Sam's Club National BBQ Tour - 2013

[RangerJ]

Water.. seriously?

a limited amount of teams with a decent sized prize pot at every event and the fact that water is nearby vs at your personal site or closer than 100 yards and this is folks biggest complaint?

To quote ESPN.. C'mon Man.

 

[RangerJ]

I hope they balance the contests out better in terms of location. Regionals need to be near the center of the geographic area they represent, not near one edge, where some winners have to travel long distance. The whole country also needs to be covered. Sam's also needs to provide water for cook teams. Paying $250 for a contest with no water is a bit extreme. By the way, why does Sam's and KCBS need to keep a team's registration money for several months before a given event? They need to figure out a way for cooks to keep their money longer. I really don't want to give KCBS a loan for 3-6 months. Finally, I think they should better distribute the prize money for the regionals and pay down more places in the categories. Top loading the prizes means a very few teams make money when they compete. Paying down more places means more cooks who travel a long way get some money. In this era of a poor economy, cooks need all the help they can get.

No one is going to be happy about the amount of distance they have to drive, its a big country we live in and what is close for some across a multi state region will always be further for others. I was not happy to drive from Houston to St. Louis this year, but last year the Regional was in Dallas much closer to me, problem was I did not make the cut.

So, you've never paid in advance to enter a contest? Regardless of the price $250 or $100, in your terms your loaning out that money.

 

[DawgPhan]

Water.. seriously?

a limited amount of teams with a decent sized prize pot at every event and the fact that water is nearby vs at your personal site or closer than 100 yards and this is folks biggest complaint?

To quote ESPN.. C'mon Man.

no one said it wasnt nit picking, but in GA water and power at your site are standard fare. Sams is the only KCBS in GA where water and power aren't right there....that I know of. I am sure someone will correct me.

I think that there are some mild sanitation issues with not having running water, but nothing major.

 

[RangerJ]

no one said it wasnt nit picking, but in GA water and power at your site are standard fare. Sams is the only KCBS in GA where water and power aren't right there....that I know of. I am sure someone will correct me.

I think that there are some mild sanitation issues with not having running water, but nothing major.

When I was living out west, this was the standard as well. Now that I'm back in Texas, many of them are no water or power...

So, to have a spigot within shopping cart distance, I'm in heaven! Its all perspective I suppose.

 

[HawgNationBBQ]

The organizer (Troy Black) is also a competitor, he knows how teams think.

To me, they were the best run events I have ever attended.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

Your point is well taken, but personally, as a firefighter, I would be just slightly unhappy if a decision was made to essentially disable the hydrant closest to 30+ wood/charcoal fires and who knows how many propane tanks and appliances.

dmp

There's usually 2 or 3 hose outlet nozzles on a hydrant, least the ones I see are. I have never seen all three nozzles with a hose hooked to each during a fire. I'm not positive, but I suspect there's more than 3 hydrants close by the perimeter of any Sam's parking lot at any given location in the US.

We won't include the FDC that is at the building.

As someone stated earlier, if the hydrant being used for the potable water supply to the contestants were needed, the firefighter could spin the operating nut around to close the valve before taking off the other nozzle caps, then turn the hydrant back on.

If you want to talk about safety, it *might* be somewhat productive to have some running water that is located convenient to the teams should an uncontrolled fire occur.

Yeah, we've kinda got use to that runnin' water thing down here in the South. Makes washing out the outhouses quicker than hauling a bucket from the well.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

To me, they were the best run events I have ever attended.

I guess we are spoiled down here...not that we didn't know it.

 

[dmprantz]

There's usually 2 or 3 hose outlet nozzles on a hydrant, least the ones I see are. I have never seen all three nozzles with a hose hooked to each during a fire....As someone stated earlier, if the hydrant being used for the potable water supply to the contestants were needed, the firefighter could spin the operating nut around to close the valve before taking off the other nozzle caps, then turn the hydrant back on.

In order to use one of the other nozzles, you either have to install a manifold on it before you turn the hydrant on, or you have to turn the hydrant all the way off, unscrew the other cap, and then turn it back on. It's not the hardest thing in the world, but you have to turn a hydrant wrench a lot more than a quarter turn to turn it off and back on (I think it's 17 turns each way). It might add two minutes to how long it takes. Personally, if you're going to do this, I'd want a manifold with a gate valve on the LD nozzle. Maybe these are just the details to work through, but it's a little bit more than just calling up the PWU. There's also usually 500+ gallons in the pumper, but why put yourself at risk so teams don't have to use shopping carts?

