Is it possible to organize and pull off a non-KCBS sanctioned BBQ cook off these days? I was thinking specifically of a rib comp involving amateur or backyard cookers that would piggyback a much larger BBQ event (select pro teams). Can you get away with 'celebrity' judging, or will the contestants/general public demand sanctioned judging?

It is certainly possible to go the non-sanctioned route for doing a rib contest.

All you'll have to do is start with a blank sheet of paper and create from scratch all of your contest's rules, policies, schedules, procedures, scoring and data entry systems, awards and payouts, and find enough committed judges who will actually show up regardless of how many times they assured you they would.

Then there are the other 1,001 other little odd ball details to be prepared for that the cooks and their family members, judges, contest site coordinator, health department, insurance carrier, the general public, and countless others will throw at you.

As for judges, the typical backyard contestant is going to care more that the judges, regardless of their celebrity status, are sober, completely impartial, glad to be there, and willing to follow your jugding criteria, which is another item you'll also have to create and get across to the judges.

Personally, the thought of using celebrity judges still makes me cringe. I've worked a few first time sanctioned contests where it was 'politically expedient' for the organizers to invite a few big wigs from city hall and greasy media types to serve as judges.

In my opinion, 90% of those celebs turned out to be utterly useless as judges. They would show up late, be inattentive and disruptive, follow their own agendas, and sometimes, even lose interest or remember an imaginary tee time they'd forgotten about and simply disappear between categories.

Ah, those were the days!

I really do hate to sound negative about putting together a rib contest. But, when ego, pride, prizes, and bragging rights are involved, minor details that would ordinarily seem trivial can get compounded and blown out of proportion and negatively impact people's perceptions of the event.

Good luck should you proceed with your idea.

Ken

Really good & true post Ken. I like the point you made about getting Judges who want to be there.