Sparta-Q was a great event to judge! Great setup of teams encircling the Spartan football stadium, lots of food and auctions and fun activities for attendees, and all for a great cause--raising funds for the SJSU softball program and facilities.
This was a ribs-only event and not KCBS sanctioned, but run according to KCBS rules and scoring. I believe there were about 40 teams at the event. They arrived at 6:00am and were given six slabs of spareribs as part of their entry fee. Teams were assigned a turn-in time of either 1:00pm or 1:30pm.
Judges were asked to check-in by 12:15 and be in their seats by 12:30. All but one were KCBS certified, I believe. We had a shady judging area under the north end of the stadium bleachers. Because this was not a KCBS sanctioned contest, things ran a bit differently. We did not take the judge's oath and did not listen to the pre-recorded message on KCBS judging rules. Tracy Allen provided an orientation and a reading of rules to the judges before the first turn-in. Teams and attendees were allowed to stand behind a barricade just a few feet from the judges and watch how the judging process was conducted. Judges, teams and attendees were allowed to take photos in the judging area, including photos of the entries. We evaluated the entries using KCBS rules and scoring but using generic, non-KCBS meat plates, score cards and comment cards.
There were 18 judges seated at three tables. My table judged 7 boxes in the first turn-in and 6 boxes in the second. We had great help from members of the SJSU softball team who served as our table captains. We were encouraged to fill-out comment cards for the teams, especially if we gave an 8 in any category so as to help teams understand why they just missed a score of 9.
There were several teams cooking for the first time in competition, and that showed in the first set of turn-in boxes. We had some dry ribs and some oversauced ribs and some tough ribs. Only one or two entries stood out in that first group of 7 boxes. The second turn-in was much stronger. You could tell that these were ribs from more experienced players. I gave a 9-9-9 to two entries and 9-9-8 to two entries that were just a little too tender.
Judges were finished by 2:00pm and had a chance to wander and visit with teams before the results were announced at 4:00pm. Here are the Top 10 finishers:
1. Canyon Riders
2. Big D's BBQ
3. Loosen your Belt BBQ
4. Juicy O's BBQ
5. Berdoo BBQ
6. Porktera BBQ
7. Big Shot BBQ
8. Flame Thrower BBQ
9. Pipin' Hot Smokers BBQ
10. Son of Smoke
Special thanks to Tracy Allen for organizing the judging...all went very smoothly, kudos to her!
Here are some photos...enjoy!
Entry gate to Spartan Stadium
Teams were organized around the outside perimeter of the football stadium. Should have brought a football, I could have practiced my passing routes.
Team booths in the stadium concourse.
Looks like local favorite Kinder's has a permanent setup at Spartan football games.
Big Shot BBQ representing with dual 22.5" WSMs + Weber kettle.
Didn't catch the name of this team, but they had a nice shady spot under the trees for their trio of 22.5" WSMs.
Looks like a WSM is the real engine behind this choo-choo train!
Love me some barbecued ribs cooked on a Santa Maria style grill.
In addition to ribs, there was a dessert contest. In a stroke of genius, it was held before the rib contest. I've always thought dessert should precede the main course.
Most desserts arrived in Styrofoam boxes, but here's a peek at a few that did not. Would have loved to try the bread pudding on the left. Alas, these were evaluated by a completely different set of judges from the rib contest. Drats!
Continued...
