Fifth
annual event
may have had largest crowd ever
Illinois
team collects Grand Champion
trophy in KSBS cooking contest
By
Don Ward
Editor
MADISON, Ind. (Aug. 19, 2006) – Madison Ribberfest
committee members anticipate a record crowd for both days of the popular
festival when final attendance figures become available.
 |
|
2006
Madison |
The fifth annual event took place Aug. 18-19 on the riverfront
in downtown Madison, Ind., featuring pro and amateur barbecue cooking
contests, children's activities and two days of blues music on the big
stage as part of the Blues Bash. Two scheduled hot air balloon races
on Saturday did not get off the ground, but the balloonists did provide
a colorful balloon glow on Friday night within view of the festival
grounds.
The Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctions and operates the pro division
cooking contests, which this year attracted 54 teams. Any event that
has more than 50 teams offers triple points for competing teams as they
try to qualify for the society's national event, the Kansas City Royale
in Kansas City in October.
This year, Bar-B-Quau, a husband-and-wife team from Brimfield, Ill.,
won the Indiana State Championship Grand Champion trophy. Mike and Beth
Wozniak are on a roll this year after having now won seven consecutive
grand championships since last fall. As a KCBS champion at previous
events, they had already qualified for the national event, so that automatically
earned another team, Randy Twyford's Ulcer Acres of Jacksonville, Ill.,
the qualifying spot from Indiana. Ulcer Acers, which placed second in
Madison last year, won the earlier KCBS event in Carmel, Ind. this year.
They faced a drawing of two Indiana winners had a team not won here
that had already qualified.
"This is the best year we've had since we've been doing this,"
said Mike Wozniak, who has competed professionally for six years. In
all, he has won 20 grand champion trophies in 12 states. By winning
seven times, he has also qualified for the prestigious Jack Daniels
barbecue tournament at Lynchburg, Va., this October.
Wozniak earned this year's title trophy in Madison by placing first
in beef brisket, fourth in pork, eighth in chicken and 15th in pork
ribs.
|
2006
Madison Ribberfest Place;
Overall Points; Team, Hometown1.
655.4286 Bar-B-Quau, Brimfield, Ill. |
This year's Grand Reserve Champion (second place) went
to Moon Swiners, a team from Taylorsville, Ky., and led by cook Chad
Hayden. They placed third in pork ribs, fourth in beef brisket, 11th
in chicken and 21st in pork.
Third place overall went to buttrub.com of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Fourth
place was awarded to Ulcer Acers, making only its second appearance
in Madison.
KCBS contest co-chairmen Shawn Auxier and Drew Garrett, and Lisa Garrett
presented the inaugural "GattoPuin Award" to a hometown team,
Pig Pak, which placed 10th this year in overall judging. The award was
voted on by other teams and goes to the team that exhibits the spirit
of the festival's late founder, Jeff Garrett, who died last October.
GattoPuin is the Indian name given to Jeff Garrett when he was a Boy
Scout. The term means "the hungry one."
While these grilling enthusiasts were cooking along Vaughn Drive near
Crystal Beach, hundreds of festival-goers were enjoying two days of
blues music, featuring Saturday night headliner Kim Wilson and his Fabulous
Thunderbirds. They put on a show that attracted what appeared to be
the largest crowd yet for this event.
As of Tuesday, festival officials were still tallying the attendance
figures and wristband sales.
Pigmania's "People's Choice" voting this year for the best
decorated concrete pig went to a sparkling pig made by Rainbow Stained
Glass in Madison.
First place awarded by the judges was "Hambone," a pig painted
by Cheryl Clarke. Second place was "The Blues Brothers" pig,
sponsored by River Valley Financial Bank and created by the bank's staff.
Third place went to Hanover College's "Hamlet," painted by
Ann Haskins of the college.
More than $130 was raised from voting on all the pigs. Proceeds will
benefit the festival's scholarship program.
The second annual "Kidz Q" featured two age divisions of 16
youths grilling chicken under the supervision of their parents. Jenna
Spiller won the 8-11-year-old division and collected a $500 U.S. Savings
Bond. Last year's winner, Abby Walburn, placed second and Logen Cassidy
was third. In the 12-15-year-old division, Madelynn Watkins won a $500
Savings Bond, while Bryon DiMeglio was second and Brandon Rice was third.
The second place youths each received a $100 gift certificate to Shoe
Sensation, and the third-place finishers each received a $50 gift certificate
to Shoe Sensation.
No information was provided on results of the Backyard BBQ Blast, which
is the amateur division cooking contest that took place Friday night