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1st Annual
Sam's Club Invitational BBQ Bash
August 20-21, 2010
Midwest City, Oklahoma
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Remember those dreams where
it's the first day of school, and you're the only freshman
in a room of upperclassmen? Now imagine that dream
staged at a BBQ contest, populated entirely by top KCBS
Team of the Year contenders -- only it's real, and you've
got to cook against all those big names.
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The Inaugural Sam’s Club
BBQ Bash was part of the company's new sponsorship program
of KCBS and competition barbeque. In an effort to support
the barbeque industry and its related suppliers, Sam's
Club invited 25 of the highest ranked KCBS teams in
America to Oklahoma for a chance at a $25,000 prize
pool. Among those teams was Rhythm 'n QUE, at the
location of the first-ever Sam's Club.
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Things we learned that
weekend:
It's a long way from Phoenix to OKC, and sixteen-plus
hours in the car will make your butt square.
Heat, humidity and asphalt are a bad mix.
Standing in a pan of ice and water does very little to
ameliorate the foregoing.
And the most important thing demonstrated yet again:
BBQ people are the BEST wherever you go, and wherever
you're from. From the moment we arrived at the venue,
teams that have been like rockstar names to us greeted us
warmly and made us feel as if we were old friends that
they just hadn't had the chance to meet yet. Not only do
these teams represent the highest achievement of the
sport, they also exemplify the camaraderie among cookers.
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The contest and sponsors treated all the teams like
superstars, they really went over the top. At the
cooks' meeting, we were informed that our "goody
bag" was a flatbed cart loaded high with Sam's Club
swag -- flats of water, cases of sodas, Gatorade and Red
Bull, paper products, charcoal, gallons of sauce, foil,
seasonings -- totally OFF THE HOOK!
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photo: KCBS
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The teams were also treated
to a VIP reception at a nearby Sheraton with wonderful
appetizers and a bar stocked with Budweiser and Pepsi
products, and we were able to meet several sponsors'
representatives and express our appreciation. On Saturday,
Tyson had a booth giving out free shave ice and Gatorade
so we didn't drop in the inferno.
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Carolyn
Wells, Executive Director of KCBS, Mike McCloud, CEO of
MMA Creative, and KCBS staffers Dawn Endrijaitis and Kelly
Cain were everywhere, making sure that everything was
handled and even taking time to chat with us in the middle
of all they had to do. This was our first contest
administered by KCBS contest reps Mike and Theresa Lake,
and their expertise makes us look forward to cooking under
them again.
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But even with
all the star power at the venue, just like at every other
contest, Saturday morning comes and it's crunch time,
where all you do is put your head down and just cook as
best you can.
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photo: Ribbie
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The collective talent
assembled at that contest was mind-boggling. The pack
scored tightly together, with no more than forty points
between the top and bottom of the field. Any of the
combined scores there could have won a good number of
contests anywhere in the nation. No wonder everyone
looked around twice before dropping their box on the entry
table!
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photo: KCBS
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I would have
loved to be in the judging tent, and hated to be in the
judging tent! When the caliber of food is that high, how
do you differentiate without comparing? Not everything can
be 9-9-9, and determining the breakpoint between an 8 and
9 must have been so hard.
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photo: KCBS
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When it came time for awards, we all assembled and heard
the placements read out. With so many great
teams, the top calls were all over the place, and we
tried to keep track in our heads -- who'd gotten two
calls? Three?
We had managed to place fifth in chicken, sixth in ribs,
and ninth in pork. Not quite as comforting as
top-four calls, we waited nervously as brisket results
were announced up through second place. We call that
the "zero or hero" moment, when the next call
determines your fate. As it turned out, we liked
what we heard.
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photo: KCBS
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Then came the overall placements. With one high
call, it all comes down to the numbers on the score
sheet. When we heard Munchin Hogs at the Hilton
called as reserve, there was that surreal moment where you
think you know what's happened, but you have to wait to
hear it called to know it's real!
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photo: Ribbie
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photo: KCBS
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This contest was, I think, a watershed moment. It was an
amazing, rare chance for teams from widely disparate
areas to compete head-to-head, the closest thing to a
"playoff" format we've yet seen.
Thanks to all who have sent their kind congratulations
-- this contest was a defining point in our team
history, and one we'll remember always.
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