Judge Registration
for the 2023 IRONMAN BBQ Competition on April 8
Get ready to judge the IRONMAN, the ultimate BBQ competition!
This is our 11th year hosting a BBQ competition and the 7th year we are KCBS sanctioned! That's right, we are a qualifier for The Jack, The Royal, and Memphis in May! As you know if you have judged for me in the past, our contests are well-organized and fun!
This is our 7th year for the IRONMAN format. The IRONMAN is a more challenging format than your normal BBQ competition. Each team participating in our event has voluntarily agreed to cook without the benefit of electricity! That’s right, no Gurus, no pellet cooker, no rotisseries, no remote thermometers, just the pitmaster and the pit—a true test of skill!
On top of that, all of our teams have voluntarily agreed to participate in IRONMAN meat rules. They can only cook 1 brisket, 1 pork butt, 1 rack of pork ribs, and 7 pieces of chicken (includes one to taste). This means there's no room for mistakes, as there is no extra food to fall back on.
Because of the reduced cost of this competition, we get a fair number of teams new to the sport of competitive BBQ! For me, that’s one of the best reasons to organize this competition. I love getting new teams into the BBQ world!
If you have judged for me at past events, like Smoketoberfest, The Pignic, and the Go Naked BBQ Show, you know I require three things from my judges:
- Show up. No-shows are not acceptable. If you are slated to judge, be here!
- Be prompt. Don’t arrive late and be surprised when your slot is taken.
- Be happy. You are eating BBQ—maybe not great BBQ, but better than most! So be happy!
That’s it! If you think you can do that, then fill out the Judges application found here.
You will be notified of your acceptance no later than March 1st, and a complete judge’s kit will be provided to you. If your schedule changes and you are unable to judge, please notify us immediately. If you have any judging questions, please contact us.
Any questions about judging? Contact us and we'll be happy to help!