Adam Difloe started competing in the barbecue arena at the age of 15. He showed up to his first competition in Boulder City, Nevada, planning to compete in the Kid's Que. Instead, he cooked alongside Smokin' B.A.R., and the team finished as reserve grand champions.

 

By the age of 17, he started his own team, Stoked to Smoke, with Jackie and Joey Difloe.

 

Adam said he learned to barbecue on a small Char-Broil grill with a small smoker box attachment. Today, he is still proud to cook on a stick burner. As one of the Nevada Barbecue Association's Arizona teams, Adam cooks on an offset smoker.

 

"I was cooking on a Smoke Hollow, but since I moved to Phoenix to go to school, my boss found out I barbecued and bought a Meadow Creek offset smoker, so I can cook for everyone at the shop! We are strictly stick burners," he said.

 

Adam enjoys cooking chicken and ribs, but mom and teammate Jackie prefers pulled pork.

 

Stoked to Smoke has quite a few awards under its belt:

 

• 2nd pork, 5th ribs- High Desert Music Festival and Bbq Showdown June 2014

• 2nd pork, 3rd chicken, 3rd brisket, 3rd ribs RGC- Logandale Fall Festival October 2014

• RGC NVBBQA Open Practice Cook 2015

• 9th ribs- Horsetown Brew n Que May 2015

• 9th brisket- Smokin in Mesquite May 2015

 

"The tips that I would say impacted me the most are to learn everything you can from anyone willing to give it to you, and have fun while you’re doing it," he said. "There’s no point in doing something you don’t love and enjoy."