You’re Goin’ To Hollywood, Dog: Everyday Joe’s at the SWRBC
6 months ago, Everyday Joe’s volunteer Josh Taves let us know that he’d like to compete in this year’s United States Barista Competition circuit. We agreed with vigor and enthusiasm to sponsor him. The Southwest Regional competition is this weekend (March 4-6) in Hollywood, CA. This post will continue to roll with updates over the next 4 days or so as our good people check in from where they are. Those people? Diana Sitzman (Everyday Joe’s Assistant Director), David Runkles (Board Member), Rachel Robichaux (Volunteer, Photographer) Alyssa Snow (Volunteer), and Josh Taves (Volunteer, Competitor).
Word has it Charlie Sheen is loaning Josh some tiger blood. Please enjoy the hilarity, awkwardness, and information below.
3.5.11: Competition Day 2
1.15 pm: IT’S ON
Sorry for the drop off in updates yesterday. Spent the afternoon getting the shop ready for this guy:
The Trace Bundy was sold out and great. He said you were a great crowd. Congratulations.
But, while I got things ready for that business, other business was happening out in Hollywood:
Rachel & The Biebs
Diana As Judge
Today is Josh’s competition day. We can feel our hearts rising into our throats. Luckily he’s getting good text messages from our friends in Guatemala:
And Josh is feeling good about the day, and wearing a fine fine shirt:
My heart is more in my throat now, so I am going to go watch. You can do the same below. Josh will be up at about 2 pm MST.
3.4.11: Competition Day 1
NOON pm: LET THE GAMES BEGIN
The time is here.With the SW regionals being held in SCAAs hometown, the venue is uber-hip. It’s gone from hotel conference rooms to Siren Studios in Hollywood. Watch the competition below (live stream) and then get a brief tour of the space in the videos & photos below that. Also being held is the regional for the Brewers Cup…which, you guessed it, is a brewing competition (thanks David Runkles for the constant updates). Be watching for Diana Sitzman starring as the Tech Judge slaying it.
Watch live video from SCAA/USBC on Justin.tv
Taves on the 4th machine
9.30 am: Knowing Is Good
Mr. Taves doesn’t compete until tomorrow (2:09 pm MST…we’re having a get together at the shop starting at 1:30 pm…come so we can see your face) but the competition starts today. When you watch, you’ll hear a lot of talk about origin…i.e. where the coffee was grown and on what farm and by whom. The winner of the regional even gets an all expenses paid trip to origin. Not a bad deal.
But, with green coffee prices creeping up up up over the past little while, things “at origin” are getting a little dicey. A couple of tweets from last week:
From @sweetmarias:
The lot of Finca Siberia Pacamara we had contracted for 2011 was stolen off the trees last night. Farm manager and crew were handcuffed.
From @coffeeshrub:
Coffee cherry theft is a frightening problem happening right now
My guess is you understand what those tweets are saying, but just in case: because green (unroasted) coffee prices are so high right now, bandits see it as an opportunity to make some cash. Trucks are being hijacked, people are being robbed, COFFEE CHERRIES ARE BEING STOLEN OFF TREES. It’s like walking into a corn field and taking the crop right off the plant.
I’m not putting this here to burst any bubbles. When consuming things – whether it is an apple or a cup off coffee – knowing where it comes from can be a very good thing. However, it can also get a little romantic. There is always more to be aware of, and it behooves us as people to be more aware of it.
Of course, a little bit of guidance (read: satire) can always help make the disturbing and disheartening a bit easier to process.
In other news, here’s where the Everyday Joe’s contingency chowed last night:
3.3.11
DAY 2 ROUNDUP
Diana aced the judges test. Fact.
She was also blogged by the SCAA. Pictures for you.
And now, how about some more pictures for you? Pictures of what the other 4 were doing while Diana was learning how to get her tech judge on. Observe:
SCAA HQ. Apparently there is video of a guided tour coming.
Intelligentsia pit stop. There was a St. Bernard in the atrium.
Competition milk shopping at the Whole Foods.
Shirtless Man Painting Name On Box. Big Gulp.
California, we have descended upon thee.
10.30 am: BACK TO SCHOOL
The fifth member of the 5 has arrived in Cali. Text messages have been exchanged:
Me: You taking your camera? You send me pretty pictures?
Rachel: Yep. Done and done. Just landed. From here on out I will only be listening to Sublime.
