Coffee in the land of the midnight sun.

Espresso was flowing, beans were roasting and companies were exhibiting, so went the 3rd World Barista Championship and Exhibition in Oslo, Norway. The Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAR) hosted this exciting event. In an intimate setting, industry leaders exchanged ideas and thoughts on the state of the industry and the next generation of coffee professionals lapped up the knowledge. In the land of the midnight sun, the abundance of coffee helped those of us from those places where the sun actually sets to endure the long days.

The opening night festivities hosted by the Coffee Board of India started the event out in grand fashion. As incense wafted through air, a traditional Indian dancer entertained the guests.

The Barista Competition captivated the audience attending the show. Baristii from the four corners of the globe competed for recognition, one of the highest honors in coffee, and great prizes. From Australia to Brazil, the competition was fierce. There was pulling, ramping, frothing, and cleaning for three days in June as baristi from Croatia to Korea fought to be the champion. They were judged on four criteria: taste, visual, barista techniques and presentation. The baristii put their personal touch on their signature drinks; they were also responsible for selecting the blend of coffee they used. Sherri Johns, one of the organizers of the World Barista Championship and president of WholeCup, said, "The basic premise of this event is to get baristi together to share the enthusiasm they have for coffee, get recognized by their peers and an international panel of judges for a great job. We really want to reward the profession of baristi and encourage future growth in the trade. Talk about sustainability, witho ut the Barista making the final quality step to cull the best qualities from the coffee, we wouldn't be here. If customers lost faith in espresso as a unique quintessential expression of coffee, quality would perish and mediocrity would reign. This competition culminates the best of the best, and recognizes expertise." Audience members were amazed with the creative coffee concoctions; there were homemade syrups, egg creams, coconuts and even some melons. The preliminary rounds were on Friday and Saturday. A hush fell over the crowd on Saturday, June 15th when the six baristii who advanced to the finals were announced. As each finalist was presented, representatives from their respective countries screamed and waved their country's flag. Early on Sunday, the finalists were practicing for the last time on the La Marzocco espresso machines. Local favorite, the Norwegian barista Tim Wendelboe drew the largest and loudest crowd. At the end, after much anticipation, the winners were announced. Once again, the Danes won the tide of World Barista Champion, Fritz Storm from Denmark captured the tide as well as a trip to Brazil courtesy of Cafes do Brasil; a trip to Italy from La Marzocco, who supplied the competition with espresso machines; a trip to Germany from the roasting equipment manufacturer Probat; and his picture on a bottle of Davinci syrup for a month. The other finalists included Tim Wendelboe from Norway, Vikram Khu rana from India who received training at Solberg & Hansen, Luigi Lupi from Italy, who's been working as a barista for over 20 years, Emma Markland-Webster from New Zealand, whose signature drink included 18-carat gold, and Dismas Smith from the U.S. To celebrate the heroes of the show, the barista party offered BBQ, beer and dancing. The evening started out a little soggy, but a good time was had by all as participants were ferried back to Oslo proper. Trygve Klingenberg, current SCAE president, expressed enthusiasm for the competition, "So far the best we have seen. We learned a lot though and th ere is lots of room for improvement. But as with everything we learn as we go. This now has become a truly international event with four continents represented in the finals. Not bad at all given the fact that the competition is only three years old."

When not busy cheering for their favorite barista, participants attended the educational programs to learn more about their favorite beverage. The presentation ran the gamut from the Starbucks success story -- which was standing room only -- to Coffees with a Cause. Coffee's best and brightest imparted their wisdom on eager attendees. Martin Hildebrand, last year's barista champion taught people how to become a world class barista. Gabriela Gordon from Anacafe educated the crowd about Guatemalan coffees and their cup of excellence program. Coffee royalty, Erna Knutsen, at home in her native country, guided audience members through the specialty coffee movement in the U.S. Former SCAB president Mick Wheeler was on a panel discussing coffees with a cause.

In a continuing show of support for small origins, the SCAB hosted the East Timor evening to present the world's newest country return to coffee. A beautiful presentation about East Timor's perseverance in its struggle for independence and democracy moved the crowd. Nobel prize winner Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, who fought for East Timor's independence from Indonesia, gave an uplifting speech and East Timor singer Jose Amaral played his guitar for the crowd. International singing sensation Sissel received a standing ovation after her rousing rendition of Amazing Grace, accompanied by the Norwegian Girls' Choir.

So after watching the baristi jockey for the coffee crown and listening to industry leaders discuss the beverage behind the competition and exhibition, curious participants strolled the exhibition floor looking at exhibitors proudly displaying their products. Cafes do Brasil, Solberg & Hansen, Probat, Davinci were just a few of the big companies on display Espresso machines to roasted beans to chocolates, almost every aspect of the coffee community was available. Though there were participants from all over the world, Scandinavia was heavily represented by both exhibitors and attendees. It was an intimate arena for attendees to discuss coffee business.

If you missed the fun this time around, the 4th World Barista Championship will be at the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 15th Annual Conference in Boston in April 2003. The competition will return to the Continent in May 2004 when the SCAE host their conference in Trieste, Italy.