How do you choose?

We only do a few contest a year. Entry fee to prize payout is a big factor. We have a contest here in So Cal coming up that is an hour from our house. Entry fee is $300, payout is $3000, largest entry fee I have seen in the 6 years I have competed. There is a contest 3 hours away outside of San Diego, $240 entry, $17,500 payout = no brainier for us!

We got tired of inconsistent electrical so we went the generator route. Close water is always nice, but rare at CA events. Little things like ice, garbage collection and rides for long turn in walks are nice.

There are a few teams in CA that are multi member teams...But almost all have been that way since day one. If you can put faith in someone else cooking "your" meat it is a way to save money and energy. I had trouble giving up the cooking of the chicken to my teammate sister, I would be even more of a Richard if I had to live with thinking every contest I could have done better at the meats than my teammate

We usually decide based on contests we've cooked before and enjoyed. The first year, we chose based on comments of other teams and where our friends were going. Occasionally, entry fee and payout come into play. For instance, Osage City, KS gave a $15 discount to teams who were there last year AND their payout increased. This year, we also picked a new contest (California, Missouri) simply because I grew up there (from age 2 through 8th grade) and wanted to go back and maybe see some people I haven't seen in many, many years.

As for hooking up and combining teams, we did at Warrensburg, MO last year and took Grand! If the situation is right, it can work perfectly! Lee and I get along great working together, it clicked and we got lucky! (that sounded gay... nttawwt) Gotta watch the personalities though.