"Coopitition"

Tim - There is no doubt in my mind that BBQ folks are some of the friendliest and compassionate folks out there. I have been on both sides of your scenarios above. I always have extra lettuce - I know I have shared it more than once. Torch to start a fire in the rain, NP. I've also borrowed wood, rope lights, you name it.

That is why my family goes to so many contests with me. I like my girls to see folks sharing, comraderie, and friendship... heck of a lot better than what is on TV or Playstation. You ask Mokan, Singin' Bob, Jeff, or many other Que-er's -- and to my kids, they are almost like extended family. They are disappointed if they don't see thier friends.

I have some teams I look forward to seeing that we may not see more than once or twice a year.
Long live Coopitition!!!


The only other group of folks that I have experienced this same thing with is with race fans. When in Talladega, Bristol or even here in KS, race fans always seem to be willing to share, and have a sense of "community".

I have to agree with this wholeheartedly. People at comps are always willing to help out. Need some lettuce? Take some of ours! Our light bulb blew out. Take one of ours. What are you having for dinner? Come eat with us!

It is always great to share and I too have been on both sides of this. Part of it is just a group of caring people who enjoy each others company. I think another part of it is that it isn't any fun to win if you only did so by some unforeseen circumstance. If I win, I want it to be because I made a better piece of meat than you did today (and it's always just today) not because your generator broke down or your canopy fell over while you were prepping your box. If you don't win heads up, what's the point? What did you really accomplish? Winning on an even playing ground is the challenge. So I will always help someone in need just to give them a fair shot.

Just my opinion...

Check this out for "coopitition".

I appoligize for the exact details but this is how I heard it.

At the Smoke in the Spring a few weeks ago, we got hammered with snow and rain all day Friday and into Saturday morning. The guy cooking next to me had a large cooker that had a circuit board. The rain disabled his cooker and he was literally done for the weekend. Word of this got to a another guy at the comp who apparently was a rep for another type of cooker. His store was about an hour a way with the weather. Anyway this guy called his buddies and they brought down another cooker just so this guy could compete.

Ya gotta love that!

Last year at Angelton I was blocked in and could not even think about getting out to go anywhere, Smokenmop buckets was right next to me before they left to go over there hotel Mike gives me the keys to one of his cars and tells me that if I need to go anywhere to use his.

keep in mind I had only seen him a couple of times before, ten minutes after he left I needed to run to get some items that I left behind what a life saver:-D

Thanks #'s

I almost don't feel qualified to post this but... after only one comp I know what you guys mean.

As I posted on another thread I would have dropped everything to help any of the Brethren at the comp I attended this past weekend.

But it really goes further than that... The team right behind me this weekend was great. They had a nice cooker, a large group of people, and couldn't have been any nicer. They shared with me and I shared with them. I had peanuts and a fatty that I gave them and shared some Brethren stories. We shared rub talk and taste as well as sauces.

They knew they were competing directly against me and I knew the same... it didn't matter. Without even thinking we both knew that if you cook better than me today then I will be happy for you. They scored better than me in two of four an I scored better than them in two of four. I actually helped them (not to mean it wouldn't have happened anyway) in one category that they one upped me. It didn't matter... when we got back to our sites after the awards we were thrilled for each other. There were high fives all around. I am truly happy for them and appreciate what they shared with me. I will put it to good use in the future...

I tell you folks... we are a part of a special group!!!

We were doing a comp last year when a freak rainstorm came up and drowned many of the backyard competitors kettles and grills. Most were able to keep their charcoal dry, so we just fired up the fish fryer and lit chimney after chimney.....for those that got their charcoal wet, we helped them out.....we got thanked repeatedly for coming to the aid of others....
That's what you do....you help out who you can, when you can!

And big or small, they still help. Last year at the Great American, I was setting up my 10x20 canopy when a large gust of wind grabbed it and hurled it 20 yards across the parking lot in a flash. Next thing I know, I had Myron Mixon and two of his teammates in my camp helping me drag it back to its spot and show me a better way to secure it. One of the guys, Nick, was in our camp a lot of the rest of the contest giving us advice. That's not just anyone who helped me... it was one of the big guys!

...That is why my family goes to so many contests with me. I like my girls to see folks sharing, comraderie, and friendship... heck of a lot better than what is on TV or Playstation. You ask Mokan, Singin' Bob, Jeff, or many other Que-er's -- and to my kids, they are almost like extended family. They are disappointed if they don't see thier friends...

HoDeDo - right on there ! My kids (8 and 10) come to just about all the events we do and they have made many friends along the way. It's like their summer family. I don't think my Joey remembers a time when we DIDN'T do BBQ. I, like you, would rather have them learn SPORTSMANSHIP this way than have them imitate the antics of some dudes in the pro sports.
Keep on keepin' on....

These stories are part of the reason I am so excited to compete in our first contest coming up in May. Obviously we like to Q, but we also like to be around friendly people. After all of the reading and research I have done, I still believe there will be problems during out first comp. I am sure that others can help if needed and I will definatley will help others if they need it. It seems that these days that life can get into a hurry and I hope to relax and enjoy it with some fairly like minded folks.

Jason.

You hit it spot on Tim. At last years BBQ on the River in Bristol, Pa. Rich Decker was running short of wood so we gave him some of our Cherry logs to help him out. Rich won Reserve Grand Champion. We were happy even though we did not do well because Rich won.

I think the helpful and giving nature of the brethren is also extremley apparent right here in the forums. As a newbie, I can't begin to tell you how helpful you all are. If it seems as if I'm not posting to much, it is because there are so many great threads to read from way back when.

I thank you all and look foward to meeting you.

Coopetition

I loaned Texas Roadhouse a cutting board Saturday in Springfield. His ribs beat mine by .0003.

Get Belly Brother II or MoKan to build you a margarita machine........you'll have more friends than you'd ever want!! LOL

Where can you get plans for one of those. I Googled it awhile back and found alot of so-so plans and pictures but nothing substantial.

There is a pfd in this thread that will help you out.

Margarita Machine

Sawdustguy said:

You hit it spot on Tim. At last years BBQ on the River in Bristol, Pa. Rich Decker was running short of wood so we gave him some of our Cherry logs to help him out. Rich won Reserve Grand Champion. We were happy even though we did not do well because Rich won.

Click to expand...

?

Do you really think it was because of Rich? :biggrin: :biggrin:

This happened a couple years ago on the way to Bel Air.

Heading down to Swarthmore, PA to spend the night with my mother, I hit a pothole in Northern New Jersey. The impact broke the spindle off the rear axle and sent my tire down the highway. Miracles started to happen when the truck stopped without damaging any other cars on the 5 lane highway during rush hour. My teammates, Loren and Steve came to the rescue next with a few malt beverages and a place to sleep. The next morning, Steve and I started on an adventure to get me to Bel Air. We rented a U-Haul trailer for the cooker. I balanced the trailer the length of the Jersey Turnpike, doing 40 miles an hour. I didn't know how I'd to cook on the trailer or how I'd get the cooker off on Sunday, but I thought things would work out.

When I got to the contest in 100º plus weather, the cooks came out of the wood work to help out. Led by Dean Ayres of Pork and Deans and with the help of Tuffy and his team, Cool Smoke, we got the pit jacked up and in cooking shape.

After the contest I drove the trailer to Dean Ayres shop where he replaced my axle and straightened out the fender. The only thing he asks is that I reimburse him for the parts. Two weeks later I picked up the pit at his shop (Dean has a construction Company) outside Baltimore ans drove up and cooked New Holland. I don't know how I could ever repay Dean. As someone once said, "BBQ cookers are the tops!".

Here are some pictures