Team Packet

Click the link below to download the team packet which includes: rules, schedules, the checklist, and the team map:

  • Download the team packet!


  • Safety

    This is a rain or shine event, which means it will be held no matter what the weather will be. We encourage every team to use a tent as protection from the sun or rain. Bring sunblock and a fan if possible, the afternoon can be brutal.

    Don't forget the wind rips through the parking lot like a wind tunnel so you can prepare early for it by tethering your tents to heavy items like coolers or weights during your initial booth setup.

    Also please try and keep your booths safe for kids, as this is a family friendly parish event. This includes keeping cutting boards clean, putting away unused sharp objects, watching your hot coals and grease, etc. We ask everyone to position their smokers in the back of the booths to help minimize the risk of children getting burned. We have a first aid kit on site but we don’t want to use it! Adults only after 7pm on Saturday, so send the kids home and enjoy yourself!

    Finally, pace yourself and drink responsibly – it’s a long weekend. We want everyone to get home safe and sound, without endangering others. Please contact Uber if you need a safe ride home.

     

    Event Schedule

    Friday

    4pm - Teams can start setting up Friday afternoon after 4pm; we should have the booths marked by then. We encourage you to get set up Friday as soon as you can, so you can mix it up with the other teams and enjoy your evening.

    Please remove all vehicles from the back lot after unloading as other teams will need to unpack as well. Teams like to party on Friday night and the less traffic the better.

    There will be electricity, so bring some long power cords if you want to hook into the power. There will also be water available in the kitchen and a hose on the south side of the building.

    7pm - The evening's entertainment begins.

    11pm - There is a noise ordinance which means all music needs to be turned down at 11pm. Feel free to stay overnight to cook your large cuts of meat, like pork butts or brisket. Police patrol the parking lot at night to make sure everything is going well, for both us and the neighbors. Please contact Uber if you need a safe ride home.

     

    Saturday

    8am - Please remove all vehicles from the contest area by 8am Saturday and try your best to keep the stroll-way clear. Remember, you can park your vehicles in the Ranchmart parking lot, which resolves conflicts with the Leawood fire truck at noon, weddings during the day, and Saturday's Mass.

    9am - We will have a Cook's meeting Saturday morning in the cafeteria at 9am. Everyone is welcome while we will cover the BBQ contest rules and answer any contest questions.

    Around 9:30 - Directly after the Cook's meeting there will be an opportunity to ask competition questions. We are blessed to have successful KCBS cooks on our committee, including two past Holy Smokes champions, who can answer any questions you may have (there is nothing we haven't seen or done ourselves) and are more than willing to help.

    12pm till 1pm - Kids can have free hot dogs, chips, soda, and water. Various kid activities, including the Leawood fire truck!

    2:30pm - BBQ Judges Meeting.

    3:50 - 4:00     1st Category Turn-In – Sausage

    4:20 - 4:30     2nd Category Turn-In – Pork Ribs

    4:50 - 5:00     3rd Category Turn-In – Pork Tenderloin or Butt

    5:20 - 5:30     4th Category turn-In – Brisket

    7pm - Awards ceremony. Adults only after 7pm!

    Please remove all electronics and alcohol from your space at the conclusion of the night. Please contact Uber if you need a safe ride home.

     

    Sunday

    The entire parking lot needs to be clean by 10am. We do require a representative from each team in the lot Sunday morning to help clean the whole area. You may remove your equipment at that time. 

     

    Rules and Scoring

    You must have two Curé parishioners on your team. This is a parish event and is not open to the general public.

    Holy Smokes is not a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned contest. While the contest is roughly based on the KCBS format and is maintained by active KCBS members, we keep the rules loose to focus on fun and fellowship. Gas and electric assisted cookers are permitted. If you can put up with the disapproval of the BBQ purists, go ahead and use gas. All meat must be cooked on site, however you can marinate offsite.

    The basic format has not changed: Each team will be responsible for supplying your own contest meats. The four meat categories will stay the same.

    The judged meat categories will be:

    • Sausage (4pm)
    • Pork Ribs (4:30pm)
    • Pork Tenderloin or Pork Butt - your choice (5pm)
    • Brisket (5:30pm)

    The meat will be judged on Appearance, Taste and Tenderness. We don’t throw out the high and low scores, so the point totals are different than KCBS. Our judges are instructed about our rules (which are loose), but many of our judges are KCBS trained, so try to adhere to the rules as best you can. For example we do not specify what greens you can use to decorate your boxes, but a judge may be unconsciously biased against some decorations due to their KCBS training and experience.

    Turn in boxes will be provided by Holy Smokes. Each turn in box must contain at least six samples of each meat category for the judges. Make sure it is sliced or separated to make individual samples. Do yourself a favor and fill the box with meat, your scores will improve.

    The turn-in location will be the same as in the past, through the brown double doors at the West end of the quadrangle and down the stairs. There will be a turn in table at the bottom of the stairs where you will leave your boxes. Turn in announcements will be called at 15 minutes and again at 5 minutes before each turn-in time. We are following a 30 minute time frame between each category to help teams meet their deadlines. This time frame has worked well in the past.