South Dakota's BBQ Champion

Take a South Dakota guy and drop him into the 2021 American Royal World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City and what do you get? The grand champion! Travis Duffy of Pierre, SD. and his Last Call Heroes barbecue team traveled to Kansas City - which is filled with tough competition - and took home the grand champion trophy and $15,000.

Over 470 competitors filled the Kansas Speedway infield for the 2021 American Royal World Series of Barbecue last weekend.

The American Royal is more than just a barbecue contest. It includes rodeo, livestock, horse, and agriculture events over eight weeks in the fall. The Royal is also where the Kansas City Royals baseball team gets its nickname.

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We spoke to Travis about the huge win:

"It's just a dream come true. To go to the American Royal Championship and win it all on my 3rd try was definitely a bucket-list item to check off. We just gave the judges what they wanted and they liked our food and they crowned us the champions."

Duffy is sponsored by Fireplace Pros / BBQ Heaven and he's doing a special BBQ Pitmasters event this Saturday night, October 23, at Fireplace Pros / BBQ Heaven from 6-9 pm. He'll share tips and secrets and his Compart Ribs and Snake River Farms Brisket. Tickets are $100 per person which is well worth the price to get a few award-winning tips.

Duffy says he'll be cooking up brisket at the Fireplace Pros / BBQ Heaven on Saturday night, adding that it's very rewarding to have those who attend his class send pictures of their grilling and smoking products when finished.

"Your brisket will have the same tenderness, spices, and juiciness that we've brought to competitions."

Life on a Cattle Ranch in Western South Dakota

Life is different out in the country. One look at the photo from Robin Bickel and you quickly realize that a workday is quite different as well, after all, she lives out west in South Dakota Cattle Country.

Robin Bickel took time to tell KIKN Country a little bit about her life out west and life as a woman, working outdoors with animals and nature in God's Country. Bickel lives and works on a cattle ranch operated by herself, her father, Jack, and his brother Keith. How far out in the country is she? How does 50 miles west of Mobridge, South Dakota sound? Yep, mountain time out there.

Life is so different in Sioux Falls, South Dakota compared to what our friends on the farm and ranches deal with. It's a half-mile to the grocery store for our family. For Robin, it's 17 miles. However, it's a quick step out her door and she's right in the middle of where a lot of the groceries come from.

The Coldest Temperatures in Sioux Falls History

When a polar vortex rolls through Sioux Falls, it can get even the heartiest dreaming of indoor fires, baking, and hot chocolate.

Mr. Bendo is tough enough but for the love of Pete, someone put a scarf on the Statue of David!

All this icy chatter had us wondering about the coldest days ever recorded in Sioux Falls. Here is the historical data from the National Weather Service with the coldest temps ever recorded in Sioux Falls since record-keeping began in 1893.

Source: Travis Duffy: South Dakota’s BBQ Champion

Filed Under: BBQ, Kansas City, Travis Duffy

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