We won't include the FDC that is at the building.

My understanding of FDC is that they are empty pipes that allow us to pump water into the building. Without a hydrant, it's useless, so it's a good thing that we won't include it.

I'm not an the most experienced fire-fighter, and I know I'm not the only one on the forum, but personally, when we're talking about many acutal live fires and propane tanks in a concentrated area, I think anything that can potentially add minutes to how soon I can get water on one of those fires would be a bad thing. If I were a store Manager or Sam's Corporate, it would be a cold day before I let some one do something that could put my store at risk, and at home, and if some one uses a hydrant like that near my house without a safety setup, I'd be calling the police. There's no telling what ISO would say to that and what, if anything, it would do to your insurance were there an actual fire. If you're more confortable with it than I am, good for you, but that's my opinion.

dmp

 

[djqualls]

The two I attended were top notch in organization and power was as presented, 20 amps and bring 100' of cord. As for water the water location was a garden hose hydrant on the side of the building and shopping carts were readily available to haul whatever you needed.. The grease and ash was a little distant but that's OK as well because we are in a working parking lot.

My main suggestion would to be to somewhat screen the judges and not take the first to signup. I think that's where it was most lacking was in the strength of numbers of judges.

I didn't make it out of regionals but I know why and it was rookie mistakes that did it.

I didn't like having my local in March and my regional in September and then an 8 hour drive to regionals but I think Sam's makes that call and its their money and their contest!
I think I will be better benefitted if my local if farther and my regional is closer to home. (hint hint. Contest Organizers) but I plan to enter and hope that I can get signed up for a local in my region before it fills up otherwise I'm miles away for the whole run.

 

[jbrink01]

No water? No power? No problem, I'm still there.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

My main suggestion would to be to somewhat screen the judges and not take the first to signup. I think that's where it was most lacking was in the strength of numbers of judges.

This, maybe don't open judge's registration until 60 days prior to the event.

 

[Rookie'48]

This, maybe don't open judge's registration until 60 days prior to the event.

One problem with that is that most other contests will fill up for judges at least 90 days out. If I'm making out my judging schedule in January or February I'm not going to put a "hold" on a weekend just in case I can get into one contest. If I "hold" that weekend and don't make the cut I've lost out on that contest and probably another one that is now booked solid.

 

[CBQ]

OK, I didn't mean to start a big dicussion about water. :tape: I only brought it up because it was the only minor thing I could complain about. Everything else was as it should be, and we will enter again next year.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

Bottom line....

There's obviously something wrong at the one near here. Two years running and they haven't been able to fill the 30-slot team list yet. This is in an area where you have no problem getting 40 teams to show up to a $7500 contest with no hopes of advancing to a 2nd and 3rd contest where larger payouts are available.

And the time of year nor weather conditions are the problem. There is a contest just 10 minutes from the Marietta Sam's location where they had 52 teams there this year with a $7500 purse. On a parking lot, in August with generator power. It's heralded as one of the best contests around.

 

[Rich Parker]

Bottom line....

There's obviously something wrong at the one near here. Two years running and they haven't been able to fill the 30-slot team list yet. This is in an area where you have no problem getting 40 teams to show up to a $7500 contest with no hopes of advancing to a 2nd and 3rd contest where larger payouts are available.

And the time of year nor weather conditions are the problem. There is a contest just 10 minutes from the Marietta Sam's location where they had 52 teams there this year with a $7500 purse. On a parking lot, in August with generator power. It's heralded as one of the best contests around.

You will see a lot of the events with the number of teams hovering around high 20's because of the signup process and teams pulling out the last minute and it just isn't feasible for the teams on the waiting list to make it. If they didn't have a 30 team cap these events would pull a lot higher numbers.

I agree the water situation sucks as there is only one other event in MI that doesn't have water and the complaining about it is huge. But I would rather go without easy access to water to compete in their event with the chance of moving on before I go to another with easy access to water.

 

[wmaes47]

I have seen the use of fire hydrant water in various areas of Colorado by application for "Water Use Fire Hydrant Permit" to each jurisdiction...

This unit could be purchased by Sam's Club, then shipped to each event, where water is needed...

