Despite forecasts of thunderstorms thousands of spectators soaked in the sun, the sights, and the smells at the 4th annual Smoke On The Water BBQ Festival on Sunday, June 20. From all accounts the event, which is organized by The Kelowna Jaycees, was an incredible success with attendees traveling from as far away as Uculet, Calgary, and Whistler specifically to be at the event.

The event centers around a pro BBQ competition with twenty teams from around the Pacific Northwest vying for $4000 in prize money and bragging rights. This year Langley’s “Completely Q-Less” took home top spot as the event’s Grand Champion. Head cooks Dennis and Angie Quaale were extremely excited with the result and were all smiles when accepting their trophy from title sponsor Vern Miller of Caretenders Inc.. With the event falling on Father’s Day it was heart-warming to see Angie make a special point of thanking her father for his support.

Completely Q-Less was awarded the championship based on their combined scores from the four competitive categories: Pork Shoulder, Beef Brisket, Chicken, and Ribs. They placed 1st overall in both the Brisket and Chicken Categories, while claiming 2nd in Pork Shoulder, and 7th in Ribs.  Local Chef Neil Schroeter of Okanagan Street Food won the Pork Shoulder category and the Best Rib’s of the day were awarded to Chop BBQ. The fifth category of competition, “The Iron Chef Challenge”, didn’t count towards the team’s championship score but still attracted 16 participants. Each team is given a mystery ingredient at the start of the competition Saturday night and this year it was a Steelhead Trout Fillet. Local Kelowna Team “Dawghouse BBQ” won the award on the strength of Corrie Omand’s “Phyllo Wrapped Trout with Dill Sauce”.

Spectators were also able to take in the second annual restaurant competition put on by Smoke On The Water and The BC Foodservice and Restaurant Association (BCRFA). This year’s event saw eight teams enter the Tabasco Restaurant Cookoff to determine who had “The Hottest Dish in the Okanagan”. All eight teams impressed the judges with their offerings, but only one could come out on top. Raudz finished first overall by just two of a possible six hundred points with their Dungeness Crab cake. The dish combined beautiful presentation, incredible taste and texture, and seamless integration of several different flavors of Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. To say the judges were impressed was an understatement with all six of them raving about the dish as they scored it live on the WTA Financial Entertainment Stage in front of the event’s crowd.

Aside from the two cooking competitions there was lots to see and do for the whole family. The kids enjoyed the inflatable amusements from Big White, while the grown-ups enjoyed ice cold drinks in the beverage garden to try and beat the heat. Families also perused the offerings at thirty-eight food and retail vendor spaces, shopping for everything from Pulled Pork Sandwiches to Handmade Artisan Soap. The event also feature stage shows all day with dance, magic, and musical acts keeping the crowds entertained.

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