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 Ribberfest Guide Cover

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 KCBS Judging (54 teams competing) Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006 Top 20 Overall Results (Based on compilation of points in all divisions)

Place; Overall Points; Team, Hometown

1. 655.4286 Bar-B-Quau, Brimfield, Ill. 2. 646.8572 Moon Swiners, Taylorsville, Ky. 3. 642.8568 buttrub.com, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. 4. 641. 7142 Ulcer Acres, Jacksonville, Ill. 5. 637.1430 *Hoosier Hogs, Valparaiso, Ind. 6. 636.0002 Hogheads BBQ, NA 7. 634.2854 Pork of the North, NA 8. 630.2854 The Big Name in Smoking, NA 9. 629.7144 Hickory Flats BBQ, Versailles, Ind. 10. 629.7134 Pig Pak, Madison, Ind. 11. 627.9998 Shigs in Pit, NA 12. 623.9994 Pepperitaville, Kokomo, Ind. 13. 622.8570 Smoked Poppi's, NA 14. 622.8570 Smoke Hawgs, Louisville, Ky. 15. 621.1426 Egg & the Family Stone, Prospect, Ky. 16. 6157.7134 Jimmy's Hog Pen, Centerville, Ohio 17. 615.4284 zz-Que, Columbus, Ind. 18. 611.4280 Smoke Break BBQ, Columbus, Ind. 19. 610.8568 Rinky Dink Smokers, Greensburg, Ind. 20. 610.8568 Bird's Smokehouse BBQ, Daleville, Ind. *=Past Ribberfest champion NA = Not available

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.