HURON — Timbone Barbeque of Dakota City, Neb., was crowned Grand Champion Saturday night, at the Original South Dakota BBQ Championships, held on the S.D. State Fairgrounds.
Timothy Broveak is Timbone BBQ and this is his first Grand Champion title in Huron, in only his second trip. What is slightly different that would be imagined, Timbone did not win an individual meat category.
Smokers are judged on four different meats - beef brisket, pork butt, pork ribs and chicken - and a panel of six judges awards up to 36 points in each category. The accumulated scores determine the grand champion.
Broveak finished second in both brisket and chicken on Saturday, took third in pork butt and a fifth in pork ribs, amassing a total of 695.3940 on the day to take the title by nearly 10 points over Grillin’ Beavers of Thornton, Colo. Parrothead Smokers was third, Rum N’ Smoke BBQ took fourth and Sin Circle finished fifth.
“No, it’s probably not common to get Grand Champion without a meat win,” Broveak said after the competition was over.
“But getting four meats that score well enough to get up there is everyone’s goal.” He likened the process to playing golf.
“Sometimes you hit your driver and your irons really well, but your chipping and putting is not so good. You score better when everything is going good.”
Broveak said he felt good when he took his meats to be judged. “I was really happy with my pork butt,” he said. “I got my highest score in that one. But I scored well in everything. There have been three Grands that I have missed this year already, because one of my meats didn’t score very well.”

While he said he doesn’t recall his finish from last year’s trip to Huron, he said he expects to be back next spring to defend his crown.
“I like to compete and my scores don’t really determine whether I go back to a place or not,” he said. “They have a real good setup there in Huron, out in the campgrounds. It’s nice to have showers and such right there. They really do a good job with the competition. That’s more likely to bring me back.”
Rollin’ Smoke BBQ won the brisket category, edging Timbone 171.4172 to 171.4056, with Backroads BBQ finishing third.
The pork butt scores found Smoke in the Eye and Grillin’ Beavers with identical 177.7372 scores, with Smoke in the Eye getting the win due to having three perfect 36 scores, to two for Grillin’ Beavers. Timbone was third.
The pork ribs title was also close, with Mustang Sally BBQ scoring 174.8572 for the title, narrowly defeating Parrothead Smokers’ score of 174.8456. Third place went to Myassis Smokin’.
And the chicken title went to Richie Z’s BBQ, with 176.5944 points to Timbone’s 175.4400, while Mustang Sally BBQ was third.
Team Sasquatch, from Alpena and sponsored by Jack Link’s was a crowd favorite in the People’s Choice award.
The team finished first in both brisket and pork butt in the People’s Choice voting, and also earned a pair of runner-up finishes in turkey and lamb.

2018 S.D. BBQ Championship
Overall Top 10
1. Timbone Barbeque, 695.3940; 2. Grillin’ Beavers, 685.6800; 3. Parrothead Smokers, 675.9084; 4. Rum N’ Smoke BBQ 674.2284; 5. Sin Circle. 674.2054; 6. Last Call Heroes BBQ, 673.6116; 7, Smoke in the Eye, 670.7888; 8, Spitfire, 667.9428; 9. Richie Z’s BBQ, 667.4176; 10. Rollin’ Smoke BBQ, 666.7656.

PHOTOS BY ANGELINA DELLA ROCCO/PLAINSMAN
Laurie Shelton, CEO of the Huron Chamber and Visitors Bureau, poses with Timothy Broveack of Timbone BBQ, the Grand Champion of the 2018 S.D. BBQ Championships, which took place Saturday on the S.D. State Fairgrounds. On the right is David Nygaard, Broveak’s friend and fellow competitor who assisted him on Saturday.

Next, Laurie Shelton presents a check to Team Sasquatch for the team’s finish in one of the People’s Choice categories at Saturday’s Backyard BBQ competition. Team members, from the left are Karlo Kesary, Logan Korkow - holding daughter Finnley - and Wilber Higgins.