Lakeside Barbecue Competition Team:  "BBQ worth waiting for"

By JOE O'CONNELL, scbbqa Past President

Lakeside, California is the home of Lakeside Barbecue Competition Team.

God's country

Lakeside, a little piece of God's country is located a few miles east of San Diego. 

History

Lakeside started competing in 1997, when the team entered its first KCBS-sanctioned, California State Barbecue Contest at Follows Camp.

The team entered "just for fun" and wound up with a first-place win in the pork rib category!
 

The win was the spark that ignited a string of many first-place finishes, especially in the rib category and culminated in a Grand Championship at a California State Barbecue Contest in March of 2001.

Members

The team originally included Dean Hayes and Bill Bruggema.  Dean is a plumbing contractor by trade, and Bill is a captain of the San Miguel Fire Department.  Soon, Gina and Kippie (Dean and Bill's wives) decided to join them at a cook-off, and from then on, Gina and Kippie have been an invaluable part of the team, with their eye for the design and presentation of entries.

Although Dean, Bill, Gina and Dean consider themselves a young competition team, they attribute their success not only to their own experience but also to the advice given them by so many other Association members. 
 

Team Philosophy:

If it ain't fun,
why do it?

The pit

In 1997, Dean and Bill found a discarded diesel fuel tank, which had been used to feed bulldozers and fire engines during the many wildfires that occur in Southern California every summer.  With a little magic, a little work and more than a few beers, they built an efficient and portable barbecue pit.

Contests

Over the years, Lakeside has enjoyed many top finishes at barbecue contests around California, including California State Barbecue Championship contests.