Funny Farm BBQ

Polar Bear Challenge Results

2012-02-29T20:05:00.000-06:00

This contest definitely lived up to it's name, at least temperature-wise, however we did get a couple snow flurries blow through which didn't amount too a whole lot. Now the wind and cold were a different matter - the wind was just howling Friday with wind chills easily in the lower 20's. While the wind did die down for a sunny turn-in on Saturday the air was still a bit brisk.

The enclosed trailer with a heater removed me from the elements and I was warm an cozy the whole weekend. However, the smokers were affected to some degree, but it wasn't anything that was insurmountable. The whole cook went very good for me and I was very pleased with what I presented to the judges.

Now the judges on the other hand...just kidding. The judges had some great turn-ins to score - there were 14 teams competing that were at last years American Royal Invitational i.e. they won at least one Grand Championship in 2011! The winner of the American Royal Invitational and the Sam's Club National BBQ Tournament was there in addition to the team that placed second nationally last year in the KCBS point's chase. Wow, what tough crowd. Back to the judging, I was overall please with my scores, they were for the most part very high. I had two judges for the chicken, pork and brisket that were a bit out of line from the other four and as such, I didn't fare too well on these scores, but that's just life and personal preference. The ribs on the other hand, I had all the judges agree that they liked what I presented them and they blessed me with a 4th Place finish in Ribs. Any call at this contest would have been great and I was fortunate to get one. Overall I placed 25th out of 56 teams. Not too bad for the first time out this year.

We'll see how it goes at Pleasant Hill - not changing a thing, so it will be a good comparison.

Wild Blue BBQ

2012-02-13T12:23:00.000-06:00

We will make our return to Burlington, Kansas, July 20-21, 2012 for the Wild Blue BBQ contest. This is a yearly must-go-to contest for us - it's a blast! Friday night of the contest, the judges come to your site to judge three categories - it's a chance to actually show off for the judges which in recent years has become quite a show for us. Every year we seem to add something and even won the Pit Theme and appetizer categories last year. We have already started planning for this year's contest and are going to try to out-do what we did last year.

Smokin' In The Ozarks

2012-02-13T12:16:00.000-06:00

This will be a first for us - our first venture into Arkansas! We'll be in Rogers, Arkansas April 27-28, 2012, for the Smokin' In The Ozarks BBQ contest at the Pig Trail Harley Davidson store. I don't know a whole lot about this contest, but it was highly recommended by a friend, Tim Gray, who I met in Joplin, Missouri during Operation BBQ Relief. It will be interesting how many big names show up for this one.

Wheel 'n' Squeels BBQ Challenge

2012-02-04T16:50:00.000-06:00

They're coming hot and heavy now - one more added. I just completed the on-line registration for Wheels 'n' Squeels, Olathe, Kansas on August 3-4, 2012. This will be our 3rd consecutive year here and we are really looking forward to it. The organizers treat the teams very good and there are usually numerous activities for guests - cars shows, helicopter rides, etc. It also boast of drawing some of the best teams in the Midwest, so we will definitely have to have our "A" game going as we head into August.

Great Mall BBQ Contest

2012-02-04T00:26:00.000-06:00

Time to add a new contest for us. This will be the second year for the Great Mall BBQ Contest in Olathe, Kansas, May 18-19, 2012, and our first time to compete here. Last year they had 60 teams and are going to expand to 100 teams this year. The organizers state that they are going to offer first rights to the original 60 teams then open registration for the remaining spots on a first come, first serve policy. We sent our application in a day after this announcement was made, so with any luck we will get in, but we have a bit to wait for confirmation.

Paola Roots Fest

2012-02-04T00:19:00.000-06:00

And another...This time for the Paola Roots Fest in Paola, Kansas, August 24-25, 2012. This is one of our favorite contests - the organizers have live bands on stage all day Friday and Saturday headlined by major recording artists. We host normally host a party each night and have a great time with friends and family. This is one contest we stick around for even after the award's ceremony is over.

This will be our 6th year competing, hopefully with better results & the same great time as in previous years.

Smoke In The Spring

2012-01-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

One more added...Just sent in the entry form for Smoke In The Spring in Osage City, Kansas, April 6-7, 2012. This contest boasts as an all weather contest and believe me they know what they are talking about. The first year we were there, we were blessed with over five inches of snow on Friday night. We weren't prepared for this storm at all, but we learned a valuable lesson - be prepared for anything. Last year the conditions were ideal - sunny skies, little or no wind, and no precipitation, too bad I couldn't cook worth a damn. Hopefully this year we will see better results.

Smokin' On Big Creek

2012-01-20T21:01:00.001-06:00

I just entered the Smokin' On Big Creek BBQ contest which is being held in Pleasant Hill, Missouri March 30-31, 2012. We have cooked this contest three out of the four years it's been held. Jeff & Stan run one of the most top-notch contests our team has competed at. One of the highlights for us is the quality way the teams are treated not only by the organizers, but the volunteers, in particular, Shane, Vern & Dave (i.e. the MooCow BBQ Team). This year Big Creek is trying a new way to enter the contest using CompBBQ.com - if you have a chance check out the site - it's brand new but growing. Also, this year's contest is benefiting Operation BBQ Relief, an organization I am proud to be a founding member of.

