Need advice - non-sanctioned event in Hawaii

Ron pretty much nailed it. You might print out copies of the KCBS rules (available for download by anyone at kcbs.us) and provide them as background info on contest management to the folks who are organizing this. There will always be disputes and issues with rules but these have been through a lot of testing over the years.

As a dedicated judge I wouldn't judge this contest because of the "pre-smoking" thing. Who knows what that might induce?

Your relative isolation and travel costs to Hawaii are an impediment to our "norm" of mainland contesting but if you could get something sanctioned going and conduct some judging schools I think you'd see some mainland volunteers show up.

-Load in is at 6:30am on Sunday, June 19th. Load out is by 6pm on the same day.

Wow, that pretty much cuts out pulled pork of any kind, and brisket too. Perhaps ribs on the pork. Beef; grill a steak.


-Available categories are: Chicken, Pork, Beef, Fish and Anything Goes.

Welcome to un-sanctioned comps... Chicken, can the skin be removed if the judge doesnt want to eat skin? No definitions on what Beef or Pork is? Fish, any kind of fish dish? Anything goes; isn't the whole competition an "anything goes" competition <rhetorical>?

Without better definition, to me this is a drop-dead no-go.

-All entries may be "smoked on site, or pre-smoked".

YEOW! Potentially VERY VERY bad.

Drop dead no-go.

-All Turn-ins must be delivered to the judges between 2-2:35pm. This means if you signed up to do all 5 turn-ins, they all need to be at the judges table between 2-2:35p.

Timing; terrible.

Maybe just cook a steak and ribs, IF you're cooking, otherwise no-go.

-Garnish can be anything, as long as it fits in the box.

? Really? I'm thinking line the box with $20's. They make a great garnish.

Too many unreal possibilities and marking possibilities. No go.

-Judging will be done by a 2-3 person judging team per category.

? Get to know them, fast. This is way too few. 4, at a minimum, per table.

Bad idea, but this wouldn't prevent me from entering (like the above would).

-Points will be awarded on a 1-5 scale and will be weighted heaviest on Taste, then Texture, then Appearance.

Agree with too little variance (leaving ties), but that has more to do with too few judges as well. They could do an MIM/MBN thing with a final over-all score where they rank order them on fractional points. Trust me, most every KCBS competition has ties, LOTS and LOTS of them.

It's crappy, by design, but wouldn't prevent me from entering.

-All entries in a particular category will be judged by a panel of judges at the same time.

2 judges, judging all the entries? It surely helps if they rank-order them, but those are going to be some very FULL judges.

Wouldn't prevent me from entering.

-Judging will be blind, but will be marked with the team's booth number. :crazy:

We all know that this (above) isn't blind.

Drop dead; no-go.



Any advice, thoughts or revelations?


I'd definitely talk to the organizer IF this is something you'd like to do. Honestly, being a barbecue guy, I wouldn't enter it. They haven't defined "beef", nor "pork". If they do (go with brisket, pork butt/shoulder), then you have HUGE cook time issues that to me would still prevent entry. For me, they'd have to address just about all of those issues, IMHO.

Oh, I'm fairly certain I got "homered" last *blind* competition that I participated in where they numbered the boxes the same number as the team/location number. This would have to be fixed as well; homey dont play that any longer.

Manual scored IBCA Rules are about as simple as it gets
Sounds like the Holtville Rib Championship Where the "winner"
is determined after they know if you will donate the money back
to their admirable cause

Really???? Hawaii .. and you’re complaining its not more like KCBS??? Really?
I’ll trade you; you move to Des Moines Iowa and compete in the "dont part your pork" KCBS rules. And I’ll move to Hawaii and compete where you can pre-cook your meat and use any kind of garnish you want.
In my best Tom Hanks impersonation “THERE’S NO COMPLAINING IN HAWAII!”

I would cook/smoke the beef and pork at home and cambro. (what dcould you have a max of an hour and a half drive? I think it will still be hot.)
Go to the site, set up two small smokers/grills and two tables and smoke the fish and chicken.

Not what we’re all used to but sounds fun to me. Who cares what the rules are as long as its equal for everyone.
I do want to see pictures.

Crash,

All the obvious issues have been pointed out. I say, just run with it and have fun, which I'm sure you will.

Then politely approach the organizers with either IBCA or KCBS rules as suggestions. You may even find someone who can become a partner in promoting Competition Que in HI.

Treat the your long cooks like the Brisket only comps that Mike use to organize back in AZ( Assuming you want to turn in Brisket and Pork Butt) and cook the other catagories on site.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Not to thread Hijack but my IBCA newsletter lists an event in Hawaii in July, you know anything about that?

Sorry but I would wait a few years until they get the kinks out. Then I call up Keale and go cook at his place with a few beers...

Beginning competition organizers rarely have a clue.

I was involved as a competitor in a non-sanctioned contest last year. I was also kinda sorta able to listen in on the chatter of the organizers plans. When they suddenly realized that a table of five judges simply could not judge all the samples that 20 teams would produce (for one example) . . . they hired a 'retired' KCBS rep to help them get their act together.

In the end, it was good with the help of the former rep - and they are holding it again this year. But without having a clue, it sounded to me like it was going to be a disaster.

I think the best advice is to go, hang out and cook with friends and don't worry too much about winning or losing. Do your best to comply with 'the rules' but don't get all worked up about it. Relax. Have fun. Isn't that what Hawaii's all about anyway?

Best of luck! Knock 'em dead!

Got any spare cookers over there? That's pretty close to my anniversary and I'm sure I could talk the wife into Hawaii for a cook off.

Beats the cow pastures I've cooked in recently.

The short turn in period is easily managed with a good team. Out of the goodness of my heart I would be willing to help out with that, just fly me over and I will do anyting that you need. I will need about three or four days before the comp to get adjusted to the climate and about two or three days after to settle down afterwards before flying home.
But seriously, It is what it is, everyone plays by the same rules. get to know the organizers and help out where you can. sometimes it is easiler for them to see the problems after it goes down instead of before. Be helpful and not critical and you could be part of a great thing happening there.

Big Mike

PNWBA has 1 day "Lite" Cooks, the load in/out scenario is the same.

Meats are usually: Tri-Tip, Pork Ribs, Chicken and Sausage. Sometimes Salmon, Lamb, Pizza or sides depending on the organizer. Standard PNWBA Judging rules apply.

I once cooked a non-sanctioned event at a grocery store, and you had to make an appointment to prep the meats (provided) onsite using their Meat Dept., the meats were then wrapped and sealed in their walk-in until the day of the cook.
Brisket, Loin Back Ribs, Salmon and Chicken. Cook on anything, turn in "Restaurant style" plates and serve samples to customers. Judges were bored and hungry and some even disappeared between turn ins never to return. It was a cluster@%*#!

How much is the entry fee? If it was $75 or under and you just wanna cook, I would do it. You will know by the end of the contest if it was all about the Homers and you will know to steer clear next year.

Go have some fun, represent the Brethren and kick some butt!