They come to Iola not just to compete for the best barbecue but also for the camaraderie.
Their goal is to qualify for the American Royal Barbecue Contest in September.
But, to a large degree, the 41 teams that competed Saturday at Iola Rotary Club?s Smokin? Hot Cars & BBQ contest in Riverside Park come because it?s cool.
?We weren?t even entered in this one. We were in Lee?s Summit last weekend and some of the guys said, ?You?ve got to come to Iola. The people are great. It?s well-run and there?s shade,?? Jeff Stehney of Kansas City said. His team, Slaughterhouse Five, has competed in barbecue contests for 29 years but this was his first competing in Iola. He also owns Joe?s Kansas City Bar-B-Que restaurants in the Kansas City area.
Jeff Stehney of Kansas City and Jason Brinkman of the Slaughterhouse Five team pull their chicken entries out of the smoker.
?I like going to an event where there?s a lot of other things going on and they get families involved,? Stehney, who has won numerous barbecue championships and was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2017, said. ?To me it should be about family. You get pretty jaded doing this all the time. When you see kids having fun and there are multiple generations and people from all around, that?s how it was when we started. I don?t want to lose the fun.?
Other teams echoed Stehney?s comments, including the Big Bang Barbecue team from Shawnee. This is their second year competing in Iola.
?We like the openness. We like the shade. We like the free ice,? Shannon Hey, half of the duo that comprises Big Bang Barbecue, said. ?Everybody here is fantastic. They make sure we have everything we need and come and check on us.?
Her teammate, El Paul Pomerantz, serves as pitmaster. They?ll enter in each of the four categories: pork, ribs, brisket and chicken. They?ll also enter a dessert category. Dessert isn?t part of the official contest, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. Winners of the four main categories will qualify to compete in the American Royal barbecue contest.
The Iola Rotary Club took over the barbecue contest six years ago, after the previous organizers moved to another state. The contest is a major fundraiser for the group ? and a lot of work.
Contest rules require at least 26 teams enter in each category. If they don?t hit that benchmark, the winner will not qualify for the American Royal. Last year, just 27 teams entered, which meant nearly all teams had to finish and turn in their entries on time.
That?s why Iola Rotarian John Brocker started competing in the contest a few years ago. He entered as the 26th team so the contest would meet qualification standards, but enjoyed it so much he came back.
