Is casi the largest chili organization? Is it the most prestigious or coveted? Just curious.
Is casi?
- Thread starter The Hot Pepper
- Start date
CASI probably is not the largest but, we raise money for charity with our cook offs. ICS gives money prizes to it's top winning cooks and has a championship in Nevada once a year where the winner receives $25,000. Hey...money is great but, standing on the stage at TICC is great also. CASI holds it's invitation only championship in Terlingua once a year. You have to qualify to get the invite.....300 plus cooks from around the country and some outside compete.
i guess you could argue this all day but me personaly i think casi is bigger than ics...i would love to compare the numbers of cook offs. i get the casi trails magazine and the massive number of cook offs just blows me away.
also the charity angle i love alot.
also the charity angle i love alot.
ICS does alot of cook offs in Northern and Southern Nevada. I just joined ICS and will join CASI in a week or so. Theres an ICS sanctioned cookoff here in Reno on the 20th, go to the ICS website and check it out.
LT
LT
CASI vs ICS vs Tolbert
There are three groups that sanction chili cook-offs; CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International), ICS (International Chili Society) and what is known as Tolbert which is a private organization that has a very few cook-offs in Texas and puts on a yearly cook-off in Terlingua at the old original location "Behind the Store" where it all started the same day as CASI.
While each of these organizations claim to be “the” biggest and most international sanctioning body the truth is: CASI is a mostly Texas based organization that has additional cook-offs in many states east of the Rockies with a very few cook-offs out West. It has an all volunteer somewhat representative board that runs things semi-democratically. It owns property in the Terlingua, Texas area and holds a yearly championship there. It is a charitable organization and all proceeds after expenses go the charity.
ICS is a California based organization that puts on cook-offs primarily West of the Rockies though like CASI, it has a small number of cook-offs back East as well. Despite it’s thin veil of democracy it is owned and run by Shelby and Peterson through a professional manager with the help of interested volunteers and promoters. It is officially a charity and does contribute a portion of the take to charity. Because it is run by a very competent Executive Director and the “owners” are very accomplished business men it is by far the better run organization when it come to promotion, sponsorship and spectator attendance. They have copyrighted the use of the term “Chili World Champion” and so they are the only organization that can give that title distinction to its yearly winner. They hold their “World Championship” event at different locations with last years and this coming years in Omaha, NE because ConArga foods was willing to put up a lot of money for sponsorship and that is their corporate home. Like I said, professionally run!
Tolbert is a cook-off that is now run by the daughter and son-in-law of the late Frank X Tolbert who was one of the early promoters of Terlingua. He is the person responsible for the break up of CASI and ICS and then the division of CASI and TOLBERT. Don’t let me make it sound like he was a bad guy; he did much to further the hobby of Chili Cook-offs! He also had a big Texas sized ego and was a bit of a know it all and did cause some fireworks. This cook-off is help the same day as CASI is holding its Terlingua cook-off a few miles down the road and because it requires few points to qualify may that do not have enough points to cook CASI cook here. They do have a small very loyal following that would cook no where else and they put on a handful of cook-offs in Texas yearly.
Who is best? Each has strength and great support in the geographic area they primarily operate in. Each contributes to charity. Each promotes chili and gives us a venue to enjoy our hobby. As much as each would like to tell you it is king, the truth is that both are regional organizations with satellite events out of their main geographic area. So the answer is: cook what you get, where you are and HAVE FUN!
There are three groups that sanction chili cook-offs; CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International), ICS (International Chili Society) and what is known as Tolbert which is a private organization that has a very few cook-offs in Texas and puts on a yearly cook-off in Terlingua at the old original location "Behind the Store" where it all started the same day as CASI.
While each of these organizations claim to be “the” biggest and most international sanctioning body the truth is: CASI is a mostly Texas based organization that has additional cook-offs in many states east of the Rockies with a very few cook-offs out West. It has an all volunteer somewhat representative board that runs things semi-democratically. It owns property in the Terlingua, Texas area and holds a yearly championship there. It is a charitable organization and all proceeds after expenses go the charity.
ICS is a California based organization that puts on cook-offs primarily West of the Rockies though like CASI, it has a small number of cook-offs back East as well. Despite it’s thin veil of democracy it is owned and run by Shelby and Peterson through a professional manager with the help of interested volunteers and promoters. It is officially a charity and does contribute a portion of the take to charity. Because it is run by a very competent Executive Director and the “owners” are very accomplished business men it is by far the better run organization when it come to promotion, sponsorship and spectator attendance. They have copyrighted the use of the term “Chili World Champion” and so they are the only organization that can give that title distinction to its yearly winner. They hold their “World Championship” event at different locations with last years and this coming years in Omaha, NE because ConArga foods was willing to put up a lot of money for sponsorship and that is their corporate home. Like I said, professionally run!
Tolbert is a cook-off that is now run by the daughter and son-in-law of the late Frank X Tolbert who was one of the early promoters of Terlingua. He is the person responsible for the break up of CASI and ICS and then the division of CASI and TOLBERT. Don’t let me make it sound like he was a bad guy; he did much to further the hobby of Chili Cook-offs! He also had a big Texas sized ego and was a bit of a know it all and did cause some fireworks. This cook-off is help the same day as CASI is holding its Terlingua cook-off a few miles down the road and because it requires few points to qualify may that do not have enough points to cook CASI cook here. They do have a small very loyal following that would cook no where else and they put on a handful of cook-offs in Texas yearly.
Who is best? Each has strength and great support in the geographic area they primarily operate in. Each contributes to charity. Each promotes chili and gives us a venue to enjoy our hobby. As much as each would like to tell you it is king, the truth is that both are regional organizations with satellite events out of their main geographic area. So the answer is: cook what you get, where you are and HAVE FUN!