KCBS News FeedBBQ Tour Stop #20: Pine Bluff, AR
September 24, 2010 The drive home from Grand Junction took us across I-70 and the Rocky Mountains. After all the other mountains that we have traveled over, how hard could it be? Nobody told us about the tunnel… Luckily we were warned about wayward wiener dogs, so we kept a sharp eye out and had a beautiful drive!We were home for a couple of nights before we headed out the Smoke on the Water Arkansas State BBQ Championship in Pine Bluff. Pine Bluff is where the Smoke on the Water competitions started ten years ago and is held in Regional Park right on the Arkansas River and Lake Langhofer. The view was fantastic, despite the heat and bugs. But hey, what is a BBQ without warm weather and ants?
Teams started loading in on Friday morning and had wonderful amenities like water and electrical outlets throughout the park. We parked the trailer close to the local Chamber of Commerce tent and right across the street from the carnival. Friday night the Chamber had a VIP event for members and teams, so Chris and I scheduled our demonstration right afterward to maximize the attendance.
As we walked around on Saturday morning checking in on the Kingsford teams and pellet cookers alike, we ran into Andy and his wife with Burn One BBQ. We met them briefly Friday night as they were helping Troy with Learn2Q. Both teams have special pet relationships; Troy with his Boxer Rocco and Andy with his Dachshund Teenie… you guessed it, Andy’s Teenie Weenie! You can catch Teenie “rolling” around contests with her two-wheel custom carriage, as her back legs are disabled. She really loved the asphalt parking lot as she was rolling all over the place!
Again, despite the heat, Ronnie handled the awards ceremony well. Quite a few teams got calls, even 2 Fat Drunks Cookin’ (one of the best team names I had seen in a while). A couple of teams that we ran into in Springfield, Hog Tide Bar-b-Que and Hardway Barbeque, placed fourth and third overall, while Caveman Cuisine was crowned Reserve Grand Champion with KC Can Crew winning Grand Championship honor in addition to the big $1,000 Kingsford check. All-in-all, another great weekend on the tour.
