Veni, Vedi, Vici, eh?
Like a Phoenix from the Ashes,Like Rocky Balboa before he turned that weird orange color, like Lindsey Lohan fresh out of Rehab (on second thought, her, not so much), Smoker and the Bandits returned to the states this week as Reserve Grand Champions at the Canadian National BBQ Championships with a first place in the Holiest Of Holies in all of BBQ:
Ribs.
Yes, the Canucks in Whistler had no idea what had hit them when, after not placing in the top 6 in either chicken, Brisket or Pulled Pork, the Bandits, as astonished as anyone in attendance, stumbled gallantly to the winners circle to a smattering of confused applause and proudly accepted the honors for first place ribs.
The honors were justly deserved, as anyone who has put The Smoker's meat in their mouth can surely attest.
This alone was enough to put the wind back in the Bandits' collective sails after the bloodletting at Central Market.
But then, no sooner had they received their prize, they were called back up to accept the award for Reserve Grand Champion, which means that their combined score on all of the meats combined received the second highest total overall.
In addition to bragging rights, Smoker and his Bandits took home 1k cash, and a Big Green Egg smoker/grill (retail: $1,250).
While the meat undoubtedly earned it's high ranking, much credit must go to the new honorary Bandit (and the only Canadian that can claim such exalted status), Crusty Cody
.Not just a mere figurehead, or mascot, if you will, but really the flesh and soul of the Bandit Ethos.
This long haired vagabond not only lives in a tent, but does so out in the hills amongst the bears, the mosquitoes, and the Sasquatch.
Hell, for all we know, he may be Sasquatch.
This Canadian renegade adopted us on Friday night and by Saturday morning had the hugeness of heart to take time out of his busy schedule of dealing B.C bud to the locals and chasing every skirt in Whistler to design and print up some new
shirts for the crew:
I think that each Bandit took a little bit of Cody back with them to the States, and I'm not just talking about the locks of hair that we cut off while he was sleeping, or the malodorous funk that, in fairness, is unavoidable when leaving in a tent in the Canadian Wilderness.
So, without further ado, here are Judges Scores. There were actually 33 teams, but only the top ten deserve to be reported on.
Read em and weep, Canucks!
(click to view full size)
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