(Arnolds Park)—If you’re a fan of barbecue, there’s an event coming up next month in the Iowa Great Lakes that should draw your attention.
Stacy Rosemore of Okoboji Tourism tells KUOO news they’ll be holding a Kansas City Barbecue Society, or KCBS, judging certification class Saturday, March 23rd at the Camp Foster Dining Hall. Rosemore says the event will be held that day from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m…(click here for comment.) “We started this Smoke On The Water barbecue competition. And although we have not sanctioned the competition yet through KCBS, we do use certified judges in the judging process. And what is so fun about this class and becoming a certified judge is that not only do you then become a member of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, but then you are a certified judge and you can go to any, you can sign up for any certified competition across the country to help judge those competitions. There’s a lot of other steps involved, too. You can become a Master Judge and a Table Captain, and if you want you can become an instructor as well.”
While the session will focus on training to become a judge, Rosemore says it can serve another purpose as well…(click here for comment.) “Whether if it’s something where you are currently competing and you kind of want to know what the judges are looking for, or if you’re just interested in barbecue in general, there’s a lot of shows right now on t.v…the Food Network and those sorts of stations that really focus on the Kansas City Barbecue Society circuit. It’s a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it if this is something you’re interested in or want to get involved in to sign up for the class.”
Rosemore adds participants should be sure their taste buds are in good working condition, as tasting will also be part of the event.
She says with the popularity of barbecue contests increasing, that there’s a growing demand for judges…especially in this part of the country…(click here for comment.) “If you do take this class you will be put in our pool of judges. At that point you do have the opportunity to judge our competition and there are a lot of competitions within a 100 mile radius that are always looking for certified judges as well. So it’s a fun opportunity, if it’s just a hobby you want to take on. And we have a lot of spouses that take the class together from the class we attended last year, and they go together to different competitions together and judge together as well.”
The class size is limited to the first 60 people who register. The cost is $100 for non-KCBS members and $50 for members, payable at the time of registration. The cost includes judging certification, KCBS membership and class materials. Registration deadline is March 15th and may be made by calling 332-2209, by emailing stacy@vacationokoboji.com, or by stopping by the Okoboji Tourism Office located in the Okoboji Spirit Center, or the Maritime Museum Building, in Arnolds Park.
