Magic Is Made at the Made for KC BBQ Competition - Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)/Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

It’s not every day you get a chance to witness a life-changing event resulting in someone’s dreams coming true. On June 11th, that is exactly what took place as the Black Magic BBQ team was crowned Grand Champion at the inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship held near the airport in Kansas City, Missouri. 

In addition to the Grand Champion title and the $25,000 payout, the team will also receive a one-year licensing opportunity to be featured in the new 8,000-square-foot competition-barbecue-themed restaurant at the new Kansas City International airport terminal, set to open in March of 2023. Black Magic BBQ will receive royalties, their winning recipes will be featured on the restaurant’s menu, and the team will be highlighted on signage around the restaurant for the first year of its opening.




















Black Magic BBQ from Grain Valley, Missouri, was crowned Grand Champion at the inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

The idea for the Made for KC BBQ Championship was generated by Outstanding Hospitality Management Group (OHM) during the bidding process to become the concessionaire at the new airport terminal. The company wanted to highlight the Kansas City barbecue tradition not just by including a barbecue restaurant in the terminal but by holding an officially-sanctioned competition in partnership with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS).

“When we think of Kansas City, we think of barbecue, and OHM is committed to delivering a uniquely Kansas City barbeque dining experience to visitors at the airport. This competition, the winning pit master or cook team, and the barbecue restaurant are the first of their kind anywhere in the world,” said Milan Patel, president and chief executive officer of OHM.


KCBS CEO Emily Detwiler, KCBS founding member Ardie Davis, and Old World Spice Vice President Amy Jungk pose for a photo at the judges' meeting. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

Amy Jungk, Executive Vice President of Strategic Relations at Old World Spices & Seasonings, who has deep connections to the barbecue community, was approached to help launch the event. “This contest has the largest purse and I had never planned a contest before. Every time I was at a loss, someone from the BBQ family stepped up to help. This was more reinforcement to me of why I love our BBQ family. This was such a group effort to make somebody’s dream come true,” Jungk said.

Because the idea was to highlight Kansas City competition barbecue, teams participating in the contest had to be based in either Missouri or Kansas and be located within 60 miles of the Kansas City International Airport in order to qualify. They also had to have been KCBS members in good standing for at least one year and were required to have competed in at least three KCBS-sanctioned events over the previous three years.


The brisket box is being prepared for turn-ins by the members of the Smokin Brothers Pro Team members. (Photo by Ryan Cooper) 

More than 50 local teams applied to participate in the contest. “We did a live random drawing, and 36 qualifying teams were selected for the competition,” according to Emily Detwiler, CEO of KCBS. The event planning team chose to hold the event at Worth Harley-Davidson. “We wanted to be near the airport. Worth Harley-Davidson had the perfect infrastructure, space for the teams, a stage, and facilities for the public,” Detwiler said.


The Made for KC BBQ Championship was a family affair for the Happy Grillmore team. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

Because the contest took place close to home for all of the teams, there was a family atmosphere at the competition. I was particularly struck by how many teams brought young children to the event. On Friday night, festivities included kick-off events, live music, and dessert and cocktail contests sponsored by Holladay Distillery.  

The next morning, teams gathered for the celebratory 9:22 AM toast before the competition heated up and things got serious. The contest consisted of the traditional four meats judged at KCBS contests — chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket.


Show Me MO Smoke made several walks to the stage before being named Reserve Grand Champion. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

After the judging was completed and results were tallied, the teams gathered for the awards ceremony hosted by Jason and Megan Day of the Burnt Finger BBQ team. Most of the participating teams were called to the stage throughout the evening. Show Me MO Smoke pitmaster Ronald Lanie and his daughter Amber made several trips to the stage in various categories before being named Reserve Grand Champion.


Fellow competitors cheer on the Black Magic BBQ team at the awards ceremony. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

When Black Magic BBQ was announced as Grand Champion, the crowd erupted in celebration. As head cooks Bre Via and Brad Colter and their teammate Darren McKown made their way to the stage, they were embraced and cheered on by their fellow competitors. This was the first time the team won a Grand Champion award in their two seasons of competing. (View the full results here.)

When asked what winning the inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship event meant to the team, Via fought back tears to say that it was “life-changing” to be crowned Grand Champion. Colter said that it “finally puts a plus column on what we’ve been doing for two years, and we can use this as a sounding board to grow the sport.”

Earlier in the day, as the competition was underway, I had the opportunity to visit with the Black Magic BBQ team and it was clear they are barbecue ambassadors who want to help build the sport and give back to the community. Via helps to connect teams with individuals seeking to attain the designation of KCBS Certified Master Judge, who are required to cook with competition teams at a sanctioned event. 


Black Magic BBQ’s Bre Via shares the memory wall of photos the team has taken during previous competitions. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

Via also draws from her career experience as a Special Education Teacher by promoting youth participation in competitive cooking. Her children — AJ (age 12), Reese (age 12), and Garrett (age 14) — all participate in the sport. Colter spoke about how competitive cooking has helped his 8-year-old son Owen, who is autistic, become more able to express himself.

It is clear that the Made for KC BBQ Championship was an overwhelming success in its first year. The goal will be to continue the tradition of holding a competition each year, with a new winner being highlighted at the barbecue restaurant in the airport terminal. Local artist and celebrity pitmaster Stretch Rumaner custom-made the championship trophies, including one that will be displayed at the airport restaurant featuring the names of each year’s Grand Champions.

When asked what the Made for KC BBQ Championship means for Kansas City, KCBS founding member and Barbecue Hall of Famer Ardie Davis summed it best by saying, “As soon as people step off the plane, they’re going to have the opportunity to really taste some Kansas City barbecue. I love that teams get to rotate and compete every year to see who is featured. It’s just a great concept.”

--

Congratulations to Black Magic BBQ and to OHM, KCBS, and Old World Spices on a successful inaugural Made for KC BBQ Championship event! 

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet