This is one fantastic event. 37 teams, I think the most ever for a California contest. Hats off to Jeff Jones for making this happen.

We wanted to do well here again this year mainly because we were Grand Champions last year and wanted to repeat it. The pressure was on.

We got to meet Carolyn Wells as she was the KCBS Rep for the contest. A real coop for Jeff. What a great lady, a bbq legend and the 1st lady of barbeque. Her and her husband with a few others started the Kansas City BBQ Society, the official sanctioning body of these contest. It has been because of Carolyn and KCBS that the "Sport of BBQ" has grown and become so professional in its representation.

Well I was still licking my wounds from the San Dimas contest; we just did not cook to our standards and would have to correct that here.

Friday evening we had turn ins for the sauce categories. We used the QN4U Clovis style for the standard and then doctored the same for the spicy category. Everyone has liked our sauce and we hoped to do well with it although I am always skeptical about these sauce contest.

Friday evening after the cooks meeting Carolyn had asked us to review the contest procedures and pitfalls with the new teams competing. There were a lot of them here. I am always glad to see new teams trying their skills at our passion. I thought that giving a little class to the "newbie's" was a good idea and was glad they had the confidence in us to do it. I remember how nerve racking our first contest was. We wanted everyone to be successful and get through this contest and hopefully encourage them to keep on competing like the rest of us gluttons.

This contest also had a seafood contest category in addition to the big 4. Kim was pretty much going to handle this item and I would help take the credit if she did well. It was the least I could do.

Brother Kentley showed up to help out. I am glad he did as I trust his palette to make the right call for turn ins.

The awards started on time so we were late getting to them. Imagine the awards starting on time that was a first.

We had done well in the sauce categories. We received a 1st and a 3rd. We also did very well in seafood, 1st place.

The big four categories did well also and we ended up Reserve Grand Champions getting winged by Otis and the Bird. Jay and Monica are a fantastic husband and wife team out of Arizona.

We had a lot of fun here and look forward to this contest being even larger next year. I hope to see the new teams back as veterans next year as they had a fantastic showing. Way to go!

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