Bone Daddy’s BBQ of Midland, MI., Returns to the Winner’s Podium
Source: John Ascuaga’s Nugget
Sep 2, 2008 - 8:47:06 AM
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Reno/Sparks, Nev. – It’s been since 1999 that Bill Wall and his Bone Daddy’ BBQ team have grabbed the top spot at the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off. In 2008, the first place trophy was once again theirs.
“I can’t believe it. I’m shaking,” said Wall, who along with wife, Kim, has been coming to the Rib Cook-off from Midland, MI., since 1991. “I’ve never been more tired in all my years of doing this. There’s not another event like this, this big, in the country. I have to give all the credit to my crew. I’m gonna go buy them all a cocktail.”
Wall and his team, who take home the title, a huge trophy and $7,500, yelled with excitement as the results of the double-blind judging were announced today to a packed crowd on Victorian Square during the final day of this year’s event. Twenty-four barbeque teams and hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country converged on Sparks and John Ascuaga’s Nugget for the six-day event that is widely considered to be the biggest, most prestigious rib-cooking event in the United States.
“We’ve never seen more people at our stand,” said two-time defending champion Famous Dave’s owner Mike Bowar, whose Plymouth, MN., team picked up a fourth-place finish this year.
Added Jim Clayton, a three-time winner with his Elizabethtown, KY., Texas Outlaw team that finished third this year, “I’ve got rooms full of trophies, but the Best in the West is the greatest cook-off in the world.”
The top five winners were: First place, Bone Daddy’s BBQ, Midland, MI., $7,500; Second place, Chicago BBQ., Burr Ridge, IL, $3,000; Third place, Texas Outlaw, Elizabethtown, KY., $2,000; Fourth Place, Famous Dave’s BBQ, Plymouth, MN., $1,000; and Fifth Place, Bourbon Q, Westport, KY., $500.
People’s Choice Award went to past winner Butch Lupinetti and Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ from Mt. Laurel, NJ. Best sauce award, worth $500, went to The BBQ Company of Phoenix, AZ.
John Ascuaga’s Nugget COO Stephen Ascuaga announced the winners from the stage on the west end of the multi-city-block event. He said this year’s Rib Cook-off was the best in the event’s 20-year history.
Added Nugget president John Ascuaga, “It doesn’t get any better than this. It’s a tribute to our staff, the visitors, the cookers and the community.”
Early estimates show more than 500,000 people attended and more than 100 tons of ribs were served – and all preliminary sales indicators show a year-over-year increase. In other events of note during the six-day event, two-time defending champion Joey Chestnut defended his Nugget World Rib Eating title by downing an astonishing 9.8 pounds of rib meat in 12 minutes on Wednesday. Also, in the first-ever “Running of the Pigs” on Friday, “Mabel” bested a field of 20 pigs in a 100-yard dash to win the charity pig race, and the “McCain” pig edged “Obama” in the presidential pig race, winning “by a snout.”
The 20th annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off is sponsored by US Bank, City of Sparks, Jack Daniels Country Cocktails, Southern Comfort, Curly’s Food Inc., Morrey Distributing-Budweiser, Kendall-
Jackson, Model Dairy, Northern Nevada Medical Center, AT&T, Kansas
City Barbeque Society, Southern Living, Silver Club, Swire Coca Cola, Full Throttle, Dasani, US Smokeless Tobacco, Northern Nevada Toyota Dealers, KBUL, KOZZ, KTHX, KZTQ and Gems TV.
The 2009 Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 through Monday, September 7, 2009. For reservations, event history and information call (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300, or visit www.nuggetribcookoff.com. Do the Nugget Tonight!
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