I drove 3 hours this weekend to see my first BBQ contest in Wildwood
NJ. Expected to eat real (slow smoked) Q and thus skipped breakfast and
lunch.

There were two main areas at the contest. In one section, the
contestants had all their smokers going but weren't selling the meat.
In another area there were several vendors who were selling Q to the
"masses" (and my guess is that they were not competing).
These vendors (I remember only Rib-Bins and Jack McDavid) had huge
crowds waiting to buy Q but to my dismay I noticed that all the vendors
had huge gas cookers and large charcoal grills and NO SMOKERS IN SIGHT.
I waited 40 minutes and did try ribs from Rib-Bins. They were about as
good as the ribs at TGI Friday's.

The whole experience was horrible and I just want someone to enlighten
me a bit. Here I my thoughts:

1. The need for gas ovens and marginal Q is driven by the fact that
there is no easy way to slow cook enough meat for thousands of people
attending the contest.

2. The contestants only have enough capacity to cook for judges and
their friends. (Are there other contests where the ratio of
participants to viewers is not so enormous???)

3. Outside New Jersey, guys with gas ovens will be stoned to death.
True/False?

Also, how do they pick BBQ judges? To me this would be the second best
job to have (next to Playboy photographer).

Thanks
RW