The event brought together more than 300 of the world’s top competition cooks from 17 countries, all vying for a chance to take home top honors in both the steak and ancillary categories.

Upton earned 25th place in the United States for overall points in the ancillary category. While he had hoped to make the ancillary finals, he quickly shifted his focus to the steak category, where he was one of 60 chefs to advance to the finals and finished 10th.

“I was kind of bummed when I didn’t make it to the ancillary finals, but then was determined to get back on the stage for steaks.” Upton said.

His daughter, Katie Upton, played a special role at the event, opening three out of the four awards ceremonies by performing the national anthem at Texas Motor Speedway.

Pictured is of Kurtis and family in front of the SCA sign

“I was so proud of my daughter Katie singing, and we talked about how cool it would be to both go up on stage.” Upton said.

The father-daughter duo shared a moment together as Upton took the stage for his steak award, making the competition even more memorable.

The SCA World Championships is one of the most competitive cooking events globally, with a reputation for attracting top grillmasters and chefs. The competition’s ancillary category changes with every event, adding an extra level of challenge for participants.

Shown is the steak the Kurtis made.