Championship BBQ samples for the public at Vista, CA
We won 1st place in Ribs, 2nd in Pork, and 6th overall at the KCBS-sanctioned First Annual Vista Smokin Q Classic State Championship. Vista is a beautiful city about 10 miles inland from the seaside city of Oceanside in San Diego County. There were 27 teams who showed up including half dozen of the best from Arizona eager to win a Jack Daniels Invitational Draw should they win Grand Champion. Grand Champion honors went to our friends Bill and Dan from Tropical Heat, a couple of great guys who also, like me, work in the water utility business. Reserve was won by Vince and Alexa from Rhythm ‘n QUE from Phoenix, AZ.
Mark and I had a couple of junior helpers Jacob and Steven who are family friends enjoying their summer vacation out of school. We promptly put them to dish washing and cleaning duties and put them through their paces making boxes and seasoning the meats!
Everyone had a great time and the two young un’ got a taste of championship BBQ including taking a couple of walks with us!
We had a fun time and it’s always good to see everyone and catch up on what’s happening. The Ahi Tuna and BBQ Spaghetti potluck dishes on Friday were enjoyed by many.
A big thank you to our fellow CBBQA members Larry Schroeder and Dale Ginos for putting on a great event! We’re grateful that you and your helpers, judges, sponsors, hosts, and volunteers who put in so much effort to “give” back to the BBQ community and public by hosting this awesome event. Kudos for a well-run and well thought out event. Thanks also to Kelly and Kathleen for officiating.
Special mention goes to Rock’s Bar-B-Que who provided the temperature control systems we use on our Weber smokers. They allow us to focus on the contest instead of constantly having to fiddle with vents to ensure constant cooking temps. John Jackson is a BBQ aficionado himself and he’s happy to help you figure what Stoker ensemble will work best for your BBQ rig.
T & H Prime Meats and Sausage who supplied us with premium contest meats is also credited with our win. Call Roberto 760-471-9192 if you want premium quality specialty meats for BBQ contests, catering, or parties
In summary, we enjoyed ourselves immensely and will be back next year. We’re headed to Maui on Tues for a week of much needed R&R. I’ll be sporting a tan when I see everyone at the triple-KCBS contest in Fairfield in two weeks. Lomi Lomi Salmon, Kahlua Pig, and Poi here I come!