How to qualify to invitationals in the US coming from Canada

Hi everyone, I'm working on a project which includes researching how a competitive BBQ team from Canada can qualify to competitions such as The Jack Daniel's, Memphis in May, the American Royal Open etc.

From what I can gather by googling information online, I've gathered that one can win the Manitoba Open Barbecue Championship and receive an automatic invite to the Jack Daniel's World Championship.

British Columbia confuses me a bit with their 4 different competitions. Does the team with the greatest number of points (if that's how it's done) over the course of those 4 contests win the title of Grand Champion, and then BC is able to also send their own team to the Jack Daniel's?

Thanks in advance to all who reply. I'm looking to learn how one can qualify coming from Canada as I haven't been able to just google this information up.

Your two best options would be to contact the people at the Jack or to contact Danielle Dimovski of DivaQ. DivaQ competes out of the Toronto area and are very experienced (I'm pretty sure that they've been to the Jack, I know that they've been to the Royal).

Here's the Jack's BBQ hotline: (931) 759-6930
DivaQ's website is: www.divaq.ca

Good luck!

Eric

Thanks for the two sources. I'll give them a try.

I would suggest you get on the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association (PNWBA) or the Prairie BBQ Association forums and just ask!

Angie Quaale is the reigning BBQ Diva of Western Canada, a competition cook, PNWBA Board Member, Head Judge, organizer and owner of "Well Seasoned" in Langley, BC. You may have seen her on Global TV doing cooking demos?

Rob Rheinhart is a PNWBA BOD member, Head Cook of "Prairie Smoke & Spice", and admin of the Prairie BBQ Assn. site. Helluva good cook!Check it out!

Justin Kyllo Of Smoke N Bones (Vancouver) has been featured in NBBQA Barbecue News articles of his Invitiational "vacation Cooks". And Rockin' Ronnie Schewchuck has it going on in BC.

Clark Deutscher is a frequent contributor on this site and competes as Team 58.

You would be surprised at how many very good cooks are in your own backyard!

Hope this helps!

You're asking a question to which there is no clear answer ;-) Regardless, I'd be happy to answer your questions, specifically in regards to how invitations have been extended in the past. I've been fortunate enough to be invited to one or both of those events each of the past 3 years and have been following the 'guidelines' longer than that... I won't list on the board how invitations are granted, simply because each organization has their own guidelines, published and not... which of course are subject to change