Flair Fiesta

Time again for another Toronto Flair League update.

All of the previous TFL competitions had been held on a Monday or Tuesday, (aka bartenders weekend) so that all flair bartenders could compete. The promoters of the Toronto Flair League have felt some pressure from he general public to host a competition on a Thursday, or Friday night so that the nine to fivers would have an opportunity to witness a flair bartending competition up close.

They asked for it, and the TFL delivered by hosting TFL 9 on Thursday May 5 in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
Although there were many in attendance at the Loose Moose, the crowd seemed smaller than the TFL is used to. This was a near sell out, as opposed to standing room only. In addition, there was a much smaller roster to perform, (15 instead of the usual 20 -25) as some of the competitors were working their regular Thursday night shifts.

Nonetheless, the show must go on, and what a show it was.

Kicking it off in the C division, and making his TFL debut in his first ever flair competition was Matt Conway. He was followed by C division veteran, Vadim Podosyan. In the B division, Shay Court did something that no other TFL competitor has done to date; complete a drop free round!

The A division saw just 3 competitors battle it out for top spot; the showstopper Kris Perez, home crowd favorite Zack Prohaska, and two time TFL Champion David Jennings. The first half of Zack’s routine was one of the best I have ever seen, from anyone, anywhere. Kris Perez, was flawless until an unfortunate and unintentional break, slowed him down, and David Jennings stumbled a little at the start, but hit a picture perfect 4 bottle sequence to end his routine.

When the judges’ results came in, Vadim Podosyan was crowned the new C division champion. In the B division, despite a clean round, Shay Court couldn’t make the podium, but had a solid fourth place finish. Taking third place and the $60 prize was former B division champ Dustin “Flair Bear” Costain. Second place and $80 went to Mauro Pento, and the new TFL division B champion is Ryan Desjardins of BartenderOne.

The A division saw three solid performances. Third place and $100 went to Zack Prohaska, second place and $150 went to Kris Perez, and the new TFL A division champion is David Jennings of BartenderOne, who becomes the TFL’s first ever three time champion.

Yet another great display of flair bartending in Toronto. Despite having only 15 competitors, the evening went extremely smooth, and the crowd ended up being one of the most lively to date. If you are a bartender in Toronto, and would like more information on how to become a flair bartender, contact BartenderOne, or the Toronto Flair League. If you are interested in becoming a bartender, BartenderOne is a great place to start, as they are responsible for training over 75% of the bartenders in the Toronto Flair League.

The TFL is gathering the troops together and hitting the road, as they travel to Windsor for SuperFlair 6 at the end of May. They are also planning something big for TFL 10 coming late June.

Until next time, keep flipping!