Merrimack, NH

Last weekend was Lakeside Smokers' fifth year at The Rock 'N Ribfest in Merrimack, NH. A lot of negativity surrounds this contest. I'm not blind to some of the flaws at this comp, but there are some good things about it too. For one, the sites are huge; we had a 25' X 35' site. You're allowed to bring motor homes. The power is good, and the water pressure is unbelievable. The entry fee has been $150 since I've been competing there. That includes both grilling and BBQ. The $4500 prize money is spread out over both days. So, if you compete at the grilling and BBQ it's not a terrible payout for the low entry fee. I have never seen so many portable toilets in my life, and they're cleaned on both days of the event. But, I think what keeps teams coming back is the fact that it is an automatic for The Jack. That's reason enough for us.

Friday night was a blast. We hung out, drank beers, and met some new teams. Saturday we decided not to compete in the grilling. It was nice to just sit and relax and watch other teams compete. Saturday afternoon we had visitors from both of our families. But as the night settled in they left and I got on to cooking. The cook was going well and when Sunday morning rolled in everything was on schedule. The turn in boxes were much smaller than they should have been and we were really concerned about that. But in the end we fit our normal presentation in those tiny boxes without having to trim anything down. That was a relief.

Awards were early at 3:15. I like when they are nice and early like that. For me the worst time at a comp is between the last turn in and the awards ceremony. I'm tired and I'm anxious. So the less time I have to wait, the better. We ended up 1st in chicken, 1st in ribs, 7th in brisket, and finished 3rd overall. The scores were very tight in the overall positions. The top 4 overall scores were only separated by 2 points! But, in the end Lo 'N' Slo BBQ took home Grand Champion honors and the auto for The Jack. Congrats guys! Well done.

Click here for pics.