Zero Gravity Flair Competition in Omaha, NE

I've been so focused on working as a bartender and teaching flair bartending that I haven't competed in a flair bartending competition in almost two years. So when my old friend and coach Martin Janica invited me to the Zero Gravity Flair Competition in Omaha, NE, I knew it was time to dust of my competition bottles and enter the ring.

 

This is a video of the first night, the 3-minute qualifying round. All I really wanted was a clean routine and to advance to the finals. Overall, I was pretty happy with my showcase. The first two minutes are nearly flawless - I missed maybe two moves I wanted to land, but no spills or drops. The last minute, unfortunately, wasn't quite as smooth. After the first drop, I couldn't get my groove back. My juggling just fell apart. According to the judge's score sheet, I had 7 drops and 4 spills, all of them apparently in the last 45 seconds. Bummer. Either way, I took 12th place, which was enough to advance me to the finals the next night.