Pro or BackYard

Razcal · 04-14-2013, 11:17 AM

I don't know what to do everyone say scene I did Backyard Comps last year and won 2 GC out of 3 Comps that I need to go Pro . What does everyone think.

Southern Home Boy · 04-14-2013, 11:32 AM

How much do you want to spend? How much do you want to cook? To me, those are the two differences between "pro" and "backyard". BY comps tend to only be one or two categories that can be easily done in a day. They tend to be 1/2 the cost of the "pro" comps. Pro comps are expensive, both in terms of registration fees AND meat for cooking, they take 12-16 hours of solid cooking time and require the coordination of multiple categories and test the cook's time management more than cooking ability. So I turn the question back to you: what sounds like more fun to you? Personally I like the controlled chaos of full pro comps. But I can't always afford it. That's where teams come in. Do you have a friend or two who share your passion?

cholloway · 04-14-2013, 11:40 AM

Goin' Pro will certainly give your humility a workout.

Jason TQ · 04-14-2013, 12:05 PM

Some competitions have rules where if you win a backyard GC you have to go pro the next year. But of course that only applies to certain competitions. If they don't have those rules then you can stay backyard as long as you want.

But your question is based on what other teams may think. In that case you can use the do you want to be a "big fish in a little pond" analogy since you seem to be doing quite well in backyard or give pro a shot. All depends on what you want your team to be and what your goals are in the long run. If you just want to have some fun and only cook a few comps a year then stay in backyard.

Other factors come into play as well such as additional cost. Which have been noted above. For me it all boils down to what do you want it to be? Do you want to see how you stack up against pro teams or do you like the generall fun of competing and hanging out with your friends regardless of who you are against? And there can certainly be other reasons to compete. None are right or wrong.

buttburnersbbq · 04-14-2013, 01:47 PM

Just like everyone else is saying , pro comps are more entry fees and all 4 categories. We started doing pro comps last year and to me it was a blast. Cooking all 4 categories is a big time management challenge. If you do a pro comp you need to practice and have a schedule from preping meat to when mets need to go on/off smoker and turn in times. Pro comps for the serious bbq guys. I did not care for the backyard comps since a lot of teams are just there to party and I am very serious when I smoke on getting meat/taste just right. There is no party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp . So choice is yours.

Pappy Q · 04-14-2013, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttburnersbbq

Just like everyone else is saying , pro comps are more entry fees and all 4 categories. We started doing pro comps last year and to me it was a blast. Cooking all 4 categories is a big time management challenge. If you do a pro comp you need to practice and have a schedule from preping meat to when mets need to go on/off smoker and turn in times. Pro comps for the serious bbq guys. I did not care for the backyard comps since a lot of teams are just there to party and I am very serious when I smoke on getting meat/taste just right. There is no party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp . So choice is yours.

No party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp? I do all those at pro comps and do pretty well, see plenty of folks having fun. Yes, it's a ton of work but if it's not fun, why bother?

RevZiLLa · 04-14-2013, 11:59 PM

Do what you enjoy. Pappy is wise

Lake Dogs · 04-15-2013, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttburnersbbq

Just like everyone else is saying , pro comps are more entry fees and all 4 categories. We started doing pro comps last year and to me it was a blast. Cooking all 4 categories is a big time management challenge. If you do a pro comp you need to practice and have a schedule from preping meat to when mets need to go on/off smoker and turn in times. Pro comps for the serious bbq guys. I did not care for the backyard comps since a lot of teams are just there to party and I am very serious when I smoke on getting meat/taste just right. There is no party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp . So choice is yours.

This of course holds true for KCBS, but no for all other sanctioning bodies. For example, in both GBA and MBN you can enter just 1 category (ribs for example) in the "pro" division, win and GC the entire competition...

Getting back to the question, to me it depends on why you're competing. If you're competing to win and beat so-so competition, then stay away from the "pro" area. For me, I would always seek out only the pro divisions that had a good spread of the great teams, because to me personally I was there to COMPETE. It's your choice, IMHO.

jhuyser · 04-15-2013, 09:23 AM

is there anywhere on the internet that list back yard competitions by state? I live in iowa and would love to try some back yard comps..

tlsrph · 04-15-2013, 01:21 PM

As long as it doesn't make you wish you didn't give it a try.

smokeisgood · 04-17-2013, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappy Q

No party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp? I do all those at pro comps and do pretty well, see plenty of folks having fun. Yes, it's a ton of work but if it's not fun, why bother?