Sertoma 48 Bar-BQ

2011-12-01T11:19:00.001-06:00

Our entry to the Sertoma 48 Bar-BQ was just placed in the mail!
The contest will be held in Lawrence, Kansas, May 4th and 5th.
This will be our fourth year competing at this contest and we are excited to make a return visit to help with their worthy cause.

Polar Bear BBQ Challenge

2011-12-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

Our entry to the Polar Bear BBQ Challenge was just placed in the mail!!
The contest will be held in Columbia, Missouri, February 24th and 25th.
This will be our first contest of the 2012 season - here's to a good start of the year and may the weather gods shine on us (no snow please).

Off-Season - Oh What To Do & Where To Start....

2011-11-28T20:20:00.002-06:00

The 2011 season was a bit of a disappointment on the competition side - we did not do nearly as well as last year. But it was one hell of a great year personally. I was able to reconnect with some old friends, turn my brother into a BBQ fanatic, showed a new friend how a team can be run solo, and worked side by side with some of the greatest BBQers anyone one would love to call their friends - they are now brothers and sisters - yes strong words, but read on and you will see how and why.

During one of the early contests, I was talking with one of my old college roommates, who also has his own team - well we decided to team up for two contests and had a great time. Who says BBQ competitions are all about winning? We really reconnected and enjoyed the camaraderie. We haven't talked much about teaming up in upcoming years, but it is always a possibility.

My brother came out in early June and helped with a few contests before we drove from Paola (Kansas City area) to Castle Rock, Colorado for a contest in July. He returned to Colorado with a brand new UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker) and started talking about starting a team of his own. He even got the bug so bad he drove back out later in the year and we (mainly he) built another one. Now that he's thinking of his own team, will I ever see him back to help out here???

I also met a new friend and fellow BBQ cook who wanted to change his game plan from where he was at - only one or two contest with quite a bit of partying - to adding more contests and taking it a bit more serious. He joined me at one contest and was quite a bit of help, was great to talk with, & showed the most emotion at the site all year - too bad this was the last contest of the year. Not only did he learn a little from me, I learned a lot from him. For that thank you Jay!

As for my new brothers & sisters, well all I have to is Joplin, Missouri and Operation BBQ Relief for Joplin. Please visit the Operation BBQ Relief.org to learn more. It is a great organization and a worthy cause. Personally, my experience started the Friday after the tornado hit when I arrived to help out feeding the relief workers and the affected families and ended Sunday with very little sleep and very emotional. The stories we heard and the sights we saw were just plain life changing. In 11 days, our group provided over 120,000 meals!! It is estimated that there were about 150 BBQers from 8 states who volunteered! We all became brothers and sisters that week and a half.

Now, It's the off season and I plan to reconfigure the BBQ trailer once again and build two more UDS's with Stokers. Stay tuned for those blogs.

It's also time to start planning for 2012!

The 2012 BBQ Season is just around the corner and we are looking at contests we are considering competing at.

January

OPEN

February

Polar Bear BBQ Challenge - Columbia, Missouri

March

Smokin' On Big Creek - Pleasant Hill, Missouri

April

Smoke in the Spring - Osage City, Kansas

Smokin' Red Dirt BBQ - Enid, Oklahoma

Smokin' in the Ozarks - Springdale, Arkansas

May

Sertoma 48 - Lawrence, Kansas

Rods, Ribs & Rock N Roll - Manhattan, Kansas

Wheatstock Grill-Off: Peace Love & BBQ - Abilene, Kansas

Great American Barbecue - Overland Park, Kansas

Red White Blue & Barbecue - Topeka, Kansas

June

Smokin' on the Summit - Lee's Summit, Missouri

Ol' Glory BBQ Challenge - Fredonia, Kansas

Smokin' Hot BBQ & Fireworks - Girard, Kansas

July

Hay Capital BBQ Cook Off - Yates Center, Kansas

Wild Blue Barbecue Cook-Off - Burlington, Kansas

Riverside BBQ Classic - Iola, Kansas

August

Wheels & Squeels BBQ Challenge - Olathe, Kansas

Flint Hills Beef Fest - Emporia, Kansas

Paola Roots Fest - Paola, Kansas

Four State BBQ Challenge - Quapaw, Oklahoma

September

Hay Capital BBQ Cook-Off - Yates Center, Kansas

Mission Battle of the Brisket - Mission, Kansas

Shawnee Great Grillers - Shawnee, Kansas

October

American Royal - Kansas City, Missouri

Autumn Blaze Smokeoff BBQ - Garnett, Kansas

November

OPEN

December

OPEN

Now, we will only select a few, yea right, probably somewhere in the 12-16 range, so stay tuned.....