Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Epsiode 288: Mike Wozniak, Richard Fergola
Release Date: 12/18/2024
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 356: Heath Riles, Kevin Green
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
A few days after making history at one of the world’s biggest BBQ competitions, Heath Riles joins us on Episode 356 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to discuss his repeat Grand Championship at Memphis in May. It was the first time in 42 years that anyone has repeated their World Championship at Memphis in May and Heath breaks down what the accomplishment means to him and his Heath Riles BBQ brand and describes the work ethic that went into preparing for his favorite competition. We also welcome back our friend Kevin Green of The Butcher Shoppe in Pensacola, supplier of A9 wagyu...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 355: Nick & Shannon Holman of Burnt Trees BBQ; Grill Guys of Missouri
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
North Dakota is not the warmest open-fire cooking climate in the country, but Nick and Shannon Holman are doing their best to put the Minot, N.D. team Burnt Trees BBQ on the competition map. The husband-wife duo last week came away from the 77-team Minnesota in May with a Grand Championship, their fourth in 50 career KCBS competitions. Consistency is a key for the couple, who have turned countless highway miles on the BBQ trail into quality time. The Holmans talk about they’ve been able to achieve success on Episode 355 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ podcast, also telling the story behind their...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 354: Tim Scheer of Blues Hog; Ryan Eftink from Smokin' Brothers
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Memphis in May is just one week away and on Episode 354 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with one of the top contenders to take home the big trophy. Tim Scheer, whose Blues Hog team captured Whole Hog and overall Grand Championship honors in 2022, gives us a preview of the preparations. Those include the final days of feeding the three hogs that he raised on his east-central Missouri Marble Ridge Farm ahead of processing and and prepping the three 250-pound porkers for a date with one of his three Gateway mega-drums. Tim’s segment begins at the 12:05 mark and he also talks...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 353: American Royal CEO Pat Macy; Iola Underhogs coach Doug Kerr
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
After lots of anticipation and patience, it’s official. The American Royal World Series of BBQ has new dates (Oct. 1-4) and a new home (the under construction American Royal Association complex in Kansas City, Kansas). On Episode 353 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with American Royal Association CEO Pat Macy about the move and what went into bringing the event to its new complex which is not far from the old one, at Kansas Speedway. We also talk high school BBQ’s growing popularity as a team sport with Doug Kerr, a teacher at Iola High School in Kansas and the head coach...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 352: High on the Hog STL; Smokin' Aces BBQ
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
On Episode 352 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with two big winners from last weekend. First up is the story of fast-rising High on the Hog BBQ out of St. Louis, which won its first KCBS GC in Edina, Missouri, in just its sixth KCBS competition. Shawn Campbell and Rich Alexander reveal how they’ve been able to achieve big-tie success in just their second full-time season. The segment beings at the 9:02 mark. We then take a trip to central Texas to hear from Matthew Frazier and Justin Payne of Smokin’ Aces BBQ after their $5,000 GC at the Rib Cookoff Association...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 351: Blind Fox BBQ; Aaron Huentelman
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
The guys from Blind Fox BBQ haven’t been doing competition cooking for long, but it’s clear they rise to the occasion in big contests. Two years after finishing sixth at their first American Royal World Series of BBQ Open (444 teams) Joe Rickfels and Adam Burch won their first Grand Championship at last weekend’s 103-team Smoke in the Spring in Osage City, Kansas. Not only was it the first GC, it gave the guys a ticket into the American Royal Invitational and an auto bid into the inaugural BBQ World Cup next spring in Las Vegas. On Episode 351 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 350: Bill Toth with Dawg's BBQ
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
There are many tremendous cooks in the Backyard Division of the KCBS who often are overlooked in a competition world in which the Masters division gets most of the attention for master all four meats. On Episode 350 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we talk it over with one of the best in the two-meat (chicken and ribs) division and that’s Bill Toth whose Dawg’s BBQ out of Minneapolis, Minn., is coming off a rare 180/180 for a perfect 360 total at the Iowa State BBQ Championships in Altoona. Bill gives the backstory on how he and wife Shelly got started in competition cooking and touches on...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 349: Paul Russell; Skyler Spartan & Charlie Wallace
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Everywhere Paul Russell goes in competition BBQ from his home base in Conway, Arkansas, he consistently gets the question about his team’s unique name. But Kermit’s Ex BBQ is more than a neat name and logo, it’s also a consistent contender on the KCBS circuit. On Episode 349 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Paul about his latest success, a Grand Championship at the Kickin’ It On Route 66 BBQ Challenge in St. Robert, Mo., plus his upward trend to become a serious contender anywhere he competes. We also check in with Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri,...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 348: Drew Davis, Craig Verhage
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Think you need a fancy toy hauler or trailer to succeed in competition BBQ? To that, we present Drew Davis, the king of canopy cooking. On Episode 348 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Davis and his simple approach with Razorracks BBQ proved again last weekend - winning the 125-team KCBS Smoke on the Shores in Lebanon, Tenn., that less can be more. Drew, one of the nation’s best comp cooks for more than a decade, talks about his approach to success and why Smoke on the Shores was a special win to him. We also talk it over with Craig Verhage, the Chief BBQ Officer of Royal Oak Charcoal....
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 347: Chase Muninger; Richard Fergola
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
It’s fun to talk it over with one of America’s top up-and-coming competition pit masters on Episode 347 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Chase Muninger of Munny’s Stove BBQ in Wichita, Kansas, has won five KCBS Grand Championships since 2024 with his latest in a stacked 37-team field at Boots, Brews & BBQ in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Chase talks about his background in barbecue and how the competitive nature of it appeals to him. A member of the Kansas Air National Guard, Chase said he uses a “hybrid” cooking style with different kinds of smokers to achieve his success and...
info_outlineFirst of all, the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast wishes all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are grateful to all our listeners, sponsors and marketing partners who dialed up the show in 2024 and we finish off Season 6 with a Hall of Fame featured guest.
Mike Wozniak and Quau BBQ out of Brimfield, Ill., is one of the many great inductees in the inaugural KCBS Hall of Fame class coming up in January. On Episode 288 of the show, we talk it over with Mike about his competition career, which ran from 2001-2021 and included 76 Grand Championships. Mike discusses what competition cooking was like in the early days and the ways it differs from today.
Also stopping by as we close out the year is Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ. “Fergie” is sure to be one of the hottest free agents in BBQ with the recent announcement that Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions is closing at the end of the month. He’s been marketing director at Proud Souls the last two years and has a wealth of knowledge about the industry. We talk to him about what’s next, including his tell-all competition classes.
We also take a trip just down the road from our home base to check in with Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri. The specialty BBQ store in Republic, Mo., has some dandy holiday specials going on and Skyler fills us in. Stop in and see The Grill Guys for all your open-fire shopping needs whether it’s grills, smokers, seasonings, sauces or accessories.
Remember, you can find us on your favorite #podcast platform by searching Tailgate Guys BBQ - where all 288 editions are archived. We’ll return in a few weeks to kick off Season 7.
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making Season 6 of the show possible:
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024 #charcoalofchampions
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq
The Grill Guys of Missouri #grillguys417
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ holiday season! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm