Smell the smoke ...

Gary Worthy of Atwood, Kansas, second from the right, fires up his "Pork Choppers" "helicopter/chopper" smoker to compete in the ninth annual "Smokin' on the Beaver" barbeque contest Saturday on the Beaver Creek in Atwood. Worthy said 45 teams -- the most ever -- competed for the title of "best Beaver barbecuer." Worthy and his team mates, Mark Leitner of Norton, Kansas, (above) who tried to smile through the smoke, and Duaiwn Hofer, also of Atwood, were smoking brisket, ribs, pork butt, beans and chicken -- and Leitner's surprise, red snapper fresh from the Gulf of Texas. Using a collection of varying sizes of chain saws to create red cedar sculptures, Randy Erb of Royal, Nebraska, kept spectators occupied while the smokers filled the air with the smells of tempting barbecue.