How many contests do you do in a year?

rescue_ranger · 09-14-2010, 02:12 PM

I am trying to figure out if there is a rhyme and reason to doing certain contest vs others and how many do you or an average team (not that we are average by any means) to do in a season, I know some of the big ticket contest are by invitation only, but I wanted to see what everyone’s thoughts or strategies this is, I hail from VA so I will be doing the east coast South east

Bentley · 09-14-2010, 02:18 PM

Usually about 3.

HawgNationBBQ · 09-14-2010, 02:20 PM

We do between 7 and 10 depending on the time and the location. We are doing 8 this year. Back to back events are killer for us.

ZILLA · 09-14-2010, 02:23 PM

I will end up completing 25 or so by the end of December 2010. No strategies here, we just like it and can swing it so we do it. I try to stay within 100 miles of home but sometimes I go outside that boundry. I could do near 50 sanctioned cooks a year within 110 miles of home.

HawgNationBBQ · 09-14-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZILLA

I will end up completing 25 or so by the end of December 2010. No strategies here, we just like it and can swing it so we do it. I try to stay within 100 miles of home but sometimes I go outside that boundry. I could do near 50 sanctioned cooks a year within 110 miles of home.

I would add that we don’t have that many sanctioned events within a 100 mile radius. If we did, we would do more. Wish I was in Texas.

Southern Home Boy · 09-14-2010, 02:32 PM

I did one in 2008, one so far this year with a second coming up at the end of the month and hopefully a third in October.

But I'm just a backyard guy that has occasional delusions of competence.

Stoke&Smoke · 09-14-2010, 02:37 PM

We will have done 6 by the end of October. Would like to afford to do more, but without sponsors, that's about all we can swing. I have to think that, the more a team does, the more consistent they can become

Scottie · 09-14-2010, 02:45 PM

i used to do 25+ a yer. Having a full time job, full time taking care of 2 kids on my own, trying to run a foundation, keep up a house and compete in that many contests wore my ass out. My goal was to cut it back to 15 contests this year. I think I will be at 16 or 17 for the season. Hope to cut that back next year as well. Just too much work. I've achieved BBQ goals that I've wanted and don't really have to prove it anymore...

ique · 09-14-2010, 02:49 PM

Around 10. Would like to do more but life interferes.

moocow · 09-14-2010, 02:50 PM

We will do 9 this year plus we did a charity cook for kookers kare early in the year. We try to stick to about 1 every 4 weeks or so. We split everything 4 ways so it makes it a bit easier on the wallet and we are able to do more than if we were just a 1 or 2 man team.

Todd Ras · 09-14-2010, 04:26 PM

We did 4 this year, but had 5 scheduled but Bellevue, NE was flooded out. We have a 6 member team who are all in our early 30's and trying to find time around kids and work is just challenging. It does help the pocket book to have a large team and if we had more time and were single we might do more.

We have already talked about 2011 and I think we will end up doing 3-4 with one of those being out of town as a little road trip for the guys.

JD McGee · 09-14-2010, 06:43 PM

Too damn many...

This season was a full court press to get to The Jack...

I have done 11 as Left Hand Smoke (12 counting The Jack

). I will do 3 as SouthPaw BBQ...15 total.

Next year I plan to do a little more catering on the weekends (the pay is much better

)...so maybe 6-8 comps...

Lake Dogs · 09-14-2010, 06:48 PM

Between chili cookoffs and BBQ cookoffs, we try to do 8 - 12 cookoffs. However, these
past 2 years have seen financial troubles hit teammates as well as a few tremendous
expenses myself, so we're down to 1 chili cookoff and 1 BBQ cookoff each year. We
do hope to get back, but it's not looking good for 2011.

Ron_L · 09-14-2010, 06:59 PM

8 our first year, 16 last year and either 16 or 17 this year. We try to stay within 5 hours drive of home. If we have to choose between two on a weekend we'll look at the venue, the competition reputation, the payout and the drive.

