Page 39 - Barbecue News Magazine

bbq profile
BBQ PROFILES:
Mike and Theresa Lake
T. Michael Garrison
The Flying BBQ Judge mgarrison8@sbcglobal.net
I believe you will find this
month’s BBQ Profile more than
interesting, I certainly did. Dur-
ing my interview with him I
clearly felt like we were up in
never never land, as I learned all
the notable contributions that
these folks have given back to the
BBQ World. Not too many people
have a track record like this one.
Today you will be learning the
story of Mike and Theresa Lake,
KCBS Lead Rep, KCBS Master
Judge, Contest Organizer, Cook
Team contestant, Past KCBS
Board Member and Past KCBS
President, Mentor, Teacher, and
overall BBQ Expert. Mike was first introduced to serious BBQ in the mid 1970’s when he was selling livestock feed. His company would put on elaborate BBQ feasts for their customers and Mike was taught and expected to produce top quality Q for their customers. They made their own rubs, they made their own sauces, and they had their own procedures for creating outstanding BBQ for their cus- tomers. This was
all after Mike had
served his country,
obtained a college
education on the
GI Bill, and was
out in the working
world. In this the-
ater Mike not only
learned how to
create some top-
quality product he
also learned how
to experiment and
to create new and
different elements
necessary for out-
standing BBQ.
Mike was born in Shelby, Ohio, and like most kids in those years his parents cooked meals in the back yard over open fires. He has many fond memories of this but does not consider that serious BBQ. His first exposure was de- scribed above after he was out in the working and competitive mar- ketplace. He married his lovely wife Threresa and they have ex- perienced essentially all of the above together. She is also a KCBS Certified Rep. Mike joined the U S Army and went through Special
Forces training. After earning his Green Beret he served our country in Viet Nam in 1967-68. His Son was born while he was serving in Nam, so Theresa was clearly a part of that portion of his life, and has been for their 57 years of mar- riage. He moved on to earn a degree from Ohio State and you will see that hat on him, almost always. Around 1990 he decided to compete in some serious BBQ events. In
those days there wasn’t a Backyard Division, he started from the beginning compet- ing with the Pro’s. He remembers his first contest was administered by Memphis in May. It was held in a parking lot in Mur- physboro, Illinois. He openly admits he didn’t know a thing about com- petition BBQ. He
JUNE 2021
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