New Memphis BBQ fest SmokeSlam brings great barbecue and great times back to Tom Lee Park

The smell of freshly cooked barbecue has filled the air of Tom Lee Park once again, only this year it's from the brand-new BBQ competition SmokeSlam.

Organized by Mempho Presents, the same organizers of Mempho and RiverBeat music festivals, SmokeSlam kicked off Thursday in Downtown Memphis — and organizers are already looking to the future.

SmokeSlam producer Forward Momentum has secured a right to renew for the next 10 years with Memphis River Parks Partnership, which manages Tom Lee Park. "We are invested in Memphis for the long-term," said Forward Momentum COO Milton Lovell, "and intend to return with RiverBeat and SmokeSlam for 10 years and beyond."

One of the 57 teams braving the heat of Thursday afternoon was Sweet Cheeks, led by pitmaster John Jordan Proctor, who joined the team about five years ago. Proctor said his team of about 50 has come a long way since its first competition, where he said the team did "horribly." But that loss was exactly what the team needed to motivate them.

"We got really fired up to come back and do a good job," Proctor said. "The next year we got seventh [in shoulder at Memphis in May], which we might as well have won, everyone was so happy."

Sweet Cheeks went on to win third in 2022 and first in 2023, both for shoulder, at Memphis in May. He credits that gradual jump in success to the team simply having a great time, as well as its desire to properly represent their Mississippi farm Home Place Pastures, which raises hogs and grass-fed cows.

After conquering Memphis in May, Proctor said coming over to SmokeSlam was an easy decision. (The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is underway this week at Liberty Park.)

"I like the idea of the festival being open to people more, and just being more inclusive to people who want to come out, see what's up, cook and hang out," he said. "We got the trophy, so now we can come down here and be by the river."

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Mempho Presents isn't holding back when it comes to prize money. Between the three main categories of Whole Hog, Ribs and Pulled Pork, the grand total up for grabs amounts to $250,000. The grand champion will receive $50,000 of that total.

Hog Wild is a team used to winning, and team members are looking to repeat this year. Ernie Mellor has been competing in BBQ competitions since 1986. Like Proctor, he said location was the main factor that led Hog Wild to SmokeSlam.

"The river's always been the BBQ fest, it really has," Mellor said. "Truly the competition has always been there, and there's competition here, but the river and the city's biggest assets are right here."

Hog Wild has a lot on its plate this year: beside shoulder and ribs, they've entered all seven ancillary competitions including dessert, for which Proctor is creating an upside-down pineapple cake. "It's the smoke, the fire, the passion that goes into the food," he said. "BBQ's all about passion, flavor and tender love."

Even after 37 years doing competitions, it doesn't get old for Mellor. "It's the fun, the comradery, the river, we've got a big team with 30 or 40 guys and gals from all walks of life... it's just a blast."

There was plenty for spectators to enjoy as well. Multiple cooking demos throughout the day gave attendees a chance to see the magic happen. Multiple teams gave out rib samples with their own signature sauces to the public. A musical performance from Noisy Cats Are We rang throughout Tom Lee. Later, Moustache The Band was set to play, followed by the final performance of the night: a mixtape featuring Tone Loc, Rob Base, Young MC and DJ M. Walk.

One team enjoying SmokeSlam's vibes was Prescott Porkers, a group of 18 made up entirely of people in their 20s. Pitmaster Garrett Sapp organized the team with a group of close friends he grew up with — about seven of the team members were once neighbors growing up on Prescott Street, hence the name. Like Proctor and Mellor, the river was the biggest factor in choosing SmokeSlam.

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BBQ competition comes naturally for Sapp: his father Roger Sapp, Central BBQ's co-founder, did barbecue competitions for more than 40 years. "I used to go to his tent when I was younger all the time," Sapp said. "We got older, and I was like, I don't want to hang out with these old guys anymore, so I said, let's do our own team."

Prescott Porkers has grown a lot in the four years it has existed. Their first trophy came last year, with a top 10 finish in shoulder at Memphis in May. They're experimenting every year, from injecting or not, to new rubs and glazes. They've entered the duck and seafood contests this year as well. Anything to get the team the respect Sapp knows it deserves.

"Some people look at us funny just because we're a younger team," he said. "They didn't take us seriously at first, but last year we got up on the stage, placed top 10 and it was sort of like, 'OK, these guys are for real.'"

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: SmokeSlam in Memphis: New barbecue festival kicks off in Tom Lee Park