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A Historical View of Chili Showmanship |
Chili showmanship started in the 1880’s when the Chili Queens in San Antonio’s Plaza started to bring entertainment into their area to entice the customers to buy their chili, instead of a competitor’s chili con carne.
When competitive chili cook-offs began, there was no blind chili judging system, so the judges visited each participant’s cooking area, with their favorite spoon, to taste and assess the cook’s prowess with cooking a pot of competitive chili, before casting their ballots. The cooks tried to influence the judges with little treats and a discourse on the virtues of their product. The chili heads, as they became known, found it very entertaining to entertain the public. Most of them were very much people persons. They would spend time with the public, and most of what they had to say was comical, including outrageous ingredients for the chili, more outrageous reasons for the outrageous ingredients and just a good spiel. The Chili Heads were pretty much costume freaks, too. That is, they liked to wear things you didn't see just every day. Hillbilly and Cowboy costumes were popular. Occasionally a business suit or a tuxedo would be uniform of the day. The ladies wore costumes to show off their assets. All sorts of tomfoolery were tolerated and usually encouraged.
The costumes led to themes for the cookers. At Chilympiad, there was a team that would build a two-story western saloon front on the grounds, complete with dance hall girls, boot-shining stations and shoot-outs on the hour. There were many teams that had their own sound systems and would hold games for the public to enter. It was a given that the cookers would cook enough chili to have samples for the spectators. All one had to do was ask, or most times the cooks offered samples.
Many of the early shows were pretty much R rated. Of course, this was back in the 70's when "R rated" would be preschool rated now. There were plenty of ladies who were more than willing to display their talents in wet T-shirt contests. In the early days, the "Big Un" at Terlingua was built on the wet T-shirt contest.
Probably the most famous chili show person in the early 70’s was John “Bad McFad” Raven. Bad McFad took his show on the road to different cookoffs and other Texas folk events. Bad’s expertise was shooting his 325-pound body out of a home made cannon. Most of the time the cannon never worked, but there was always a lot of sparks and smoke. Bad McFad was one of the first show teams to be inducted into the CASI Showmanship Hall of Fame.
Rules for showmanship teams to qualify for TICC were developed in 1979 and it was the first year for separate qualification and judging for chili and showmanship. TICC in 1979 was the first Championship cookoff under the new showmanship rules. The Texas Stars Show Team was the first TICC Championship Show team under the new showmanship rules. In 1980, Bob Moore became the first person to win the TICC Chili Championship and the TICC Showmanship Championship in the same year, with his show team, Brother Willy and Sister Lilly's Travelin" Salvation, Montgomery County, Texas.
The showmanship rules were written to try to take favoritism out of the judging and have a fair system for all show teams to compete. Showmanship judges remain anonymous as they travel throughout the cookoff area, viewing the showmanship teams and taking notes before they cast their point votes for each show team. The rules for judging showmanship are:
Also, along the lines of fairness for all showmanship teams and safety of the spectators, the showmanship rules have evolved through the years, to include:
The separate qualification and judging for showmanship opened the gate for the development of large show teams to compete for points to show at TICC. In the early years, large show teams, such as the Motley's, the Southwest Institute of Chili, the Bottom of the Barrell Gang, King James and the Misfits, the Aardvarks, Be Bop Chili and the Texas Wild Bunch, dominated the show category. Elaborate show booths/fronts, costumes, skits, and themes were developed. Most of these large show teams had trailers full of showmanship gear that were used in their shows.
In the mid-1980s, the Great Southwest Show Team brought the idea of different chili cooks coming together, each performing a small period of showmanship, under the title of one show team. So, a smaller group only had to do show for 10-15 minutes but combined under one show team to complete the showmanship period of judging. When the Great Southwest Show Team won TICC showmanship, there were about 25 winner’s jackets ordered for the show team members.
The smaller show teams were overpowered by the larger show teams, so, in 1992 CASI changed the TICC showmanship rules to include two categories: large show teams and small teams. Cactus Ranger Show team from El Paso, won the first small team category in Terlingua. CASI later recognized that the one person show team was being overpowered by the large and small show team, so in 2006 the TICC showmanship categories were again changed to include: Large Show, Small Show, and One Person Show. Chief No Ponies from Bedford, Texas won the first One Person Show Category at TICC in 2006.
Showmanship remains a staple of chili cookoffs today, but usually on a much smaller scale than the early days of chili competitions.
