Oct 5 American Royal

California shines at American Royal Invitational and Open

By JOE O'CONNELL, scbbqa Director and Vice President
First posted October 27, 2001 at 1:46 PM PDT (2046 GMT)
Last updated November 24, 2001 at 12:51 PM PST (2051 GMT)

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- On October 5 and 6, 2001, the 22nd Annual American Royal BBQ Contests was held in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the major event for KCBS teams, which competed in either the Invitational (Friday) or the Open (Saturday) -- and some teams competed in both.

Only the best teams -- those which won a major contest -- received an invitation to compete in the Invitational. All teams were eligible to compete in the Open.

The Year 2001 Royal was the biggest event in barbecue history, with 360 teams competing for more than $60,000 in prizes.

The American Royal included competitions in a variety of categories, including the Invitational and the Open in barbecue, as well as other competitions, including:

Best Vegetables Side Dish

Best Potatoes Side Dish

Best Beans Side Dish

Best Sauce on the Planet

Best Rub on the Planet

Best Baste on the Planet

Best Salsa on the Planet

Best Packaging on the Planet

Best Gift Packaging on the Planet

Bone Art

Showmanship

The American Royal included a Barbecue Expo, with dozens of vendors from grill manufacturers to makers of specialty barbecue items. There were seminars, educational exhibits, entertainment, and more.

Association teams

Teams and members of the Southern California Barbecue Association were present in large numbers at the Royal. Seven teams and more than 25 members traveled to Kansas City to participate.

Five Association teams competed in the Invitational, and seven competed in the Open.

In the invitational, the scbbqa Team of the Year winner, BBQ'n Fools (Tom Brohamer, with Grant Ford) was invited. In addition, the winners of the six California State Barbecue Championships were invited to compete in the American Royal Invitational, but only three could come: Pork Belly Bandits (George and Donna Baroody, with Rob Kelso), Madd Momma & The Kids (Amy and Judie Anderson, with Melanie Jones) and Dueling Bubbas (Don Grissom and Derek Muller, with Danny Gaulden, Dr. Don Iverson and Joe O'Connell). Also, BBQ Bandits II (Stu Carpenter, with Dick Stuart, Mark Shardlow and Steve DiLura) were invited by reason of the team's win in Pennsylvania. Also competing in the Open were Rare Breed (Eva and Hayward Harris), and M M B BBQ Co. (a new team, formed for the occasion, of Franco McGonagle and Jay Diener).

Many other California members were also at the Royal. Frank Boyer, Dan Cannon, Roland Cook, Gene Goycochea, Jim Minion, and others traveled from California to help.

Related information

Dan Cannon reports from the Royal.

The teams which competed and the final standings are available online at the American Royal BBQ Website.