Serious barbecue fun

Preparing for today's competition, the 38 teams participating in the 12th annual BBQ Fest spent early Friday evening unpacking, laying out their equipment and cleaning off their grills. It was not long before the air at Arena Park became thick with smoke and the smell of barbecue.

"Friday night there's a friendly atmosphere. Tomorrow, it's 'don't come by because I won't show you what I'm doing,'" said Kenny Koehler of Jackson. He's a member of the Smokin' Butts team, which is mostly from Paris, Tenn.

Today, teams are competing in four categories: boneless beef strip steaks, pork steaks, pork ribs and pork butt. First-place winners within each category are awarded a trophy and $100, with prizes also awarded to second- through fifth-place winners.

Grand champion titles will be bestowed upon teams that have competed in all four categories and won first or second place in at least one category. The overall grand champion wins a trophy and $300, while the second and third level grand champions win ribbons.

The Penny Street Porkers team from Cape Girardeau has won four grand championships since it began competing 12 years ago.

"Nobody else has won it twice in a row, and we've won it four times," said the team's head cook, Mike Klipfel.

In 2002, the team placed second and in 2003 came in third place. This year, however, the group plans to take back its title.

"We've let these other guys win for a couple of years now," said team member Jim Ham.

While Koehler and his team have yet to receive a grand championship title, he said they enjoy participating.

"We would love to win, but we like going out and meeting people and having a good time with other people who like to barbecue," he said.

Judging by this year's record number of competitors, there are a lot of people who like to barbecue. Typically, the two-day event draws about 3,000 people, said Cathi Schlosser of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. This year looks to be the same, she said.

Entertaining each other

A large number of attendees were present Friday night to enjoy the food, each other and watch some of the teams compete in the showmanship competition.

Jason Keesee from the Keesee Brothers' barbecue team picked at an acoustic guitar and performed Waylon Jennings and David Alan Coe songs, while the Capaha Bank team staged a "Hee-Haw" skit complete with hay bales, overalls and intentionally bad jokes.

The members of the Three Men and a Grill team put on colorful grass skirts, leis and pig noses to sing familiar songs with unfamiliar lyrics.

For the Pointer Sisters' song "Slow Hand," the lyrics "I want a man with a slow hand" were changed to "we want a pig that's been slow cooked," while Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" had its lyrics "blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots and ruined your black tie affair" changed to "blame it all on the pig, his butt got too big and off to market he went."

Three Men won second place in the showmanship competition last year.

Kevin Ammon, one of the Three Men, said the showmanship event adds to the party atmosphere on Friday night.

This year, third place in the showmanship competition went to The Backyard Grillers and Shakers, second place to the Capaha Bank and first place to the Cape Girardeau Kiwanis Club.

After the songs and dance, the Friday night mood changes as contestants start grilling their meat for presentation to judges today.

"It starts getting serious about 10:30 to 11 p.m. tonight when we start putting the meat on," Ammon said.

To prepare the 6-pound pork butts that will be taste-tested by judges today, Ammon said he would sleep out at Arena Park Friday so the pork butts could be cooked and marinated.

"I'll probably not go to bed until 3 or 4 a.m.," he said.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182