Cyclone BBQ is a family BBQ competition team (you may have seen our name and our orange jersey team in several competitions in Canada and the United States) that also offers homemade food products.
Sharing an important family value, like BBQ Québec, we are very happy to have the company as an official sponsor of our 2022 competition season. (Thank you!)
And, since we believe that our journey could inspire you, we decided to tell you about our story and “how does it work, competing as a family!?”. 😉
Who we are
Cyclone BBQ is us, Josée and Patrick. For over 28 wonderful years, we have been working together day after day and, from our union, 6 wonderful children have been born.
For several years, we lived in "family" mode, a mode that was becoming more and more important and left little room for leisure. Despite everything, our desire to cook diverse and quality dishes was part of our lifestyle. The barbecue was always present, in its most basic form. Indeed, time being precious, preparation and cooking had to be simple.
Where did our interest in competitions come from?
In 2017, while watching the American show “BBQ Pitmaster,” something suddenly clicked in our minds. “Do barbecue competitions exist!?” After doing some more research, we realized that barbecue competitions existed not only in the United States, but also in Quebec! That Canadians, like Quebecers, participated in this type of culinary competition event! (Yes, we could call them “underground” if we consider the fact that they don’t have the same “prestige” as French haute cuisine competitions, but they are still real!)
Anyway… we kept that in mind, then, still in 2017, we allowed ourselves a little romantic getaway. Now that our kids were older, it was our first outing in a very very long time, so, we had planned to relax in Plattsburgh, New York. But… while we were there, why not take the opportunity to visit Lake Placid, New York, and go see a professional KCBS BBQ competition!? 😏
We went and… that’s all we needed to get hooked!! Seeing the scale of the event, seeing the many teams (even Quebec teams!) getting ready, chatting with enthusiasts… it really had an effect on us. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. Seeing all the teams at work, seeing their intensity, their dedication and noticing how organized their members were, we found it incredible. It’s not complicated, our romantic getaway became a full weekend on the site! 😆
On site, we'll even admit that it didn't take long for us to look at each other and say "My God! It would be fun to try this soon!" Let's just say that with 6 children, we already had a good organizational side, and we (especially Patrick 😉) are naturally competitive people, so it really caught our attention. Obviously, we also already had a good foundation in BBQ, so for our new project to come to fruition, all we had to do was expand our knowledge on the subject.
The beginning of the dream
In 2018, after several months of exhaustive research and planning, we acquired a smoker adapted for competitions (I, Patrick, may have even lied to Josée about its price at the beginning so that we could work with a real good machine… but that’s another story, shhhh 🤫😜). A few videos on television and on the Internet, a few practice sessions, and presto! We were entering the world of amateur BBQ competitions!
Since it was our first competition, we didn't want to put too much pressure on ourselves; we wanted to finish in the top 10 out of 24 possible places. Finally, turnaround, we finished 8th overall! 🤩
We were very proud; it allowed us to prove to ourselves that, yes, we had progress to make, but that we were also already doing good things. It encouraged us for the future.
The benefits of competing as a family
Throughout the amateur competitions, our progression has been constant. We believe that being a couple in life and forming a team during competitions has been beneficial to us. Availability, the monetary aspect, the role of each person, etc., everything is clearly defined. No need for meetings to discuss, plan, practice, test recipes, etc.; we do it 24 hours a day!
For example, we both know from the outset that Josée is the one who will be responsible for developing the flavor profiles; that she will select the spices, the sauces, etc. Then, on the other hand, we already know that Patrick will be the one who will leave and manage the smokehouses. We each have our “timelines”; our roles. We complement each other well and we don’t hesitate to “challenge” each other if we think of something along the way.
BBQ competitions are a passion at Cyclone BBQ. We have had to make compromises and will continue to make adjustments, but we believe that competing as a family does give us an advantage. We know each other so well!
The pride of being accompanied by our children
During our first 2 years of competitions, our children (especially the youngest) accompanied us. It was quite a "happening"! We had to plan everything: the list of things to bring for our competition meals AND the meals for the family. 🥵
Then, when we arrived at a competition site, the orange Cyclone BBQ “Team” did not go unnoticed! Several people dressed in orange getting out of a vehicle, children walking around everywhere (like real cyclones! 🌪) visiting their friends’ booths… People fell in love with us because they admired that we didn’t stop ourselves from doing activities we love, even with children and young children. Of course, we perform well too, so people don’t notice us just by our appearance, but also for our talent!
Our family is the story of Cyclone BBQ. And what touches us the most is seeing the pride of our children when they see their parents fulfilling their passion. As soon as there is a photo to take during the competition, for example, they always rush to join us. They are part of our team.
Our advice for those who want to get involved in competitions
Finally, for those who want to get involved in barbecue competitions, it is important to always keep in mind that above all, it is a hobby.
If you have fun and passion for cooking barbecue, no matter what your goal is, you will always be a winner. Also remember that your technique, your flavor profiles will only improve over time, and in the meantime, nothing is more rewarding than being told that you make "good BBQ"!
Keep progressing, you never know where your interest can take you! For example, when we initially started in the competition field as Cyclone BBQ, we had no idea that we would be here now. And yet, this is only the beginning of our story…
See you next time!
Josée & Patrick
Cyclone BBQ