Grill teams prepare for contest
Monday, August 6, 2007
Norma and Pat Kluthe can’t wait to see their barbecue groupies this weekend when Peter Pan Park will be transformed into a barbecue lover’s dream.
More than 40 teams will compete for a title and cash in The Greater Emporia BBQ Festival.
The festival on Friday and Saturday is a state championship contest and is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The Grand Champion will take home $1,500 and the reserve grand champion gets $750.
The Kluthes make up a husband and wife team called “Ain’t Got a Klue.” The team got its name when the Kluthes entered the barbecue competition five seasons ago. Norma Kluthe said they truly had no clue when they started competing.
“At the time we had never done anything bigger than a chicken thigh on the grill,” Kluthe said with a laugh. “We have never done big cuts of meat.”
Kluthe said they’ve figured things out in the past five years, but they still have their yearly calamity.
“Most recently it seems to be the awning,” Kluthe said.
Later, she said they bought a new awning that was assembled in about 30 minutes as opposed to hours.
The Kluthes have learned how to work together as a team, Pat Kluthe said. When one person is doing one thing, the other person is busy doing another, and the couple is ready to trade jobs at any point.
They have a team rule they strictly abide by.
“It’s a two-way rule,” Norma Kluthe said. “No nagging is allowed.”
This year the Kluthes have decided to go back to basics with their grilling technique. They are going to bring their backyard barbecues and smokers to Peter Pan Park rather than one huge unit. They will compete in pork ribs, chicken, pulled pork and veggie categories.
“We’re going to be cooking just like in our backyard,” Norma Kluthe said. “We’re pretty excited about it.”
Part of the charm for the competitions, said the Kluthes, are the fans and the barbecue groupies. The Kluthes said they started as groupies.
“Every team in the U.S. has barbecue groupies,” Norma Kluthe said. “We feel like the barbecue fans and groupies that support the teams are the heart beat of the competition. It’s not about the big cookers.
“When you things don’t turn out like you thought they would, they still make you feel like the king and queen of the grill.”
Pat Kluthe said he still likes to be a barbecue groupie and enjoys hopping from tent to tent during competitions to talk to other competitors.
It’s a great way to meet new people, Kluthe said.
Clamoring for more than barbecue this weekend? The Emporia Community Theatre’s Mid-Summer Fair will feature a week of events that start tonight, including games, activities and two productions at the park’s amphitheater.
The CTE children’s performers will present “Puss in Boots” by Scott Rochat at 6 p.m. each day while the adult actors will perform a shortened version of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” at about 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The festival’s starts at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The Peter Pan wading pool will open at 10 a.m. Friday and will close at 8 p.m. and a band will play from 8 to 11 p.m.
Saturday’s events include the Mid-Summer Activities from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a car show at 9:30 a.m. The Reeble’s Community BBQ Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The price of the lunch is $5 and meat will be cooked by some of the teams at the competition. The Peter Pan Park Play Ground Committee is volunteering to help with the lunch. A portion of the luncheon proceeds will go to the Peter Pan Park Playground Fund.
At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, bands begin playing and judging of the barbecue starts at noon, followed by the awards ceremony at 4 p.m.
A Weber Genesis grill valued at $499 will be given away after the awards ceremony. Donations will be accepted for a shot at winning the grill.
New this year is a beer garden, which will run from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. A valid ID must be presented and a wrist band will be issued.