A new barbecue festival is coming to Memphis this year, and it's bringing with it some heavy hitters from Memphis in May.
About 60 teams will compete in the inaugural SmokeSlam barbecue showdown, many of whom have long and storied histories of success at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. SmokeSlam is set for May 16-18 at Tom Lee Park along the Mississippi River in Downtown Memphis.
Want to know who going to bring the heat at this new competition? Here are some of the best teams to watch for at SmokeSlam.
Mark West of 10 Bones BBQ
Three-time world barbecue rib champion Mark West will lead 10 Bones, the only team to ever win the rib category three years in a row, from 2016 to 2018. West has appeared on the "BBQ Pitmasters" show "True Blue Memphis Style Que," winning in his first appearance and was featured two other times on "BBQ Pitmaster Allstars." He has also placed second in whole hog in both 2010 and 2011. In addition to snagging first place in all three sauce categories, 10 Bones has also previously been Memphis Barbecue Network's Team of the Year and won Grand Champion at the Memphis Barbecue Network Invitational.
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Paul Hood and Ross Capwell of Rebel Roaster Revue
Created by Ole Miss fraternity brothers Paul Hood and Ross Capwell, and named in honor of their alma mater, Rebel Roaster Revue is back in action this May for SmokeSlam. With their friends Tommy Elam and Steve Hunter, the four barbecue artists won the grand championship at their very first competition in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1992. Over the next 26 years, Rebel Roaster would win multiple awards at Memphis in May, including second place in whole hog, third place in shoulder, three first-place finishes in shoulders and the grand championship in 1995, among other awards. Two out of three Grand Champions' Tournament wins went to Rebel Roaster as well. While the crew retired from barbecue competition in 2018, Hood and Capwell are making a comeback and returning this year, and potentially many years to come.
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Lance Gehring of Poker Porkers
Pitmaster Lance Gehring, alongside John Honchu and Josee Chalut, lead Poker Porkers in its 19th year. The team has humble beginnings as four families who came together for a fun social event. But as time went on, their competitiveness increased, and by 2013 Poker Porkers was involved in about 10 to 12 contests every year. They got results too: the team's best finishes over 11 years at Memphis in May include first place chicken, second place sauce, and fifth and ninth place ribs. Best results for the Memphis Barbecue Network include 2019 Pulled Pork Team of the Year, and in 2022 and 2023, both Whole Hog Team of the Year and Overall Team of the Year.
Robby Royal of Rescue Smokers
Pitmaster Robby Royal, his wife, Stephanie, and son, Ford, lead Rescue Smokers BBQ Team. This year's team consists of three other championship BBQ teams from Georgia as well: Shark Bite BBQ (Allen and Lisa O'Neal), Captain Jack's BBQ (Jack and Sandi Fallen) and Flyin Pig BBQ (Brian Griffis). Originating in Sycamore, Georgia, Rescue Smokers is one of only two teams to have won grand championships in four different sanctioning bodies which compete in the BBQ Grand Slam, including Memphis Barbecue Network. Recent wins include the Big Pig Jig Grand Championship and Georgia's State BBQ Championship, both in 2023. Royal has been featured on numerous shows over the years, including Destination America's "BBQ Pitmasters" and "BBQ Pit Wars," and Food Network's "BBQ USA" and "BBQing Across America."
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John Jordan Proctor of Sweet Cheeks
Made up entirely of locals, none of whom do barbecue for their job, Sweet Cheeks is looking to take its place on the podium once again. Led by pitmaster John Jordan Proctor and team captain Alex Boggs, the group is all about having a good time, while still making some of the best barbecue in the competition. Despite competing in only one event per year, the team is highly successful, having been named World Champion of the shoulder division at Memphis in May in 2024, a finalist in shoulder in 2023 and a top 10 finish in 2021. They are also the only back-to-back winners of the World Champion Green Grilling Award in 2023 and 2024, awarded to the most environmentally friendly team at Memphis in May.
Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him atjacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.
SmokeSlam
When: 2 p.m.-midnight May 16-18
Where: Tom Lee Park
Cost: Single-day general admission tickets are $24.99 and three-day passes are $65.
Tickets: smokeslam.com
