Winter Haven Smoke on the Water Was Rockin’!
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I had the pleasure of judging this year’s Winter Haven Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition organized by Frank and Janet Cosmos to benefit the Citrus Center Boys And Girls Club, Inc of Winter Haven, Lake Wales and Haines City. People taking culinary courses would have loved a gig like this.
Some 76 Competition BBQ Teams had their BBQ Smoker “sites” up and running for this event (55 Pro Teams and 21 Backyard Cookers). If you haven’t been to this event, you need to put it on your calendar for next year. Myron Mixon consistently ranks the Winter Haven Smoke on the Water competition among his top 2 favorite annual cooks, and for good reason. The work Frank and Janet do, along with the reps from the Florida Bar-B-Que Association, is just off the charts awesome.
Now… to the good stuff!
2012 Winter Haven Smoke on the Water Pro Results
Grand Champion Award: Big Papa’s Country Kitchen
Photo Credit: Florida Bar-B-Que Association
This year, Grand Champion honors went to none other than Dana and Janet Hillis and their Big Papa’s Country Kitchen BBQ Team. Dana is the current sitting FBA President and is a force to be reckoned with both from a ‘cue skills standpoint and just because he’s one hell of a great human being. Always eager to greet strangers and friends with the same infectious smile and bear paw hand shake, you won’t find a more open and friendly representative of what the spirit of competition BBQ is about anywhere.
Reserve Grand Champion Award: Forrest’s Fine Foods
Photo Credit: Florida Bar-B-Que Association
Reserve Grand Champion Honors went to Forrest Dilmore of Forrest’s Fine Foods BBQ Team. I know that winning a BBQ Smoker Competition has little to do with one’s character or personality directly, but dang it – I’m just so happy that RGC went to such a hands down great man as Forrest. Again, walk up to his cook site during a competition, say hi, and get ready for a warm greeting. As our most recent past President of the FBA, you can see between him and Dana why the leadership, direction, and guidance of our association is so strong.
Top 10 Results from This Year’s Winter Haven Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition
The 2012 Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition results are listed as follows:
- Big Papa’s Country Kitchen
- Forrest’s Fine Foods
- Bubba Chuck (Imperial Polk County, Baby!)
- Team Unknown (Imperial Polk County, Baby!) *
- Sho Gud BBQ
- Uncle Kenny’s BBQ
- Hot Wachula’s(Imperial Polk County, Baby!)
- GB’s BBQ
- Git-R-Smoked
- Wooley Bully BBQ Mafia
Complete results for this cook can be found here.
SPECIAL SUPER IMPORTANT BBQ SMOKER SITE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
* Special Mention Goes Out to Chris Whitcomb (AKA Dorsey Odell) of the Team Unknown BBQ crew. Dorsey’s been in a bit of a slump of late with his Brisket. It happens to all men of a certain age… and it is nothing to be ashamed of.
I want to say right here and right now that in no way does Dorsey’s inability to bring it home in the brisket category impact the wondrous joy he continues to spread around to his friends and loved ones.
So – it is with great honor that I announce to the entire readership of the BBQ Smoker Site that Mr. Dorsey MF Odell took FIRST PLACE in the Brisket Category at this year’s Winter Haven Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition! Raise Hell Dorsey! Them bastards’ll never catch you now, brother! (Click here for a musical Tribute to the Florida Bar-B-Que Association by the one and only Dorsey Odell.)
SUPER SPECIAL TOP LEVEL IMPORTANCE BBQ SMOKER SITE ANNOUNCEMENT
(Caution – what you are about to see may not be apprpriate for some viewers!!!! Viewer discretion is advised!)
I could not resist pointing you all to this underground video taken by a here to fore unnamed videographer embedded within the Team Unknown BBQ camp during the Friday night setup at this year’s Smoke on the Water event.
Please understand that this video footage was smuggled out of the Team Unknown BBQ camp at great risk. Whatever you do, please do not share it with anyone, less the parties involved be exposed to great harm.
What you are about to see after the jump (here’s the link) will astound and amaze you. Go there now. You will not believe your eyes!
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Big Papa’s Country Kitchen is at it again – taking Grand Champion honors at the 2102 Fort Pierce, Florida Cowboys Pig Out BBQ Competition, a Florida Bar-B-Que Sanctioned event. For those of you who don’t know Dana and his lovely wife Janet, they are the most welcoming and fun loving couple you could ever hope to meet. They also know how to produce top quality product from a BBQ Smoker!
Photo Credit: Florida Bar-B-Que Association
I had the chance to meet Dana and Janet on one for the first time at last year’s Historic Cocoa Village’s BBQ & Blues competition, where Dana was gracious enough to ask me to have a seat and share an ice cold beer. He showed me around his trailer and we took a look at his BBQ Smoker, which is always a special treat since I am a full time BBQ Competition NERD fan!
Big Papa’s Country Kitchen is on a roll for 2012, and is so far in the lead for Florida Bar-B-Que’s Team of the Year. No surprise given that the team finished 2nd last year among all BBQ Smoker cook teams behind Terry McKay’s Git-R-Smoked BBQ team!
Dana Hillis … Leading By Example
Dana is this year’s Florida Bar-B-Que Association President, so we’re being led by someone who puts his BBQ Smoker where his gavel is! This, by the way, is the trend with our fine organization as last year’s President – Forrest Dilmore – was exactly the same type of awesome lead by example professional!
Here’s how Pig Papa’s Country Kitchen Fared Overall
- 2nd Place Chicken
- 2nd Place Ribs
- 8th Place Pork
- 6th Place Brisket
As you can see, it’s all about the points, baby! With BBQ Smoker competitions, you do not have to win each category to win Grand Championship honors. In fact, there have been instances where a Grand Champion was crowned without taking first place in any category! What your’e aiming for is a win in at least one category and walks in all of them. Do that, and you have a shot! Win two categories and walk in all of them and there’s a real great chance you’ll take it all home!
Here’s how the top 10 in this year’s event panned out. For complete results, head on over to the Florida Bar-B-Que Association contests site.
Top 10 Finishers at the 2012 Cowboys Pig Out BBQ Competition
- Big Papa’s Country Kitchen
- Blitzkrieg BBQ
- Forrest’s Fine Foods
- Lang BBQ Smokers
- Saucy Swine-O’s
- Hot Wachulas
- Smoky Dog
- Great Lakes BBQ & Feed Co.
- Git R Smoked
- J & J Bar B Que
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