While they’re all listening to Sublime, Diana is at judges class. It’s been mentioned earlier, but now we have video proof. It rings of dropping your child off for their first day of kindergarten:
9.00 am: NICE CUTOFFS
Text messages exchanged this morning:
Me: Any updates
Diana: I just took an ice cold shower
Alyssa: Diana just took an ice cold shower because she turned the knob the wrong way. Not going to tell her mine was warm and toasty.
Josh: I’m a gangster for real.
David: I hear josh garggling in the bathroom. We’re leaving for SCAA.
What’s going on at SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association Of America) HQ today? Judges training. It is vigorous. Luckily, it appears the weather is nice. Too bad the Dianimal will spend all day absorbing copious amounts of information and caffeine. Or not too bad, because she will slay it.
3.2.11
8.30 pm: THE DIANIMAL GETS HER BURGER
2 hours to go. Only certain things will suffice.
1.20 pm: THE TALE OF A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED BARISTA
As the gang of 4 drives across the great West and continues to posting videos like the one below (Acorn rest stops are underrated, if you ask me), it may prove nice to give you some nice, concrete content about how this all came about.
Our good friends at Barista Pro Shop are also sponsoring Josh, and have posted a nice piece on their blog about the new USBC regional format and the efforts made on many fronts to get Josh to competition. I am reposting the piece in its entirety here, trusting that you will find it riveting enough to subscribe to said blog. Read the post below the video of Josh killing it at a game of either Area 51 or Virtua Cop
A Community Supported Barista by Kari Guddeck
If you’re a follower of the United States Barista Competition, then you’re probably aware of the restructuring that took place for the 2011 season. Ten regions were combined down to 6 and entry fees for competitors were increased (from $50 to $150 BGA member, $195 SCAA member, or $300 non-member). Although there has been some grumbling about fee increases and certain states getting the cold shoulder (Colorado, for example, had become the unofficial hub of the now retired Mountain Region. CO is now part of the South West Region, which includes the ‘big gun’ of CA…will we see another CO competition?), I think that most folks would agree that changes needed to be made. The Specialty Coffee Association of America estimated that the cost of competitions was averaging around $500/competitor, and that cost is sure to increase as the events become more popular and more involved to put on. Where does that leave your neighborhood barista who lives far from the competition venue and depends upon tips to make a living? Enter Josh Taves and the community.
Josh Taves was a competitor in the 2010 Mountain Regional Barista Competition. Josh is a volunteer barista at Everyday Joe’s (a non-profit café in Fort Collins), works as head barista at Little Bird Bakery, has his own consulting business on the side (Northern Colorado Barista Training), and attends CSU full time. Take it from me; this guy is passionate about coffee. Too bad passion alone won’t pay for a trip to Hollywood, CA to compete in the SWRBC. Here’s where the community part steps in. The fine crew at Everyday Joe’s made it their mission to send Josh to CA, and enthusiastically stepped up as his sponsor.
Joe’s (as it’s lovingly called) proceeded to: lend their store and espresso machine for after hours practice, pay the entry fee, promote ‘the cause’ via social media sites, work with their roaster to develop/donate coffee, involve and educate the general public about Josh’s goal, recruit the help of other coffee industry peeps in the area (including Barista Pro Shop), lend moral support, and much more. This is just one example of a localized coffee community stepping up to support a barista on their path to competition; I’m sure there are others across the country. My thought is that these incidents will become more widespread as the new USBC structure sets in as reality, and I think it’s just what the specialty coffee industry doctor ordered. The competitions should serve as a way of designating the best of the best baristas and a worthy ambassador, but in doing so should also act as a vehicle for educating communities about coffee excellence, professionalism, and passion.
Everyday Joe’s did a great job of including the community, not just treating them as spectators. There really was an emphasis on involving everyone and getting people to take ownership of Josh’s trek to the SWRBC . For example, I and several others served as judges for Josh’s mock presentations. The last of these was done on Sunday morning, and I’m happy to report that Josh (rocking a brown shirt and red suspenders) has come a long way! It’s personally been an awesome experience to watch his routine take shape and become increasingly polished. I for one feel emotionally invested in Josh’s pursuit of the SWRBC championship and give much kudos to Mr. Taves and the folks at Everyday Joe’s for including me and others in the community in their efforts. Good luck and have fun, Josh!
10.30 am: THE AWKWARD INTRODUCTION VIDEO 3 HOURS INTO THE 17 HOUR DRIVE
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