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Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/609699
26 barista magazine P U L L : E V E N T S NORTH AMERICAN BARISTAS MAKE HISTORY AT COFFEE FEST PORTLAND LATTE ART CHAMPIONSHIP THOUGH THE COFFEE FEST LATTE ART CHAMPIONSHIPS include a mix of veteran competitors and novices in its 64-person bracket, the skill level of those who make it to the fi nal round is of such a high caliber that rarely does a newcomer break into the concluding battles. Baris- tas from as far as Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Australia, Sweden, the U.K., and beyond regu- larly fl y stateside to join their North American counterparts at these events, which take place three times a year in conjunction with the Coffee Fest conference and trade show events. Such dedication and passion make Coffee Fest's latte art competitions among the hottest tickets of the entire affair. It's not unusual to have as many as fi ve or six past champions competing in these contests, bringing the level of expertise even higher. Amazingly, neither far-fl ung latte artists nor intimi- dating past champions slowed down the baristas who made it into the fi nal four of Coffee Fest's much-anticipated closing showdown of the most recent event in Portland, Ore. While none of the four had ever made it this far at past Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship events, they were hardly rookies: fourth-place fi nisher Maxwell Mooney of the Spotted Cow Cof- fee Co., in Mill Creek, Wash., has competed many times in the past; Kunie Inaba of Platform 7 in Vancouver, B.C., who placed third in Portland, was still dizzy from taking fourth place in the Canadian Latte Art Championship just two weeks prior; second-place winner, homegirl Bethany Hargrove of BARISTA in Portland, said she'd poured nothing but rosettas for the past year in preparation for the show; and ultimate winner, Steven Lim, got started in coffee as an enthusiast and now works for powerhouse S&D; Coffee and Tea in Concord, N.C. Never having made it past the second round of a Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship before, Steven practiced hard for the Portland contest. "I've been mimicking the competition feel as closely as possible," says Steven, who made his eighth appearance at a Coffee Fest Latte Art PHOTO BY KELSIE RAUNIO Connect with us today! EspressoParts.com info@espressoparts.com or (800) 459-5594 @espressoparts /espressopartsnw @espressoparts ™ 5 Cup Tabletop Siphon with Alcohol Burner Halogen Siphon Brewer Beam Heater 5 Cup Tabletop Siphon with Ceramic Base & Butane Burner Si p hon Brewer s Si p hon Brewers H E A T R E S I S T A N T B O R O S I L I C A T E G L A S S HAND BLOWN • KILN FIRED