10/11/2026
WHAT A DAY... 🙏 GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US!
What a year it's been for US.......
Coming into this year, our second full year of really grinding in competition BBQ, we had one goal. Just ONE. We wanted to win a Grand Championship in Backyard.
That was it. That was the goal.
We kept showing up, kept cooking, kept chasing those calls, and finally, in Cameron, Missouri, we got it! Our first Backyard GC!
Along the way, we managed to earn THREE World Invitational spots in ribs. Something we never would've imagined when we started this season.
Then we decided it was time to step up. Time to move into Masters, cook alongside some of our buddies, and see just how good we really were.
And let me tell you something about competition BBQ...
This sport will humble you REAL QUICK if you think you've got it figured out.
You've gotta learn to take an L just as well as you take a W. Because that's BBQ. Some weekends you're walking across that stage, and other weekends you're standing there wondering what the hell happened. 😂
You're gonna have briskets that come out tight, ribs that fall apart, chicken that doesn't cooperate, and cooks where absolutely nothing seems to go your way.
But you know what?
YOU KEEP SHOWING UP.
You keep getting up before the sun. You keep firing up those pits. You keep making mistakes, learning from them, and coming back the next weekend trying to be just a little better than you were the weekend before.
Because the grind doesn't stop just because you had a bad cook.
And after everything this season threw at us, we rolled into the United Rentals Big Blue Invitational at Union Station for what would be our final competition of the year.
Surrounded by some damn good cooks, great friends, and people we've looked up to in this sport.
And somehow, someway...
🏆 POPPIN SMOKE BBQ WALKED AWAY WITH OUR FIRST MASTERS GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP! 🏆
I don't think we could've written a better ending to this season if we tried.
We started this year hoping to win ONE Backyard GC. We're ending it with that Backyard GC, three 1st in ribs three world invitationals, and now our first Masters Grand Championship.
But here's what means the most to us.
It's not just the trophies, the money, or hearing our name called. It's the people we've met, the friendships we've made, the lessons we've learned, and feeling like we're finally finding our place in this big world of competition BBQ.
We've been humbled, we've been frustrated, we've questioned ourselves, and we've had some of the best weekends of our lives.
And I wouldn't change a damn thing.
To everyone who's helped us, encouraged us, competed alongside us, or simply followed our journey, THANK YOU!
We're still learning. We're still making mistakes. And we've still got a LONG way to go.
But one thing's for damn sure...
We ain't done chasin' calls. I want to include names that have helped us get here... Weekend Bum BBQ American Fire BBQ Jdqbbq Meat Rushmore BBQ Keep Calm And Sauce On Competition BBQ Team Gateway Drum Smokers Royal Oak Charcoal Man Meat BBQ The Upper Cut KC Smoke 'n Magic These people have been great to us, and while I have not included everyone here, these individuals have had a huge impact on us in the competition game, from meat to rubs to wraps and knowledge. So, thank you all! Thank you to Cory Bussart , our boy Smoke, for always being ready to cook next to us and talk flavors and methods 💪🏼
We're just getting started. 🔥🏆
more to come!!!!
Cook video coming hopefully 🤣