Lion Bout The Q · 09-14-2010, 07:45 PM

We have done 11 and have the Royal left and possibly one more

09-14-2010, 02:12 PM	#1
rescue_ranger Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-08-10 Location: New Baltimore, VA	How many contests do you do in a year? I am trying to figure out if there is a rhyme and reason to doing certain contest vs others and how many do you or an average team (not that we are average by any means) to do in a season, I know some of the big ticket contest are by invitation only, but I wanted to see what everyone’s thoughts or strategies this is, I hail from VA so I will be doing the east coast South east __________________ [B][COLOR=black]Rigs:[/COLOR][/B] 1[B] - [COLOR=orange][I]The Good-One Rodeo Smoker[/I][/COLOR][/B] [I]2- [COLOR=blue][B]Char-Griller Outlaw[/B][/COLOR] with offset[/I] [I]2 - [COLOR=blue][B]Char-Griller [/B][/COLOR][I][COLOR=black][COLOR=blue][B]Professional[/B][/COLOR] [/COLOR][/I]With offset[/I] [I]2 -[B][COLOR=darkorange]Gold[/COLOR][/B] [/I][B]Weber 22 1/2" kettle, with therm- sear grate, ash can[/B] [I]1 - [B]200gal[/B] smoker[/I] [COLOR=green][B]Rescue_ranger[/B][/COLOR] also known by my fellow [COLOR=red][B]USMC[/B][/COLOR] clan as G-Bear :boxing:

09-14-2010, 02:18 PM	#2
Bentley Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-14-07 Location: Culpeper, Virginia	Usually about 3. __________________ Certified Master Judge #5382 What is best in life? "To crush your BBQ opponents, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

09-14-2010, 02:20 PM	#3
HawgNationBBQ Take a breath! Join Date: 05-17-09 Location: Phoenixville, PA	We do between 7 and 10 depending on the time and the location. We are doing 8 this year. Back to back events are killer for us. __________________ [B]Michael[/B] [B][B][COLOR=black]KCBS, Certified Judge# 31757[/COLOR][/B], MABA member[/B] [COLOR=black][COLOR=blue][B]-- JAMBO / J-3[/B][/COLOR][/COLOR] [COLOR=black][COLOR=blue][B]-[/B][/COLOR][/COLOR][COLOR=black][COLOR=blue][B]- Backwoods Competitor[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=blue][B]-- Ugly Drum Smoker[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=blue][B]-- XL BGE[/B][/COLOR] [/COLOR] [COLOR=red][B]HAWG Nation on Twitter: [/B][/COLOR][COLOR=black][URL="http://twitter.com/HawgNationBBQ"][COLOR=#0000ff][B]@HawgNationBBQ[/B][/COLOR][/URL][/COLOR] [URL="http://www.TheBestMeatRub.com"][B][COLOR=blue]www.TheBestMeatRub.com[/COLOR][/B][/URL]

09-14-2010, 02:32 PM	#6
Southern Home Boy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-14-10 Location: St. Louis, MO	I did one in 2008, one so far this year with a second coming up at the end of the month and hopefully a third in October. But I'm just a backyard guy that has occasional delusions of competence. __________________ Pro Q Frontier, UDS (Little Red), "Turtle Drum" UDS, CG Gasser KCBS CBJ#61160

09-14-2010, 02:37 PM	#7
Stoke&Smoke Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-18-07 Location: Western burbs of Chicago, IL	We will have done 6 by the end of October. Would like to afford to do more, but without sponsors, that's about all we can swing. I have to think that, the more a team does, the more consistent they can become __________________ 2 Skinny Cooks Competition Team [URL]http://2SkinnyCooks.blogspot.com[/URL] KCBS CJ/TC #17139 Member ILBBQS Too many cookers to list :crazy:

09-14-2010, 02:23 PM	#4
ZILLA is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 12-01-05 Location: Universal City, Texas	I will end up completing 25 or so by the end of December 2010. No strategies here, we just like it and can swing it so we do it. I try to stay within 100 miles of home but sometimes I go outside that boundry. I could do near 50 sanctioned cooks a year within 110 miles of home.

