Cool Smoke captures Grand Champion honors at 2008 Blue Ridge BBQ Festival
The Kansas City Barbecue Society Team of the Year in 2007. The Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival grand champions in 2008. Life is good these days for Tuffy Stone.
Stone's Cool Smoke cooking team walked away Saturday afternoon with the title of Grand Champions at the 15th annual Blue Ridge competition in Tryon, N.C. Cool Smoke bested an 80-team field that Festival organizers called one of the strongest in the event's history.
Stone's Richmond, Va.-based team won the Pork Ribs category and earned 673.1428 points. The Bub-Ba-Q team of Bubb Lattimer from Jasper, Ga. placed second with 656.0000 points, followed by Divine Smoke of Greenwood, S.C., Mountain Magic Country BBQ of Shelby, N.C. and Lotta Bull BBQ of Marietta, Okla.
"We're overwhelmed," said Stone. "For as long as we've been cooking, we've considered this event one of the crown jewels of the barbecue circuit. Tryon is an important contest to us. To win this is tremendous.
"We were the (KCBS) team of the year last year, and to come back this year and be as fortunate, it's like a continuation of a big dream."
Stone's team consisted of his son, Sam, his father, George and Kendall Lamp.
"This was one event that we wanted to do well in when we started cooking," said Lamp. "It means a lot."
Prior to announcing the contest winners, Festival organizers honored teams and individuals who have been with the Festival throughout its 15 years. Among the honorees:
- Festival founder Jim "Trim" Tabb
- Carolyn Wells of the KCBS
- Festival committee member Bill Crowell
- Festival committee member Kirt Flynn
- Kings Cooking of Shelby, N.C., which has competed all 15 years
- Oink, Cackle & Moo of Tullahoma, Tenn., which has competed all 15 years
Overall Results
1. Cool Smoke, Richmond, Va., 673.1428
2. Bub-Ba-Q, Jasper, Ga., 656.0000
3. Divine Smoke, Greenwood, S.C., 651.9998
4. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Shelby, N.C., 650.2858
5. Lotta Bull BBQ, Marietta, Okla., 648.5712
6. Carolina Barbecue Company, Hildebran, N.C., 648.5708
7. Buttrub.com, Santa Rosa, Fla., 645.7136
8. Silence of the Hams, Waynesville, N.C., 645.1428
9. Blindogs Outlaw BBQ Gang, Huntsville, Ala., 642.8570
10. Neckbones, Shelby, N.C., 640.5712
Chicken
1. Foothills Mountain BBQ, Columbus, N.C., 173.7144
2. Neckbones, Shelby, N.C., 170.0004
3. Kick Bakc Cove Racing & BBQ, Inman, S.C., 170.8574
4. Acme Brothers BBQ, northern Va., 170.8570
5. B.S. Pitmeisters, Boiling Springs, S.C., 170.8568
Pork Ribs
1. Cool Smoke, Richmond, Va., 171.4288
2. B.S. Pitmeisters, Boiling Springs, S.C., 170.2858
3. Big Bad Wolf Barbecue, Martinez, Ga., 169.1428
4. Two Old Men & A Grill, Alexis, N.C., 167.4286
5. Common Interest, Charleston, S.C., 166.8570
Pork
1. Silence of the Hams, Waynesville, N.C., 173.1430
2. Creekside Smokers, Swannanoa, N.C., 173.1428
3. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Shelby, N.C., 170.8574
4. Divine Smoke, Greenwood, S.C., 170.2586
5. Cool Smoke, Richmond, Va., 169.7142
Brisket
1. Tarheel Smokers, Herford, N.C., 168.0000
2. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Shelby, N.C., 168.0000
3. Cool Smoke, Richmond, Va., 167.9998
4. Lotta Bull BBQ, Marietta, Okla., 167.4284
5. Carolina Barbecue Company, Hildebran, N.C., 166.8570
Anything But
1. Bare Bonz BBQ, Greenwood, S.C., 176.5714
2. Too Bad You're My Cousin, Greenville, S.C., 175.4286
3. Rock Store BBQ, Stallings, N.C., 174.2860
4. Sue E. Pigg, Clemson, S.C., 173.7144
5. Big Herbs Smokin BBQ, Fort Mill, S.C., 173.1428
Whole Hog
1. Jack's Old South, Vienna, Ga., 178.8572
2. Pigs in Heat, Toccoa, Ga., 163.4286
3. Big Bad Wolf Barbecue, Martinez, Ga., 160.0000
4. Carolina Custom Cookers, Fairview, N.C., 158.8570
5. Culture on the Cobb, Tryon, N.C., 158.2860
Governor's Trophy
1. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Shelby, N.C.
2. Carolina Barbecue Company, Hildebran, N.C.
3. Silence of the Hams, Waynesville, N.C.
Best Booth
1. Drunken Parrot Heads, Columbus, N.C.
2. The Grilling Stones, Pounding Mill, Va.
3. Mountain View BBQ, Columbus, N.C.