Unless a comment card comes back, how does anyone know if the score was bad specifically because of the lack of skin? Couldn't it just be that the chicken generally has more flavor with it on?
Just my humble opinion, but if you don't turn in skin, and I was a judge, I'd think that you couldn't cook the skin properly to make it bite thru, and I'd question your ability as a competitive BBQ cook. Therefore, I do not judge.
Bite through skin is what we all strive to achieve..look at it like this if you land on a table with 5 other good entries with bite through and yours doesn't have skin it's not gonna be good day for your chicken..stick with what wins!..it's like Bigmista at the last comp with nothing but pulled..not knocking Neil my buddy here but he went against the grain and paid for it.
I think you're right, Matt, but judges aren't supposed to compare entries, so why would it matter what the other entries on the table were? Note the word "supposed" in the above sentence :-D
BBQ is traditional food. You will seldom be rewarded for trying to be "different". Leave the cherry rub at home, don't make ribs with a raspberry-citrus glaze, and leave the skin on the chicken.
Sweet, smoky, spicy, and moist wins.