Beach Rib Fest Cancelled

 
 
 
 
Thursday, June 10, 2010
 
 
 
Hello BBQ Community,
 
The following letter is to all those who are looking to compete or judge the Canadian Open BBQ
Championships (COBC) scheduled for June 19th & 20th at Woodbine Park (Toronto, ON).
 
At this time, we regret to inform you that we have had to make the very difficult decision to withdraw
this event as part of Beach Ribfest. We do apologize for the late notice (this letter) however we were
working very hard over the last few weeks to try to make this event happen in 2010. Below is an
explanation as to how we came to our decision:  
 
Legacy issues  
As most of you are aware the COBC has had many challenges in the past. This event was once
sanctioned by the Canadian Barbecue Association. This association dissolved in 2009 and the event was
almost cancelled. At that time, Eventrix chose to execute a scaled down version of the event in 2009
(Crazy Canuck BBQ Championships).  
 
This year we were looking forward to pick up where the COBC left off in 2009, but additional challenges
described below surfaced including:
 
Number of Teams
With an increased prize purse of $30,000 and the automatic entry into The Jack, we expected a number
of teams to come forward and compete. Unfortunately, this was not the case and thus due to the
limited participation, Jack Daniel's will no longer be providing us with this entry.  
 
Number of Judges
Solidifying judges to participate both Saturday & Sunday was very difficult; most wanted one day or the
other. The Judge Instructional Meeting was scheduled for Saturday therefore those who would judge on
Sunday only, would have missed this important meeting, which was another concern raised by potential
participating teams. In addition, there were concerns about the Judge Registration Fee. This fee would
have offset some costs including: ensuring appropriate prize purse was fulfilled, assisting on arranging
supplies that international teams may have needed, etc.  
 
Associations vs. Corporate Company
Lastly, there were many concerns raised that the COBC was not run by an association, with specific rules
and regulations developed and executed by a sanctioning body. With the dissolution of the CBA, this
was not possible for 2010's version of the event. We were developing a judging certification program for
2011, but unfortunately, with the low response for 2010, this has been put on hold.  
 
 
 
80 Sherbourne Street, Suite 106, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5A 2R1
Tel: 416-635-9889  Fax: 416-635-7766
 
At this time, we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who supported the COBC this year and
has supported it in past years. For those who submitted entry fees for this year's event, a cheque from
Eventrix Partnership Inc. will be sent to reimburse you for these funds.  
 
On behalf of Eventrix, sincerely,
 
Caiti McLelland
Executive Director, Beach Ribfest