Champion pitmaster Christie Vanover breaks down the explosive rise of live fire competitions after working behind the scenes at the Texas Open Fire Meat Up. She shares how the event drew global teams, 2,500 attendees and 80 million combined social media followers.

Learn why Memphis in May is adding a new Open Fire category for 2026. Vanover also previews how she's bringing the movement to Las Vegas with the BBQ Jackpot's BBQ Pit Stop. If you want to see where competition barbecue is heading, this episode lights the way.

KCBS BBQ Courses: CompetitionBBQTips.com

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About Girls Can Grill:

Champion pitmaster Christie Vanover is the girl behind one of America's top BBQ websites GirlsCanGrill.com. The site, which was launched in 2015, includes hundreds of recipes for your charcoal, pellet, gas or electric grill or smoker along with thousands of BBQ tips that will make you crush it behind the grill. Christie has won multiple BBQ championships and competed on Food Network's BBQ Brawl.