A large crowd enjoyed great weather as they witnessed a Michigan and Iowa team take home the top honors at the 8th Annual Deaths Door BBQ on Washington Island. They competed against some of the best teams in the country to claim the title of Grand Champion. The event was sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
On Friday (Day One) of the contest Richard Parker of the IBQ’N@ THE BBQ SUPERSTORE.COM team was crowned the Grand Champion. Parker of Lowell MI beat out a field of 30 teams to claim the title. He won two of the four KCBS categories on his way to victory. Richard won both the chicken and pork categories and finished seventh in pork ribs and sixth in brisket. Finishing in the runner-up spot was last years KCBS Team of the Year winner Gettin’ Basted. Head cook Brad Leighninger out of Saddlebrooke Mo took home the Reserve Grand Champion honors. Brad finished second in chicken, fourth in pork ribs, tenth in pork and fifth in brisket. Finishing third was Eric Ferguson of Big “E” BBQ out of Huntley IL. Fourth went to Brian and Ann Neale of Smoke Freaks from Chicago IL. Rounding out the top five was last years DDBBQ champion Tom and Becky McIntosh of Sturgeon Bay WI. Their T-Mac Smokin team is the Wisconsin team picked to cook in the Jack Daniels World Championship in Lynchburg TN this year.
On Saturday (Day Two) Darren and Sherry Warth of Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ took home the Grand Champion honors. The Des Moines, IA team had two first place finishes in pork ribs and brisket. They also placed twelfth in chicken and eighth in pork on the way to winning the title. The Reserve Grand Champion award went to Jermaine Little of Turnin' Up The Heat. He hails from Brown Deer WI. His team was the highest finishing Wisconsin team in the two day event. Third place went to the Smoke Freaks. They were followed in fourth by Getting Basted and rounding out the top five was Tim Maloy of Backyard Bro’s from Oldster FL.
Three Wisconsin teams finished in the top ten on Day One. Coming in fifth was T-Mac Smokin’ from Sturgeon Bay. Tim’s Full Belli Deli from Oshkosh came in seventh and Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse of Sister Bay came in eighth. Day Two also had three Wisconsin teams represented in the top ten. Turning Up The Heat was Reserve Grand Champion, Tim’s Full Belli Deli was seventh and Legends of Smoke- Team Red Arrow out of Manitowoc came in eighth.
On Friday twelve teams competed in the KCBS ancillary category for dessert. Taking home the first place honors with a perfect score was Tamara Ferguson of Big “E” BBQ. Finishing a close second was Legends of Smoke - Team Red Arrow. Third went to Tim’s Full Belli Deli, fourth to 10-76 Smoke from Sister Bay WI and rounding out the top five was Wicked Smoke from Fort Atkinson WI.
Fridays Steak Cookooff Association contest was won by Paul Perpich of Hortonville WI. Second went to Sherry Warth of Des Moines IA, third to Seth Mcallister from Woodstock IL, fourth to Jeff Vanderlinde of Delano MN and rounding out the top five was Jeff Hiers.
Saturdays Kid’s Que had two winners. The hot dog contest was won by Nathan Schilling of Sobieski WI and the hamburger event was won by Molly Leighninger of Saddlebrooke MO.
US Representative Mike Gallager attended Deaths Door BBQ on Saturday and read off the winners. He was presented a plaque from the Washington Island Electric Co-Op for his help in getting funding for the new electrical cable from the mainland to the Island. Co-Op manager Robert Cornell made the presentation.
Deaths Door BBQ would like to thank all our sponsors, teams, judges, volunteers, visitors and especially the committee; Richard Jepsen Chairman, Tom Nikolai, Mary Lynn Anderson, Cathy Meader and Jenny Hansen. Plans are already underway for the 9th Annual Deaths Door BBQ on August 29th, 2020.