American Royal Barbecue - Kansas City - 9/30-10/2

KimG SOW

New member
Thought I would start this thread during the 6 hour long drive to western KS. After the Flint Hills it is very boring! :(

For those that aren't familiar with the AR, it is the largest bbq event in the world. It consists of 2 contests in the same weekend, the Invitational and the Open. This year there are about 165 teams in the Invite and 520 teams in the Open.

This is the first year for the BPS Team to compete. SOW Team has cooked it for 5 yrs but this our second year to cook in the Invitational.

We are very excited to have the BPS Team in KC. Can't wait to see you guys! :)
 

Rip

New member
Sounds like a great time! I'm trying to figure out a way to drop by, couldn't be a worse weekend for me....nevertheless, efforting!
 

Candy Sue

New member
Wow! It's up to 520! BBQr's Delight cooked it first in 2009 because I qualified for the invitational. It was such a good time (and good for business!) that I'm back for the 3rd year, just cooking the open and all the sides.
 

KimG SOW

New member
Wow! It's up to 520! BBQr's DeliDght cooked it first in 2009 because I qualified for the invitational. It was such a good time (and good for business!) that I'm back for the 3rd year, just cooking the open and all the sides.

Let me know if you any unofficial judges for those sides. ;)
 

Candy Sue

New member
You come on by after turn in. I'll make sure I have a Jack Daniel's trifle for you after dessert. No judging necessary
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
Fake humility spark....seriousl;y this invitational is the toughest field in bbq so we are just going top try to be prepared and execute and pray at awards.
 

HoDeDo

New member
Sparky... At 150+ teams usually, the invitational is a BEAR. I cooked 1st place pork the year Todd and I cooked it together and I about died. Getting a call there (keep in mind you have 150 judges at tables too, so that is alot of judging variation) is HUGE! Everyone cooking is a grand champ.

The next day at the Open is really crazy.... all the invitational folk, plus 400 other of your closest friends. (yes, 500 judges too!!!)
there can be 8 way ties! in multiple places.... it is totally nuts. If you cook good, and the tables are lucky for you, and the stars align.... then you can win!!! We cooked the same food the last several years there, and were RGC in the open (with 3 calls) and have goose egged the open. (and were super happy to be in the top 20%.) So while skill is a necessity, luck has to be there too. I hope the BPS boys have both this coming weekend. I heard some 73 yr old was gonna duct tape BP to chair and carry him to his first awards. I'm switzerland in this thing :) I'd love to see the guys take THAT stage walk though. pretty humbling getting cheered on by everyone. It's a feeling you cant describe looking back at everyone in Hale Arena.
 

Candy Sue

New member
I sure hope yesterday's GC got you thinking winner, winner, winner! The Royal is an event like none other. My goal is to make first page of results somewhere in the open. Got to say, though it's pretty exciting to be there regardless. Where else can you socialize with so many barbequers in one place?
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
We are happy to have qualified and will just try to do our best

Yesterdays gc qualified us for next years.

We hope the momentum of last weeks r g c followed by this weeks gc will keep us just from embarrassing ourselves

For those of you who don't know. I don't ever go to the awards. Never seen one. That makes the BBQ guys scratch their heads...Johnny Trigg is who Andy was referring to with the duct taping me to a chair. He says he will physically force me to go

Johnny hasnbeen wonderful to me and the boys as he calls the rest of the team. he got us a premium spot next to him at the royal. Something a first timer never gets
 

KimG SOW

New member
Yeah..... the rest of the new timers are at the back of the 'dark side' and have a 7-8 minute walk to turn-in. LOL! See you guys soon!!!
 

Candy Sue

New member
Heck! You're not alone in that -- first year at the Royal, I left after last open turn-in. I was all the way back to Arkansas before the awards ended (that's 3.5 hours). May do that again this year actually! Kim and Andy can talk about calls in the Open -- I just want to make the 1st page of results -- Really! Though you really shoud go to the awards sometime.

Being able to be the first out is one advantage of being closest to the gate. May even beat Ronnie and Michelle Wade out the parking lot!
 

CarterQ

Moderator
Should be awesome, enjoy the experience and soak it all in. Good luck to all of our PelletSmoking.com friends!
 

scooter

Moderator
Will be thinking of all of you this weekend! May your cooker temps stay steady, your seasonings infuse, your timing be impecable and all your categories stay warm and hit the right tables!
 
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