Page 27 - October 2021 Issue

lot better. He got a first place in chicken with a perfect score of 180.00 and seventh place in pork.
Off to a pretty good start in
2015, he attended Jim Burg’s
Cooking School. Later that
year he won his first Grand
Championship and that set
him off. He was hooked, and
that spurred him into a role
as a super serious cook and competition team. As he entered more and more events he realized he needed more and better equip- ment. Eventually he built a trailer to begin the 2016 season. Jason was still doing the actual food preparation and cooking while his partner was bringing him supplies, opening doors, lifting cooker lids etc. He competed again at Smoke on the Beach where he started out. His scores continued to improve and more than that he was learning a lot which really set him off on a road to success. This opened the door for him to cook in The Jack in 2016 where he placed in the top 20. This was a great relief as it seemed like his progress was slow and arduous but in fact his record is very impressive.
He continued to expand into more events each year and he felt he was a “middle of the road” competitor. He wasn’t the “all-serious” or “win at any cost” competitor and he wasn’t the all crazy com- petitor. He was just where he wanted to be, but as always trying to improve his entries. He had been partnering with Glen Lee who seemed to always be out of the way but there when he needed him. Always assisting and making Jason’s job a little easier. Unfor- tunately, Glen
later perished in a car accident. Kevin Merrit joined him for a couple of years, again as a sup- porting team member. Since then, Jason has been a solo opera- tion, doing every- thing else by himself. And doing it very well.
He has a very understanding wife and family that supports him 1000% which really makes a difference in his success. He also stressed several times, “I compete to enjoy it and if it ever moves on from that, I will probably stop competing.” In 2020 he ven- tured South to Florida to compete in the PigFest. This is Florida’s top contest that is held in Lakeland. He captured the Grand his first time there. A very memorable experience indeed. His per- formance so far in 2021 has been remarkable. Several consecutive Grand’s and some Reserve’s to go with them. He earned top hon- ors at the Festival of Discovery this year, which is a top contest that drew a lot of championship teams from around the country. To date he has 12 Grand Championships and 2 Reserve Champi- onships. He is preparing to make the long trip to Kansas to com- pete in the American Royal BBQ. My old stomping grounds.
Smoke Central BBQ is currently holding down 16th place for team of the Year in KCBS. There is just under two months left in the competition year and I ex- pect we will be seeing a lot more of Smoke Central BBQ. He has two very supportive sponsors. Royal Oak provides his charcoal, and you will usually see Jason wearing their shirt at the awards ceremonies. Scott Adams pro-
vides his rubs and they certainly have done the job for Jason.
He has never organized a sanctioned BBQ event, but he has or- ganized events in his community that are fund raisers for local charities. He is definitely a contributing member of this fabulous BBQ Family. While interviewing him for this profile several peo- ple approached him having run out of or forgot something key to their success. Jason stopped what he was doing to help these com- petitors and friends whenever he could. When his name comes up virtually everyone in this family has something very positive to say about Jason.
Lynn Keltner of Rooters-N-Tooters fame, shared with me “Jason is always smiling, with an indescribable country/Cajun accent that will flat whip you on Saturday, and you can’t help but like him for it.” A feeling shared by many. Lee Hinkle of Redmule’s Bad Ass BBQ said “Jason always has a smile, he brings joy to a room, has good stories, he is funny, and witty. I am glad he is my friend, and he is always there to help” Jim Elser of Sweet Smoke Q said “He is a great guy and a Hell of a cook. When he shows up at a contest
you can count that he’ll be in the top ten for sure. He is one of those very consistent guys that can win anywhere he cooks”, That pretty much says it all as he is highly respected by everyone.
OCTOBER 2021
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