Las Vegas team wins barbecue challenge

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Larry Archuleta, left, president of the Rotary Club of Boulder City, congratulates Leon Drew, center and Randy Drew of Squat & Gobble after it was named the champion of the 14th annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review The Rotary Club of Boulder City presented the 14th annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge in Bicentennial Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Members of the club manned the grill to dish up hamburgers and hot dogs to the hungry crowd.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Kyle Matuszewski of Your Behind BBQ of Waddell, Arizona, puts finishing touches on his ribs before turning them into to judges on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge presented by the Rotary Club of Boulder City in Bicentennial Park. He competes with his father, Jerry. Their ribs came in third place.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Kyle Matuszewski makes sure his rib entry is picture perfect before turning it in to judges at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Erik Hernandez of Rollin Smoke Barbeque of Las Vegas puts sauce on his rib entry during the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Hernandez said he has been barbecuing for about 15 years and competing for about 10 years.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Dave Hanson of Crooked Pig of Boise, Idaho, shows off a tool box he converted into a spice rack at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Cameron Johnson, from left, Zoey Curtis and Maddie Miller, winners of the junior division of the KidsQue contest for youths 13-18, are congratulated by Sen. Joe Hardy at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge in Bicentennial Park on Saturday, May 26, 2018. They won third, second and first place, respectively.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Mike Verner, left, of Infinite Smoke, turns in his brisket entry to Kelly MacIntosh of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, center, and Frank Carroll of the Rotary Club of Boulder City at Saturday's, May 26, 2018, Best Dam Barbecue Challenge.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Addison Doane, from left, Dean Barr and Sebastian Herandez, winners of the youth division of the KidsQue contest for children 6-12, are congratulated by Sen. Joe Hardy at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018, in Bicentennial Park. They won third, second and first place, respectively.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Cousins Tyson Blackmore, 10, left, and Messiah Lookner, 8, competed in the KidsQue event that was held as part of the 14th annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge on Saturday, May 26, 2018.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Rick Eide of Great Basin Barbecue serves up turkey legs and slabs of ribs on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the Best Dam Barbecue Challenge presented by the Rotary Club of Boulder City in Bicentennial Park.

Hali Bernstein Saylor/Boulder City Review Jessica and Mark Knirk of Las Vegas made their debut in a barbecue contest at Saturday's, May 26, 2017, Best Dam Barbecue Challenge presented by the Rotary Club of Boulder City. Calling themselves the Crazy Cocatoo Cookers, they decided to compete after attending another competition with friends and getting encouragement from those who had sampled their barbecued chicken, including their cockatoo named Chicken.

Thirty professional and amateur barbecuers converged on Boulder City on Friday and Saturday to compete in the 14th annual Best Dam Barbecue Challenge.

Squat & Gobble Barbeque of Las Vegas was named the grand champion, with last year’s winner, Big Poppa Smokers of Coachella, California, claiming the reserve championship.

Squat & Gobble placed second in brisket, fifth in ribs, sixth in chicken and ninth in pork.

Big Poppa Smokers placed first in ribs, third in pork and fourth in chicken. It did not place in the top 12 in brisket.

Sterling Ball of Big Poppa Smokers said it’s the overall atmosphere and friendly nature of the competition presented by the Rotary Club of Boulder City that keeps him coming back.

“I love the cars. I love the contest in the park. I love the downtown area. I love that I can be barefoot at 4 a.m. and not freeze,” he said. “And I’ve been lucky here.”

He said his fellow contestants are all talented cooks and sincerely care about each other and are willing to help each other succeed.

“Last night, three really great teams all had dinner together,” he noted.

“Even at the awards, we all get excited when we hear others’ names,” added Patty Sharpe of Sharpe Gourmet Cooking Wood, which was sharing some much-appreciated shade with Ball.

Doug Verner, pitmaster for Infinite Smoke BBQ and vice president and director of marketing for the Nevada Barbecue Association, said the Rotary club does a good job of organizing the event and really takes care of the teams.

Jerry Matuszewski of Your Behind BBQ of Waddell, Arizona, agreed, noting that everything is in place for the competitors when they arrive. He said he also appreciates the setting in Bicentennial Park.

A complete list of winners can be found at https://www.bestdambarbecue.com/challengeresults2018.php.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.