09-14-2010, 02:45 PM	#8
Scottie Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 11-03-06 Location: Chi-Town	i used to do 25+ a yer. Having a full time job, full time taking care of 2 kids on my own, trying to run a foundation, keep up a house and compete in that many contests wore my ass out. My goal was to cut it back to 15 contests this year. I think I will be at 16 or 17 for the season. Hope to cut that back next year as well. Just too much work. I've achieved BBQ goals that I've wanted and don't really have to prove it anymore... __________________ cancersuckschicago.com FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA BBQ TOUR Red Jambo one off FE 100 FEC 100 WSM Homer Simpson 22 " Weber Kettle Red 18 1/2" Weber Kettle Black 26 3/4" Weber Kettle

09-14-2010, 02:49 PM	#9
ique is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 12-14-05 Location: New England	Around 10. Would like to do more but life interferes.

09-14-2010, 02:50 PM	#10
moocow is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-31-08 Location: Belton, mo	We will do 9 this year plus we did a charity cook for kookers kare early in the year. We try to stick to about 1 every 4 weeks or so. We split everything 4 ways so it makes it a bit easier on the wallet and we are able to do more than if we were just a 1 or 2 man team. __________________ -Shane Petzold- -MooCow BBQ team- -Facilities and equipment manager at Operation BBQ Relief- -[URL="http://www.moocowbbq.com"]www.moocowbbq.com[/URL]- -Home of the Make it Take it Drum Class- -kCBS/ CBJ- - Stoker powered stainless steel cabinet smoker-Mini & 3 Regular UDS-[B][COLOR=Blue]BLUE [/COLOR][/B]Weber OTG-Saffire ceramic grill-26" plow disc-Green mountain pellet -16' Stealth Competition trailer-

09-14-2010, 04:26 PM	#11
Todd Ras On the road to being a farker Join Date: 08-19-08 Location: Spring Hill, KS	We did 4 this year, but had 5 scheduled but Bellevue, NE was flooded out. We have a 6 member team who are all in our early 30's and trying to find time around kids and work is just challenging. It does help the pocket book to have a large team and if we had more time and were single we might do more. We have already talked about 2011 and I think we will end up doing 3-4 with one of those being out of town as a little road trip for the guys. __________________ Todd Ras www.acabbq.com A Cut Above BBQ

09-14-2010, 06:43 PM	#12
JD McGee somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-28-07 Location: Duvall, WA	Too damn many... This season was a full court press to get to The Jack... I have done 11 as Left Hand Smoke (12 counting The Jack ). I will do 3 as SouthPaw BBQ...15 total. Next year I plan to do a little more catering on the weekends (the pay is much better )...so maybe 6-8 comps... __________________ "The team formerly known as "Wine Country "Q"... PNWBA "Team of the Year" 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017... We cook on MAK Grills and Bullets...

09-14-2010, 06:48 PM	#13
Lake Dogs Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-14-09 Location: Lake Sinclair, GA Name/Nickname : Hance	Between chili cookoffs and BBQ cookoffs, we try to do 8 - 12 cookoffs. However, these past 2 years have seen financial troubles hit teammates as well as a few tremendous expenses myself, so we're down to 1 chili cookoff and 1 BBQ cookoff each year. We do hope to get back, but it's not looking good for 2011. __________________ Hance - MiM/MBN/GBA CBJ and comp cook Lake Sinclair, GA (strategically about an hour from darn near anywhere) My competition daze are probably behind me now; I pretty much cook for family, friends, and frankly the peace and solitude I get from smokin' on an offset... Was Lang 84DX, now Bubba Grills 250R and many Weber grills

09-14-2010, 06:59 PM	#14
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	8 our first year, 16 last year and either 16 or 17 this year. We try to stay within 5 hours drive of home. If we have to choose between two on a weekend we'll look at the venue, the competition reputation, the payout and the drive. __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850

09-14-2010, 07:45 PM	#15
Lion Bout The Q Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 09-02-08 Location: Pittsfield Il	We have done 11 and have the Royal left and possibly one more

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