Let's Barbecue!

with "Rockin' Ronnie" Shewchuk
Bestselling Cookbook Author and International Barbecue Champion

August 2, 2004

Butt Shredders Win Canadian BBQ Championship
First Victory for a Canadian Team in 15 Years.

Canadian National Barbecue Champions Left to right: Butt Shredders Stephen Robertson and Vince Gogolek, contest organizer Paul Street, Jake Shewchuk, Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk, and Butt Shredders Dave Thurgar and Tom Masterson. Championship Event held July 31-August 1 in Whistler, B.C.

Rockin’ Ronnie’s Butt Shredders barbecued their way to victory on a hot August long weekend at Dusty’s Bar & BBQ in Whistler, B.C. in a competition that has historically been dominated by U.S.-based teams.

The Butt Shredders, led by chief cook Ron “Rockin’ Ronnie” Shewchuk of North Vancouver, came first in pork shoulder, second in brisket and fifth in ribs to take the overall title on Sunday, August 1. The team included Stephen Robertson, Tom Masterson, Vince Gogolek and Dave Thurgar.

“This is a glorious moment in the history of barbecue in Canada,” says Shewchuk. “It was a hard-won battle and our team owes a lot to our American friends. The competitive barbecue circuit is a great community and we have learned a lot from U.S. teams over the years.”

The Butt Shredders, with team members from Vancouver and Calgary, have been competing in Southern-style barbecue contests for 10 years. In 2001 they became the first and only Canadian team to win a U.S.-based barbecue competition, the Oregon State Open. The team has also won Barbecue on the Bow, the Alberta Barbecue Championship, for the past two years.

The field of 20 competitors in this year’s Canadian Championships included seven-time world champion and Kansas City Baron of Barbecue Paul Kirk, current Memphis in May World Barbecue Champion Myron Mixon and several other U.S. state and regional champions. About half of the teams entered in the contest were Canadian.

The win earns the Butt Shredders an all-expense-paid trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica to compete in the International Jamaican Jerk-Style/Southern Barbecue Cook-off, as well as berths at the American Royal Invitational Barbecue Championship in Kansas City and the Jack Daniels Invitational World Barbecue Championship in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

The Canadian National Barbecue Championships were founded by the late David “The Fire Chef” Veljacic in 1988. The contest was originally held in New Westminster and moved to Whistler three years ago. Veljacic was Grand Champion of the first contest and U.S. teams won the title for the next 15 years.

Ron Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable recipes, tips & techniques from a barbecue champion, published by Whitecap Books.

For more information contact:
Ron Shewchuk
Chief Cook, Rockin’ Ronnie’s Butt Shredders
Tel. 604-929-6451
www.ronshewchuk.com