Fire Hydrant Water Metering

 

[dmprantz]

You guys are right. Hydrants can be cycled with the correct equipment. Pumpers have tanks. Worst case, it might only delay or interrupt water by a minute or three, and the fire couldn't do too much damaage in that time. It might even speed things up since commercial fire hydrants are often rendered temporarily unusable by decorative shrubs. I was just being protective of suppression tools. Most importantly, I don't even think I'll be at any Sam's Club events in 2013. Sorry causing a ruckus.

dmp

 

[hogzgonewild]

Maybe it's because we are spoiled here in GA, maybe it's because I'm picky, maybe it's something else, but we did the Sam's Club competition in Marietta in 2012, and unless there are 29 newbie teams signed up this year and one spot left....you won't catch me at another one.

To me, Troy Black came off as a pompous, holier than thou organizer who came in on a bus with two reps who couldn't have cared less. They were in it for the $$ and advertising, not for putting on a good contest or caring about the teams. And I am generally a mild mannered, southern gentleman, not one to speak my mind.

When we pulled in, I asked 6-7 people working the event about who was pulling teams in, and nobody could point me in the right direction. I waited for 20 minutes in my car with my trailer attached, and couldn't get an answer, so I pulled into a 10'X20' open space between the last competitor on a row and the cones. Troy decided to run his mouth and make me move over 10 feet to prove his point, only to come back 3 hours later after we were fully unpacked, and tell me I could have the other 10 feet.

Couple that with the 200 yard walk to get buckets of water, judges reporting entry numbers hitting their tables more than twice, and Troy taking off before awards, leaving the reps to do the job.....and you have one crappy competition.

 

[Pig Headed]

Maybe it's because we are spoiled here in GA, maybe it's because I'm picky, maybe it's something else, but we did the Sam's Club competition in Marietta in 2012, and unless there are 29 newbie teams signed up this year and one spot left....you won't catch me at another one.

To me, Troy Black came off as a pompous, holier than thou organizer who came in on a bus with two reps who couldn't have cared less. They were in it for the $$ and advertising, not for putting on a good contest or caring about the teams. And I am generally a mild mannered, southern gentleman, not one to speak my mind.

When we pulled in, I asked 6-7 people working the event about who was pulling teams in, and nobody could point me in the right direction. I waited for 20 minutes in my car with my trailer attached, and couldn't get an answer, so I pulled into a 10'X20' open space between the last competitor on a row and the cones. Troy decided to run his mouth and make me move over 10 feet to prove his point, only to come back 3 hours later after we were fully unpacked, and tell me I could have the other 10 feet.

Couple that with the 200 yard walk to get buckets of water, judges reporting entry numbers hitting their tables more than twice, and Troy taking off before awards, leaving the reps to do the job.....and you have one crappy competition.

Sorry you had a bad experience. I have to say that we had just the opposite experience at both the local and regional. Very well run and no issues except our entries:twisted:. The water run just gave us a chance to visit other teams along the way. Hope this years events aren't too far away, we look forward to going again. Both Troy and the reps did a great job in our eyes. Have never had award ceremonies earlier than expected before, and we liked the whole experience.

 

[Wrench_H]

hogzgonewild, I got a very similar feeling about Troy Black. He wasn't even there when we got there on Friday afternoon. Once he did get there, he came around long enough to tell us that we could park in our spot after sending an email saying we couldn't. About an hour later, he came back and said we needed to move our car. Luckily it rained, so he got in his little trailer and left for the night without any mention of the fact that he was cancelling the "mandatory" cooks meeting. He showed back up the next morning around 8 and evidently had a cook's meeting that we weren't told about. Around 10:00, he comes around with 2 middle aged redneck chicks and opens both of my Traegers, both the food chamber and the hopper box long enough to show them how they work. I'm standing 5 feet away from him in disbelief and he never says a word to me. I'm originally from near Greensboro, so I had a few friends come up and we had cooked lots of extra food to feed them. He comes by and basically talks to me like a 5 year old telling me I can't feed the public. I explain that they are my friends, and he loses it trying to find something else that I am doing wrong. He then sees my wife's uncle with a beer and tells me he is going to kick me out of the contest if he doesn't throw it out immediately. Sorry for the rant, but it drives me nuts when people talk about how great this guy is and how he is an ambassador for BBQ. Its no skin of anyone's back but my own, but I won't be doing another Sam's club event until he is no longer associated with it.