BBQ 4 Kids was Out of This World in El Cajon 

Posted September 8, 2001 at 3:03 PM PDT (2203 GMT)
By JOE O'CONNELL, scbbqa Vice President

EL CAJON, California -- The City of El Cajon closed down Main Street for a barbecue.  The community joined the Q'munity to socialize, to watch the competition, and to enjoy real barbecue, all for the benefit of the local charities.

A dozen teams competed in seven categories and a Kids Q in the inaugural BBQ 4 Kids.    

The contest was certified as a California State Barbecue Championship and a qualifier for the 2002 American Royal and 2002 Jack Daniel's Draw.  

Out of This World (Gary Tackett) won the Grand Championship, and Otis and the Bird (Jay and Monica Benedict) took Reserve.

Out of This World wins Grand Championship:   team members Gary Tackett, Gene Goycochea, and Todd Eves receive award from Geno and Monica Jenkins, of Geno's All-In-One BBQ Sauce, with Joe O'Connell, KCBS Contest Representative.

Inaugural Barbecue Championship

This was the first annual BBQ 4 Kids Barbecue Championship and the first sanctioned contest ever held in the City of El Cajon.  

Proceeds benefited local charities, including the Pregnancy Care Center of El Cajon and The Boys & Girls Clubs of El Cajon and Imperial Beach

The event was coordinated by Geno Jenkins and Gene Goycochea.  The Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned the contest, and both Joe O'Connell and Gene Goycochea served as KCBS Representatives.  Eva and Hayward Harris served as the KCBS Representative Apprentice Trainees. 

Geno's West Coast Style Barbecue

The Official Sponsor of BBQ 4 Kids was Geno's All-In-One BBQ Sauce.  Geno Jenkins is the founder and creator, whose passion for outdoor cooking began 1975.  Over the next 10 years, this Barbecueologist™ developed a unique barbecue style, which he called Geno’s West Coast Style Barbecue™.  

Unlike traditional barbecue, Geno’s West Coast Style Barbecue™ process combines marinating, moisture infusion, cooking, and a flavorful sauce to enhance the distinct natural flavor of the meat.

Geno’s offers a variety of sauces for every barbecue need.  The sauces are available online at Geno's website for ordering.  

Cooks Dinner

On Friday evening, the festivities began with a live musical concert for the community.  Following the concert, the judges cooked a Santa Maria tri-tip barbecue dinner for the teams.  The dinner was hosted by the Southern California Barbecue Association and prepared by the judges for the cooks, sponsors, charitable volunteers and other guests.  

The Cooks Dinner has become a regular feature of barbecue contests in California.  All the teams look forward to the Friday evening Cooks Dinner, because it allows them a time to relax after getting set up, to enjoy a delicious dinner, and to socialize for an hour or so with other team members, judges, and sponsors.

The Association started the Cooks Dinners as a way to help the teams.  It relieves them of the pressure to make their own dinner on Fridays. And there is a balance.  On Saturday, the judges enjoy the barbecue entries cooked by the teams.  The Association thought it appropriate that, on Friday, the contest judges should reciprocate and cook dinner for the teams. 

As usual, last Friday's Cooks Dinner was a feast.  The judges grilled the tri-tips to perfection, and the Official Sponsor, Geno's All-In-One BBQ Sauce, provided all the side dishes, beans, salads, French bread and soft drinks.

Saturday Festivities

On Saturday, The City of El Cajon closed Main Street for the barbecue festivities.  The public watched the teams compete in the contest, which had been proclaimed by Governor Gray Davis as an official California State Barbecue Championship.  In addition, backyard grilling enthusiasts competed for the title of Best Steak in the West, and the children competed in a Kids Q steak contest.  The public was offered a variety of food, including tri-tip sandwiches by the Official Sponsor, Geno's All-In-One BBQ Sauce, as well as pulled pork sandwiches, sausages, and other barbecue.  

The event featured several great bands performing live, from blues to country to rock.  Enthusiasts presented an Antique Car Show and other exhibitions.

There were three barbecue contests held on Saturday:  the barbecue championship, the Best Steak In The West backyard grilling contest, and the Kids Q contest.

In the Kids Q, the team of Dueling Girls (the girls and relatives of Dueling Bubbas) scored a Perfect 180, and two teams tied for second:  the teams of Dueling Boys (yes, the boys lost to the girls) and Little Billy's BBQ (the son of Billy's BBQ, big Billy Nicola).

In the backyard category of "Best Steak in the West", Smokin Butt (Jerry Shannon) captured first place and Out of This World (Gary Tackett) won second place.

Barbecue Championship Winners

In the California State Championship competition, teams competed in six categories.  In Chicken, Dueling Bubbas (Don Grissom) won the category in a tie breaker with Otis and the Bird (Monica and Jay Benedict).

In Ribs, 3 Men with Nothing Better To Do (Grant McKinstry, Scott Dawson and Kevin Lorch) on the category, with Out of This World taking second place just ahead of Otis and the Bird.

In Pork, Stealth (Scott Williams) won first place, and Dueling Bubbas won the tie-breaker for second place over 3 Men with Nothing Better To Do.

In Brisket, Out of This World posted a Perfect 180.  Smokin Butt took second place, and Otis and the Bird won third place.

In addition to the previous four main categories, the teams competed in tri-tip and sauce.  

Jay and Monica Benedict, of Otis & The Bird, won Reserve Championship.

In tri-tip, Dueling Bubbas posted a Perfect 180, while Lakeside BBQ (Dean Hayes) took second place

and Out of This World took third place.  In the sauce category, Dueling Bubbas was victorious with another Perfect 180, while Smokin Butt won second place, and Lakeside BBQ took third.

For the overall, Out of This World (Gary Tackett) won the Grand Championship, and Otis and the Bird (Jay and Monica Benedict) edged out Dueling Bubbas (Don Grissom) for the Reserve Championship.

Team of the Year points

As the Kansas City Barbeque Association does, the Southern California Barbecue Association sanctions a Team of the Year competition.  The BBQ 4 Kids contest was the "first" Team of the Year competition for the barbecue year, which began on September 1, 2001.  (By a decision of the Association's Board, the barbecue year will run from September 1, 2001 through December 31, 2002 and will then follow a calendar year, like the KCBS Team of the Year.)

With its victory, Out of This World begins the new year as the leader in Team of the Year competition.  

Other 2001 Events

Up
Mar 23 Beachfront
Mar 30 Fry's
May 11 Happy Trails
May 18 Memphis-in-May
May 26 Beach Bash
June 1 Surf & Turf
June 8 Beachfest
July 4th Beach Barbecue
Jul 13 West Coast
Aug 31 Team of the Year
Sep 1 Beach Party
Sep 7 BBQ 4 Kids
Oct 5 American Royal
Oct 26 Jack Daniels
Nov 16 QFest
Nov 16 Meeting
Dec 15 Party
Dec 15 Meeting

Proceeds from this event benefited the 
Boys and Girls Clubs
and the
Pregnancy Care Center of East County

Send us your comments and questions.