By Richard Knight
Sources used to record the history of chili showmanship:
http://www.texascooking.com/features/sept2011showoff.htm John “Bad McFad” Raven
https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili
Story of Bad McFad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJihS6jxmFg
Old Memories of a lot of old chiliheads
When competitive chili cook-offs began, there was no blind chili judging system, so the judges visited each participant’s cooking area, with their favorite spoon, to taste and assess the cook’s prowess with cooking a pot of competitive chili, before casting their ballots. The cooks tried to influence the judges with little treats and a discourse on the virtues of their product. The chili heads, as they became known, found it very entertaining to entertain the public. Most of them were very much people persons. They would spend time with the public, and most of what they had to say was comical, including outrageous ingredients for the chili, more outrageous reasons for the outrageous ingredients and just a good spiel. The Chili Heads were pretty much costume freaks, too. That is, they liked to wear things you didn't see just every day. Hillbilly and Cowboy costumes were popular. Occasionally a business suit or a tuxedo would be uniform of the day. The ladies wore costumes to show off their assets. All sorts of tomfoolery were tolerated and usually encouraged.
The costumes led to themes for the cookers. At Chilympiad, there was a team that would build a two-story western saloon front on the grounds, complete with dance hall girls, boot-shining stations and shoot-outs on the hour. There were many teams that had their own sound systems and would hold games for the public to enter. It was a given that the cookers would cook enough chili to have samples for the spectators. All one had to do was ask, or most times the cooks offered samples.
Many of the early shows were pretty much R rated. Of course, this was back in the 70's when "R rated" would be preschool rated now. There were plenty of ladies who were more than willing to display their talents in wet T-shirt contests. In the early days, the "Big Un" at Terlingua was built on the wet T-shirt contest.
Probably the most famous chili show person in the early 70’s was John “Bad McFad” Raven. Bad McFad took his show on the road to different cookoffs and other Texas folk events. Bad’s expertise was shooting his 325-pound body out of a home made cannon. Most of the time the cannon never worked, but there was always a lot of sparks and smoke. Bad McFad was one of the first show teams to be inducted into the CASI Showmanship Hall of Fame.
Rules for showmanship teams to qualify for TICC were developed in 1979 and it was the first year for separate qualification and judging for chili and showmanship. TICC in 1979 was the first Championship cookoff under the new showmanship rules. The Texas Stars Show Team was the first TICC Championship Show team under the new showmanship rules. In 1980, Bob Moore became the first person to win the TICC Chili Championship and the TICC Showmanship Championship in the same year, with his show team, Brother Willy and Sister Lilly's Travelin" Salvation, Montgomery County, Texas.
The showmanship rules were written to try to take favoritism out of the judging and have a fair system for all show teams to compete. Showmanship judges remain anonymous as they travel throughout the cookoff area, viewing the showmanship teams and taking notes before they cast their point votes for each show team. The rules for judging showmanship are:
- THEME – The originality of the show subject, topic, or context
- COSTUME – Show costumes should promote the show theme
- BOOTH SET-UP – The show area should promote the show theme
- ACTION – Show should be action-oriented
- AUDIENCE APPEAL – Show should involve and be entertaining to the audience
Also, along the lines of fairness for all showmanship teams and safety of the spectators, the showmanship rules have evolved through the years, to include:
- No hired professional performers are allowed in showmanship competition
- A showmanship team’s activities must not interfere with other contestants
- Nudity and lewdness are banned from showmanship
- Amplification must not be loud enough to interfere with other contestants
- No showmanship contestant may discharge firearms or pyrotechnics
- Show teams may not distribute alcoholic beverages during the show period
The separate qualification and judging for showmanship opened the gate for the development of large show teams to compete for points to show at TICC. In the early years, large show teams, such as the Motley's, the Southwest Institute of Chili, the Bottom of the Barrell Gang, King James and the Misfits, the Aardvarks, Be Bop Chili and the Texas Wild Bunch, dominated the show category. Elaborate show booths/fronts, costumes, skits, and themes were developed. Most of these large show teams had trailers full of showmanship gear that were used in their shows.
In the mid-1980s, the Great Southwest Show Team brought the idea of different chili cooks coming together, each performing a small period of showmanship, under the title of one show team. So, a smaller group only had to do show for 10-15 minutes but combined under one show team to complete the showmanship period of judging. When the Great Southwest Show Team won TICC showmanship, there were about 25 winner’s jackets ordered for the show team members.
The smaller show teams were overpowered by the larger show teams, so, in 1992 CASI changed the TICC showmanship rules to include two categories: large show teams and small teams. Cactus Ranger Show team from El Paso, won the first small team category in Terlingua. CASI later recognized that the one person show team was being overpowered by the large and small show team, so in 2006 the TICC showmanship categories were again changed to include: Large Show, Small Show, and One Person Show. Chief No Ponies from Bedford, Texas won the first One Person Show Category at TICC in 2006.
Showmanship remains a staple of chili cookoffs today, but usually on a much smaller scale than the early days of chili competitions.
By Richard Knight
Sources used to record the history of chili showmanship:
http://www.texascooking.com/features/sept2011showoff.htm John “Bad McFad” Raven
https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chili
Story of Bad McFad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJihS6jxmFg
Old Memories of a lot of old chiliheads