Scared me for a minute....I thought to myself..."self, what have you gotten into?" Relieved to know we can still have fun... and that our shirts still work... "Long Ashes Competition BBQ Team...cigars, bourbon, bbq"

04-14-2013, 11:17 AM	#1
Razcal Got Wood. Join Date: 01-17-13 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia	Pro or BackYard I don't know what to do everyone say scene I did Backyard Comps last year and won 2 GC out of 3 Comps that I need to go Pro . What does everyone think. __________________ Never trust a Skinny Chief

04-14-2013, 11:32 AM	#2
Southern Home Boy is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-14-10 Location: St. Louis, MO	How much do you want to spend? How much do you want to cook? To me, those are the two differences between "pro" and "backyard". BY comps tend to only be one or two categories that can be easily done in a day. They tend to be 1/2 the cost of the "pro" comps. Pro comps are expensive, both in terms of registration fees AND meat for cooking, they take 12-16 hours of solid cooking time and require the coordination of multiple categories and test the cook's time management more than cooking ability. So I turn the question back to you: what sounds like more fun to you? Personally I like the controlled chaos of full pro comps. But I can't always afford it. That's where teams come in. Do you have a friend or two who share your passion? __________________ Pro Q Frontier, UDS (Little Red), "Turtle Drum" UDS, CG Gasser KCBS CBJ#61160

04-14-2013, 11:40 AM	#3
cholloway Babbling Farker Join Date: 05-10-11 Location: East of Atlanta, GA. Name/Nickname : Colin	Goin' Pro will certainly give your humility a workout. __________________ Colin - "Drinking alcohol can cause memory loss... or worse, memory loss" New Braunfels Hondo Offset New Braunfels Bandera (Refurbished & Improved) Char-Broil 450 (Purchased new in 1981) 1996 Blue Weber SS Performer Weber charcoal Go-Anywhere 2 Weber SJSs & modified stock pot Mini-WSM Weber rotisserie, Rib-O-Lator & Smokenator system Blackstone Tailgater Combo & STOK Island gasser

04-14-2013, 12:05 PM	#4
Jason TQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-10-11 Location: Lawrenceville, GA	Some competitions have rules where if you win a backyard GC you have to go pro the next year. But of course that only applies to certain competitions. If they don't have those rules then you can stay backyard as long as you want. But your question is based on what other teams may think. In that case you can use the do you want to be a "big fish in a little pond" analogy since you seem to be doing quite well in backyard or give pro a shot. All depends on what you want your team to be and what your goals are in the long run. If you just want to have some fun and only cook a few comps a year then stay in backyard. Other factors come into play as well such as additional cost. Which have been noted above. For me it all boils down to what do you want it to be? Do you want to see how you stack up against pro teams or do you like the generall fun of competing and hanging out with your friends regardless of who you are against? And there can certainly be other reasons to compete. None are right or wrong. __________________ -Jason I didn't choose D-Canoe life..........

04-14-2013, 01:47 PM	#5
buttburnersbbq Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-19-12 Location: waxhaw,nc	Just like everyone else is saying , pro comps are more entry fees and all 4 categories. We started doing pro comps last year and to me it was a blast. Cooking all 4 categories is a big time management challenge. If you do a pro comp you need to practice and have a schedule from preping meat to when mets need to go on/off smoker and turn in times. Pro comps for the serious bbq guys. I did not care for the backyard comps since a lot of teams are just there to party and I am very serious when I smoke on getting meat/taste just right. There is no party/drinking or having a good time in a pro comp . So choice is yours. __________________ 2- 22.5 WSM , 150 Gallon Offset , 250 Gallon Reverse Flow

04-14-2013, 11:59 PM	#7
RevZiLLa is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 07-02-07 Location: Richmond, VA	Do what you enjoy. Pappy is wise __________________ www.BowlingBallExchange.com on Facebook Brinkman water smokers (elec and charcoal) Weber kettle grill Uniflame Gold Stainless 5 burner propane grill / rotisserie BBQ Grillware upright propane water smoker A trench filled with wood coals and covered with chain link fence

04-15-2013, 09:23 AM	#9
jhuyser Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-14-13 Location: Oskaloosa, IA	is there anywhere on the internet that list back yard competitions by state? I live in iowa and would love to try some back yard comps..

04-15-2013, 01:21 PM	#10
tlsrph Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 04-10-13 Location: Medina, Minnesota	As long as it doesn't make you wish you didn't give it a try.