How many contests do you do in a year?

[brock957]

Plan on doing 8 to 11. Want to do enough GBA events to be in the top 10 to be eligible for the best of the best. Plus some other state championships and qualifiers to see what we can get invited to. So we'll do a KCBS or 2 and a FBA or 2. Plus all the reasons everyone else said too.
Figure out what you want to accomplish and set your schedule up for the best way to do it.

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

Normally around ten. This year it will be 23 or 24 by the time December rolls around. Our "strategy" changes with the season's situation... we will do lesser paying contests regardless of payout because of our goals for 2010 but when the money gets short in the bank account, we'll change gears and hit some big payout events (like SOTW) and try to boost the funds back up to compete in even more contests. It's been crazy this year! Going back to about 10 to 12 next year!

 

[Trucky1008]

This is our first year and we'll end up doing 4 comps. Our plan is to do 8-10 next year.

 

[JayAre]

We've done 8 so far, one more to go. Driving distance is our biggest consideration when picking a contest, we dont really look at payout because we usually dont get paid anyway!!! :laugh: the other thing I look at is the site itself, electric, water, etc.
Our first two years we did 4 each year.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

1 this year Hope to do 4-5 next year

 

[Harbormaster]

Just one for me in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Hoping to do 2 or more next year now that I have a partner will ing to help share the load and really really likes to spend time at comps.

Edit: Oh, and I also try to do one charity cook each year too, which takes away money that could be used for comps.

 

[rescue_ranger]

Too damn many...:twisted: This season was a full court press to get to The Jack...:flame:
I have done 11 as Left Hand Smoke (12 counting The Jack :becky. 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 :thumb...so maybe 6-8 comps...

So you run 2 teams? Can you add the points together or do you need to keep them separate. I am asking because 2 of the team members live in WV and if you win the governor’s cup it is an automatic spot in the jack, this would be worth doing (the 2 team) I would die to have been invited to the Jack this year

 

[mw]

So you run 2 teams? Can you add the points together or do you need to keep them separate. I am asking because 2 of the team members live in WV and if you win the governor’s cup it is an automatic spot in the jack, this would be worth doing (the 2 team) I would die to have been invited to the Jack this year

Since when is winning a governor's cup an auto to Jack?

 

[JD McGee]

So you run 2 teams? Can you add the points together or do you need to keep them separate. I am asking because 2 of the team members live in WV and if you win the governor?s cup it is an automatic spot in the jack, this would be worth doing (the 2 team) I would die to have been invited to the Jack this year

They are two separate teams...

 

[RobKC]

Since when is winning a governor's cup an auto to Jack?

I believe he is referring to the fact there is only one contest in WV. You win that, like Hambones By the Fire has done the last 2 years, and it's an auto.

We did 10 last year and are at 14 so far this year. With the Royal Invitational and Open + another 1 or 2, we'll end up with 17 or 18 for 2010.

 

[Prairie Smoke]

Just 5 for us, plus the Jack. We would love to do more, but look at where we are. Our 2010 comps:
South Dakota (10 hour drive)
Home province - 3 hours
Manitoba - 7 hours
Whistler - 23 hours
Washington - flight plus 5 hours
There was one more only 9 hours away that we missed due to a catering job.

 

[slowerlowerbbq]

1 last year, 4 for us this year though we had planned on doing 5. Next year probably 4-5. The biggest deciding factors are $$$ ($600-800 per comp split between 2 of us), distance (100 miles or less is good), and time of year. Back to back weeks are out...we're too old and I'm still recovering from last weekends comp. We actually prefer to stay away from the mid-summer comps due to the excessive heat...yeah we're wimps like that...especially after this past summer. This is a good pace for us and our families, everyone always has a great time.

My deepest respect to those teams that do this week in and week out. I truly admire anyone that can pull this off like you do.

 

[Gowan]

This year cook 9 with my team, 2 with other teams, judge 11.

I'd cook twice as many if I could, but even with sponsors, there is only so many dollars available.

 

[jbrink01]

4 our first year, 5 or 6 in years 2 and 3, 0 in year 4, 1 in year 5, 2 in year 6. 17 or so in 6 years. Been very fortunate to have only 3 of those with no calls and a GC in year 3. Catering really kicked in during year 3, so we focus on that now, catering in the neighbrhood of 75 events a year.

 

[ThomEmery]

We cook 6 or 7

 

[sitnfat]

going to our sixth this weekend in Decatur have one maybe two more after that. Already wanting to go to Lakeland in January and when is this Governers Cup you speak of I wouldnt mind adding that to next years list!

 

[GQue]

4 this year which is my first year. Looking to double that for next year depending on money and time.

 

[smknwhlswife]

Past 3 years we've cooked an average of 22 contests per year. Last year the the most we've ever cooked - 28 contests total. Our NY conquests last year bumped the # up. :crazy:

I don't even know where we will be at this year. I've done a bad job of keeping track. :redface: We are in the middle of redoing our website so I haven't kept up the old one. :doh: I'm thinking we will end around 20.

 

[rksylves]

I'll finish this year with 10 contests cooked and 5 judged. Would like to cook more but lack of $$$ and trailer make it extremely difficult. I'm a one man team and working out of the back of my truck. A trailer would mean that I can sleep in the trailer before/after comp instead of hotel and far less loading/unloading.

Russ

 

[5-0 BBQ]

Only had time for 3 this year. But we just picked up a sponsor so next year we should do around 6.