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with Victor, who was all smiles and excited to present workshops on coffee cocktails to attendees throughout the weekend. Luca, on the other hand, was a ball of nerves; having come so close in Melbourne, he was completely focused on this national championship—and with it, the opportunity to represent France at another WBC. After the stations were perfect, the judges calibrated, and the coffees for the following morning's cup tasters competition assem- bled, we headed out for dinner, had a quick drink at a sidewalk café on the way home, and then crashed to bed. The action was in full swing the next day, and it was truly some- thing to behold. Sure, the competitors were performing well, but what I was immediately taken by was the size of the audience—it was packed, and for a preliminary round, no less! The French cof- fee community, as well as curious foodies here for the bread expo, were glued to the event. Thanks to Michael's and the other SCAE France organizers' efforts, as well as Bart's take-no-prisoners approach to staying on schedule, each day of competition ran efficiently and beautifully. And all of a sudden, it was time for final rounds. The concluding cycles that took place on Sunday were for the Barista, Latte Art, Cup Taster's, and Coffee In Good Spirits Championships; Brewers Cup would begin and end the following day. This was a massive undertaking for just one day, but sure enough, Michael and Bart pulled it off. The competitors twittered nervously to the sides of the stage as they were called up one by one to perform, and to hear the results. It was close: Each competition was peppered with a number of coffee professionals who could fantastically represent France at the international level. Michael set up an Olympics-style podium with different levels for third, second, and first-place winners. In the end, France named five new gifted and gracious champions: French Coffee In Good Spirits Champion Nir Chouchana, French Latte Art Champion Magdalena Brodzinska, and French Cup Tasters Champion Sebastien Maurer will travel to Melbourne, Australia, in May to represent their nation at the international championships in their respective categories. Dinh Phong Nguyen, delighted to win the title of France's first Brewers Cup Champion, looks forward to appearing at the SCAE's World of Coffee event in June in Rimini, Italy, for the World Brewers Cup. Perhaps Luca was the most ecstatic of them all, however: Not only did he win his national championship for a second year in a row, and along with it the opportunity to try again for the international title he so nearly missed last year, but Luca, an Italian by birth, was born and raised in Rimini. In fact, his entire family and all of his childhood friends still live in the bustling city on the Adriatic Sea. Luca told me he has a lot to train for, but he can't wait until June when he has his chance at the World Barista Championship once again. For the moment though, it was time for the baristas to cele- brate—they all unquestionably earned it. Outgoing World and French Coffee In Good Spirits Champion Victor arranged for an incredible party, where attendees danced like crazy, and watched performances by some of Paris' best flair bartenders. The judges got in on the action, toasting the competitors as well as the SCAE France for an incredible event. One thing's for sure: France will represent well on the world coffee stage. 35 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 1 - 4 6 . i n d d 3 5 Book 1-46.indd 35 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 3 1 P M 5/15/14 10:31 PM