Page 11 - May 2021 Barbecue News Magazine

Ovieda, Florida. He received a lot of help and learned that he was doing just about everything wrong. What a way to learn, but a very valuable way to learn. Most of his first time en- tries were prepared by others who were teaching him how to do every- thing. He ended up taking 10th place in this first contest. But he knew he wanted to compete in the BBQ arena. This all evolved with him meeting up with Cooters-n-Smoke, where he has been a valuable team member ever since.
Their first contest as a Pro Team was
one of Florida’s top events, the Sun-
coast BBQ and Bluegrass Bash, in Venice, Florida. Right out of the box they captured 10th place in their first Pro event. That was 2018. Entering 2019 they decided to do 10 contests the first year. They ended up competing in 26 events. Today they are sitting in fifth place in the Team of the Year standings for the Florida Barbecue Associa- tion. The competition year is just getting started. They have also moved up to competing in the KCBS where the going gets a lot tougher. Daniel and company are holding their own there as well. Currently they are competing in Florida, Georgia, and South Car- olina. They have done about 75-80 contests since forming the team. Also earned one perfect score in Brisket from the Davenport event. On their horizon they want to compete in the American Royal, the Jack Daniels, and possibly the World Food Championship BBQ.
The trait that seems to dominate this team is their very serious ap-
proach to a contest. From their first arrival on site all of them approach each event with a very serious atti- tude. There is no drinking, no party- ing, no messing around. Each person has their role on the team, and it is all work up until the final turn-in. Daniel said they always strive to present a good image. Their success has not been easy, they all have worked very hard to get where they are today, and they want to pursue this sport with dignity and respect. And that clearly describes what they do, and what they do very success- fully.
They have received a lot of help to get where they are today. Jim Elser, Sweet Smoke Q, has been a major supporter of this team and they owe a lot to him. Rub Bagby, Swamp Boys has also been a major factor in their success, Matt Barber, Hot Wachulas and Tim Maloy, Backyard Bros have all contributed a lot toward their success. They have some very supportive sponsors, Jarrett Gordon Ford, Watts Family Brokers, That Sharpening Guy, Megabyte, Flame Boss, Crooked Lake, Tillman’s, Swamp Boys, Hot Wachula’s and Sweet Smoke Q. How can you go wrong with that lineup supporting you? Someday they would like to teach competition BBQ and assist new teams in much the same way that Cooters-n-Smoke was assisted by these championship teams. He continues to look for ways to give back to the BBQ Family. I continue to be impressed with what these folks have accomplished in such a short period of time.
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MAY 2021
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