Posted Wed Aug 2, 2006, 12:45pm Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
Excellent report Mark!
I have nowhere the needed experience with Barista Competitons to comment on many of the points/issues you bring up. I do however try and keep up with great interest the differing views and opinions from folks much more qualified than myself. One of the things I'm always left to wonder is, why there is not more of an effort by the governing bodies to move this "front & center" into the mainstream press? Take the television network, FoodNetwork for example. The WBC and even USBC seems almost made for this type of medium. You've got all the elements in place for a excellent "made for tv" product; competition, creativity, cutting edge technology, passion, personal stories and yes, drama (for bad or worse).
Given the lack of innovative programing on these food channels, you would think they would be begging at the USBC's door. Of course this is coming from someone who also wonders how many times I really need to watch yet another person showing me how to barbeque chicken?
That ESPN would pick up and choose to tell the story of Matt Riddle, speaks volumes for the untapped potential these events provide.
ThaRiddla Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 181 Location: Chicago Expertise: Professional
Espresso: LM GS/3 Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Thu Aug 3, 2006, 6:29am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
I think that is what LiftOff was saying....that they chose to air me on their morning show, says that there is certainly an untapped media market for Barista Competition.
Posted Thu Aug 3, 2006, 10:52am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
It was a real trip stepping out of the shower and seeing you on the television Matt! Plus it had the extra bonus of me being able to say to my wife, "See? That's why the tv's always on ESPN".
ThaRiddla Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 181 Location: Chicago Expertise: Professional
Espresso: LM GS/3 Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Thu Aug 3, 2006, 2:11pm Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
Yeah, I cracked up laughing (with happiness) when I found out I would be on ESPN... Maybe I can talk them into being a field reporter for Sports Center.
Keytaykat Senior Member Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 42 Location: toronto, soon to be NYC Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Thu Aug 3, 2006, 5:34pm Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
A great look at the WBC, thank you so much Mark. There are some great suggestions here, especially the computer system used in Australia and Trieste and the post-comp. judges panel. I also agree that competitions should be about celebrating great coffee, and the passion that goes into creating a fantastic cup that consumers rave about three days later. As a barista, there is nothing better than watching someone sip a cappuccino for the first time, seeing their eyes light up and a slow smile creep across their face! The long road from bean to cup and everything in between should be celebrated in competition, one way of expressing passionate coffee through skilled artisans--baristi. It would be great if culinary competitions received more media attention and public awareness. I think competitions do this on a small scale, as Matt Riddle has pointed out. Even in Toronto, it has done much to raise the profile of espresso in the city, and the regional championship is receiving a lot of attention. What we should do next as a community is another question... Thanks again Mark, for a wonderful article.
timW Senior Member Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Norway Expertise: Professional
Espresso: 1group fb70 Grinder: K30 Drip: french press
Posted Fri Aug 4, 2006, 2:03am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
Hello. A very good article indeed. I know there are a lot of changes being done allready after the meeting the day after the finals. It will be posted on the www.worldbaristachampionship.com website when the new design is up and running.
Unfortunately there were several national competitions starting allready between June and August, so drastic changes were impossible to make this year because it would not be fair to all of the competitors in the WBC in Tokyo. However, I do not believe that we need to be overdramatic in the changes of the WBC in order to make it much better. The reasons why things are slowly evolving are many, but maby the biggest reason for this is that there are many people involved that has been working with the WBC for several years and therefore there are many opinions to be considered.
I would like some opinions about an idea of changing the words "espresso based" in the signature drink and replace it with "coffee based". Do you see how many doors we can open with that minor change ? Maby too many ??
ThaRiddla Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 181 Location: Chicago Expertise: Professional
Espresso: LM GS/3 Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Posted Fri Aug 4, 2006, 6:49am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
Tim,
I'll post my reply regarding this change from another forum here, just in case others don't frequent that particular site:
Very interesting suggestion, this would definitely open doors that many competitors (including Klaus) have already started to move through. One of my coworkers had both french pressed coffee and espresso in his beverage at the USBC.
Even the small change from "A distinct taste of espresso must be present." to "A distinct taste of coffee must be present." would be enough to suffice major change in signature drink building. This would still require the one shot minimum per drink, but allow competitors to utilize other methods of coffee preparation that did not limit them to having the major flavor be their espresso.
BGN Senior Member Joined: 4 Oct 2005 Posts: 184 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Cimbali ML20 Lever Grinder: Mazzer Major E Vac Pot: none Drip: pour over Bodum Roaster: Behmor
Posted Fri Aug 4, 2006, 8:41am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
timW Said:
I would like some opinions about an idea of changing the words "espresso based" in the signature drink and replace it with "coffee based". Do you see how many doors we can open with that minor change ? Maby too many ??
Logically, wouldn't you have to change the name of the competition from "Barista Championship" to "Coffee Championship." Forgive my ignorance, but isn't a barista someone whose skill makes or breaks a good cup of coffee because the brewing method depends upon him/her? For example, one of the best cups of "coffee" I've ever had was from a Clover machine, but the quality in the cup pretty much had nothing to do with the skill of the operator. With 10 minutes training I could probably do it myself. Same is true of french press. This is not true of espresso. The thing I love about a barista is that I don't have to settle for a coffee flavored drink!! Keep up the art! Barry.
timW Senior Member Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Norway Expertise: Professional
Espresso: 1group fb70 Grinder: K30 Drip: french press
Posted Fri Aug 4, 2006, 9:17am Subject: Re: The Controversial WBC, Road Reports
Well, to tell you the truth. Every barista in the world (except maby some in Italy, Portugal & Spain) makes coffe in other ways than pulling it from an espresso machine. You are still a barista and you need skills in order to blow me away with a french press that is outstanding. Sourcing the best coffee, grinding, dosing, etc. will all give different results in the cup. I am not saying that you have to only serve a cup of french press. I am only opening the opportunity to use a different brewing method than the espresso machine for the signaturedrink. Think about it, we could play with with the Turkish method, the Norwegian method, the Greek coffee, the siphon, french press, aeropress, clover, filter drip, melitta, moka, etc, etc. You need skills in order to stand out. Skills come from preparation and knowledge. It may look easy, but you try to make a kenyan coffee stand out like in a cupping on a siphon. It sure is not easy to me. Then you have to add the signature to it too.
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