10 ezup while we cooked a 25$ brisket on a wsm and had a pot luck dinner to $100k rvs, $20k jambos and $300 SRF briskets that would cook perfectly on the parking lot asphalt. To me..it just wasn't fun anymore. Within 20 miles of me there were 15-20 teams at one point.. now there's none. I think folks just got fed up between costs and drama and just gave up. I for one do all bbq charity work now. Cook for veterans and cancer coalitions. Less stress, more warm and fuzzies and no one grades my cooking for texture and tenderness.

Long gone are the days of stopping at a Sam's for your contest meats on the way to the contest---that was back when everyone's entry tasted(and looked) different--haven't competed in years(last was Jack 2011) but still judge occasionally -- but that is losing its allure too
buzz

 

[BBQchef33]

Cooking in Sayville during the annual flooded contest is one reason I moved from an EZ-UP to an RV. There are a LOT of new contests in the northeast there, so it's recovering from the pandemic, but mostly new people. Only a few of the old schoolers remain. I haven't posted on here in ages - this site was a great resource, but Facebook and Instagram seem to be the places to be for most teams new. Ton of disinformation though...learned a lot here when I was starting out.

I remember walking out of my trailer into knee deep water and looking at my generator sitting in about 5 inches of water and still running. It was sitting on a dolly with rubber wheels.... i didnt get zapped until i touched the metal on the trailer.

fun fun fun

 

[BBQchef33]

Long gone are the days of stopping at a Sam's for your contest meats on the way to the contest---that was back when everyone's entry tasted(and looked) different--haven't competed in years(last was Jack 2011) but still judge occasionally -- but that is losing its allure too
buzz

holy crap.. Buzz Dean!! How thell you been.?? Great to hear from you! @2Fat

 

[2Fat]

holy crap.. Buzz Dean!! How thell you been.?? Great to hear from you! @2Fat

same old POOPIE, different day---don't seem check here often--still recognize lots of the names--rekindling memories is a good thing--as I get older starting to realize what a special time those 'early' days bbq were--started visiting contests in '99 iirc, cooked first one in '06?, and quit in '11 when fun left the building--now spending time just traveling in the rv covers most of the bells&whistles

 

[BBQchef33]

same old POOPIE, different day---don't seem check here often--still recognize lots of the names--rekindling memories is a good thing--as I get older starting to realize what a special time those 'early' days bbq were--started visiting contests in '99 iirc, cooked first one in '06?, and quit in '11 when fun left the building--now spending time just traveling in the rv covers most of the bells&whistles

Yeah... same me.. still cant type for chit. Many of us the orig still here, most just hangout on facebook. Old site was showing it age and vulnerabilities so moved into some new digs.

totally awesome to hear from you. Were still us, no need to just be about BBQ, tribulations of RV travels is just as good.. Do you remember when my friend george just woke up one morning, got in his van and left? I get a call that hes decided to travel the country. He chronicled it here with the crazy stuff he was doing and we all waited for his updates. Gotta see if i can find the thread.

Like you, i stopped competing when it was no longer fun. Too much stress and drama. Same old crap from KCBS didnt help either. Nothing getting fixed and some stuff getting worse. So kept things alive by cooking for veterans and cancer coalitions.

Community has grown a little but the spirit still there. Stop in and say hello, let us know whats happening.. or stick around and abuse everyone like it used to be. How do you like our new digs?
@2Fat

 

[Stonehauler]

Would it be better to have a "standardized" selection?

Around here there were 3 each year. Now there's non.

Maybe because I was the organizer for all 3 of them and won't ever do that again.

I competed for 16 years. Was an organizer for 4.

Between the KCBS drama. The bullshit at the American royal every year. Tables of angels, tables from hell, broken scoring systems, whiney teams bitching about long grass or bad weather. Imo many of us just got fed up. As contests became further and further apart teams got more frustrated.. travel further for more stress and drama. Organizers were prepping contests for 6 months only to find they couldn't fill the spaces. I think that bbq pitmasters was the start of the downfall. Contests went from a bunch of us burping and farting and smokin cigars under a 10x10 ezup while we cooked a 25$ brisket on a wsm and had a pot luck dinner to $100k rvs, $20k jambos and $300 SRF briskets that would cook perfectly on the parking lot asphalt. To me..it just wasn't fun anymore. Within 20 miles of me there were 15-20 teams at one point.. now there's none. I think folks just got fed up between costs and drama and just gave up. I for one do all bbq charity work now. Cook for veterans and cancer coalitions. Less stress, more warm and fuzzies and no one grades my cooking for texture and tenderness.

Stupid question from a non competing person (I cook for me and my family), but could you not just do a "come to the competition. Select your meat (brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, goat, lamb, wings, beer can chicken, etc.) pay the fee for that selection, and we will have it waiting for you in the pack when you get here. Then go out and buy those ribs at Sams, Costco, BJs, or where the organizers would like? Then just draw straws to see which one you get?

Has it just gone too commercial and gotten away from a bunch of folks getting together to have some fun cooking and learning from each other?

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

The cost of comps got too steep for me. I loved it but paying tuitions for my 5 kids had to come first.

I also miss the yearly “BASH” we use to have at one of the BBQ restaurants in NYC. It was always great to see so many friends.