MRBC afterglow
The MRBC was an event that I'd been waiting for about 8 years now. I want to express my immense gratitude to Mike Strumpf and all who helped him put it together. Although I wasn't able to compete this year, I felt very honored to help out.
I can't stress enough how amazing the support for our region was. We had the best turnout ever for a first time competition. With judges flying in from all over the country (on their own time and money), the sponsors putting out financially, the volunteers putting it together and the competitors stepping up, there were over 70 people actively involved not to mention all of the support of friends, family and coworkers!
This bodes well for the future of coffee in the Denver Boulder area (o.k. the whole region).
Judges Certification Meeting
The weekend, from my point of view
I was in a unique position to experience a little bit of everything during the weekend. On Friday I got to season the machines, la Marzocco GB-5s. Wow, the GB-5 is amazing, it showed all my flaws in technique (I couldn't blame the machine). I think I improved my shots dramatically after spending just one morning and about 15# of bel canto on the GB-5.
I was the first person to put this machine to work!
After seasoning the machines I was one of the baristas making drinks to calibrate the judges. It all started out fine enough, but man was I nervous. I can't imagine what competing is like, when I was so nervous just pulling shot after shot. It sure is a strange feeling having six or seven people dismantle your shot right in front of you, but again it just helped me get better.
After shots ware cappuccinos. Since June I've steamed about 1/2 gallon of milk or less, so needless to say it was a bit rough. Oh well. Now I see an area of opportunity for me :)
On to the mock-competition. What! I didn't know I'd actually have to put on a mock-presenation for the judges. I was at a loss. Quickly I put something together and went for it. Ouch. I lost some major points on technicals, my station was dirty, my presentation was sad, my imaginary water was... well imaginary. You get the point. I muddled through and listened as best I could to what they said about my drinks and show. You guessed it, more learning. Lucky for me there was a second round. This time I did much better, the water was even real. The drinks were better and the presentation a bit more cohesive.
Still, it made me realize how hard competing is. Day in and day out we make coffee for customers and the little things slide, but hey if the vibe is right and the drink decent then it was a success. Competition changes it. Everything must be perfect, and 7 people are watching you to catch every little flaw. Talking with Jon Lewis about competition he posed the question "What does it mean". I think I answered, "nothing, it's a game", and that is just it. It is a game, but it is games that get us to strive to the highest level. By mastering the rules of a game, baristas will undoubtedly produce better drinks for the world.
Making drinks for the judges inspired a desire in me to pursue excellence in my craft. I sure hope others were inspired as well.
Friday night was the Judges "thank you" at Avery Brewing. Again, if you don't realize it, the judges do this on their own time and money. Amazing. The Avery party was a great chance to get to know other coffee professionals who are just as passionate and excited as I am. Community is what makes coffee great, and this includes the community of professionals.
Saturday, the big day. I arrived to a packed room of competitors being debriefed on the course of events. I believe for most of the 26 competitors this was the first time competing or even seeing a competition. There is a huge amount of info to absorb. I also thought back to my experience on the GB-5, I had 2 hours and 15# of coffee to acclimate myself, these folks only had a few minutes. Good luck.
All day I ran the a/v (sorry to some) and watched the performances. It was fun to see the range of perspective each competitor brought. Of course there were some mishaps and blunders that come with first time competitors, but all in all the level of competition was surprisingly decent. I was amazed at how intense it can get watching someone racing against the clock. One competitor (I think Greg from Ozo, but correct me if I'm wrong) actually turing to check the time at 14:59 and getting time called at 15:00. It was sweet.
We made it through 28 competitors in record time and then waited for the final six announcement. The intensity of emotion was phenomenal. From my prospective I couldn't loose, as I consider so many of the competitors friends, but of course I was also surprised and bummed to see some people not make it. Such is the danger of competition.
Final 6
(O.K. Vajra of Sole Roasters was at his daughter's birthday party, good man)
On to the party. We headed down to Great Divide Brewery, on of my favorite breweries, for the barista party. It was a packed good time. I hope all in attendance were able to build new relationships and maintain old ones. Again, for me the community of coffee folk is extremely important. And beer is good too.
Sunday brought snow and cold, but also great attendance. I was very pleased to see all of the support shown for the finalists, including support from other competitors. It illustrated to me how strong of a bond coffee facilitates.
For some reason the finals were a blur to me. Maybe the crazy long week, coupled with espresso all day, beer at night and little sleep to follow. I don't know, but I do know that I was in a very contented, beautiful state. The only part I clearly remember was the emotions I felt during Jon Lewis' presentation. I can't quite describe it, but it was on the level of tear-jerker-exteme-happiness-proud-to-be-in-coffee-want-to-do-so-much-more. I don't know why, I can't even remember the words, but the emotion was real, and others felt it too. After Jon's performance I realized how much more I can add to my life. I know it sounds crazy, but it was inspirational for me on many levels.
As many know by now, Jon Lewis was the champion. Congratulations to Jon, and all who competed. If you want to see many photos visit http://scaa.org/about_regional_next.asp#Mountain or see some of my photos here. I tried to get everyone, but sadly I missed a few.
The top 3
Nolan Dutton, Jon Lewis, Heidi Bickelhaudt
Best Takeaway
I was asked by a coworker what was my favorite part of the MRBC. Amazingly it had nothing to do with a specific performance, a relationship formed, or a coffee taste, though there are great examples of all. Instead it was what happened on Sunday. I didn't get an exact count, but close to 75% of the competitors that did not advance to the finals showed up on Sunday to watch, and even more importantly they hung out after the show to speak with the judges about their score and how to improve. This showed an amazing level of professionalism, support for each other and a love of the craft.
Although I may sound altruistic with this, really it is for my benefit. I figure all of these baristas who competed will take their new knowledge back to work and continue to improve. Soon enough, I'll be able to go more places and enjoy better coffee then ever before.
Future
The MRBC has reinvigorated my excitement for the coffee scene in Denver-Boulder. I'm excited to see all of the development over the next year and can't wait for the opportunity to join with others in celebration of our craft.
-Steve
