# Griff's late Oink post



## Griff (Oct 6, 2008)

I had hoped to get this posted sooner but we had a really busy week. After we left the Oink we went with Unity and his wife up into Ontario and visited Niagara Falls from the Canadian side for several days and then back to DC with only a day at John and Jody’s house before heading back to Alaska. I got back and work took over.

I have to start with a heartfelt and huge thanks to everyone we met at the Oink. It was truly amazing how everyone from BBQ Central welcomed us as old friends and invited us into their spaces at the comp. To be able to put faces to long time acquaintances was a real treat. Thanks to wittdog, Lynn, D and Mikey for everything from the place to put our lawn chairs under their Easy Up to the breakfast invite Sunday morning. Dave thanks again for the Buffalo goodies you gave us. Dave, my hat’s off to you and your family. Keep up the good work. Bruce, a pleasure to meet you. Us mods have got to stick together. Diva, Vlado, Louisa, John, and the rest of the Canuks were a blast to hang with. Dallas, thanks for letting John and I break in the chicken cooker on your new pit for the potluck salmon (wild, not farmed). Oompappy is a study in concentration at a comp. What Rag keeps under his cook’s apron is best kept there. I was particularly pleased to see Brian proudly displaying the Frozen Few trophy. Pigs, thanks for the advice on being a tourist at the Falls. You were right on every count. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. Thanks everyone, we had a blast and it was the new friends that made it so.

Now, I have to talk about the comp. Wow. Living in Alaska, I have never had the opportunity to experience one before. I have read the competition section on this board for years and thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect. Boy was I wrong. Nothing prepared me for the experience of smelling 47 teams all with 3 plus cookers going at once. It was olfactory overload of the highest and best kind. Reading about comps on the Board gave me no notion whatsoever as to the amount of work involved, nor the intensity of the participants.  This little town gets erected and hundreds of pounds of literally award winning BBQ gets prepared by fiercely competitive, yet jovial, friends, and then the town goes away.  Thanks again every one.

Here’s John and I with the BBQ Central plug for Rempe.






BBQ Central teams collected numerous awards.

Double D







Swine Syndicate







Diva Q







Oompappy







Goodsmoke







I know there are other board members that got a walk but I missed the pic. Sorry, I must have been getting another beer.

I did take some other random pics of board people. 
Witt's pit Buford in action.







Dallas's new pit.







Wild Alaska salmon about to break in the chicken cooker on Dallas's new pit.







Bruce.







Oompappy and his drum pits.







Rag (unfortunately no pic of Mrs. Rag -- photographer error).







Unity, Griff, and Dallas. Dallas is the one wearing a sweatshirt from Alaska -- go figure.







Swine Syndicate doing a taste test.







Goodsmoke, 2008 Frozen Few grand champion, pulling pork.







Diva and Vlado's back, he's a big man.







Finally, no trip to the Buffalo area is complete without a visit to the Sausage Shrine. No pic = no visit to the Shrine. So here's proof Unity and Griff were there. Thanks Dave and Lynn.







I'm going back next year. Hope to see some more bbq Central folks there.


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## Pigs On The Wing BBQ (Oct 6, 2008)

Great pics! It was a great time. Lot's of fun!


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## atruckerswife (Oct 6, 2008)

Great pics Griff.  It sure was a pleasure meeting you and the Mrs.

And next time we make it up to Whitehorse, we will for sure take a trip up your way for a visit as well.

That salmon was awesome, as I usually only eat the canned variety,


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## Diva Q (Oct 6, 2008)

Great pictures, 
I relaly like the shot of Rag heating up his new chicken cooker. It was a relaly sweet add on for sure.

We enjoyed meeting you all very much. 

I can't wait for next year.


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## wittdog (Oct 6, 2008)

Griff you can up hang with us anytime...It was a pleasure


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## GoodSmokeBBQ (Oct 6, 2008)

Very nice to meet you!


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## Bruce B (Oct 6, 2008)

It was a pleasure to meet both Griff and John and their great wives. Hope to see you again next year...the salmon was excellent, thanks Griff.


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## Rag1 (Oct 6, 2008)

A great get-together. I told Pigs, in a PM, that I wished we all could have sat around a camp fire , or something, and shot the breeze a bit more.
Thanks for the great catfish, fresh out of the can, Boy.    Just kidding. That was the best Salmon I ever tasted.


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