So, we recently had our bar "olympics", which is a competition that tests drink knowledge, pour accuracy, speed and finally, flair. Now, bar "flair" is flipping bottles and mixing tins and things like that. I rock at everything else, but I only have a very basic flair knowledge. I've always considered anything more than the occasional tin flip and glass spin is just a waste of time when somebody would rather be enjoying the drink I'm making. Well, even though I bribed two of the judges to make sure I would lose, I still won.
Why would I want to lose? Well, because the winner has to go on to the "regional" round, where all the store winners from the region compete. What's wrong with that? Well, first off, I'm not very good with flair, and that's a HUGE part of the competition. Everything else is done behind closed doors, for the most part. The flair competition is a big deal and tons of people will be there to watch, including all sorts of corporate big shots. I've seen some of these other bartenders do their flair and I am no where in their class. But wait, it gets worse! Because I'm not very good my managers were going to let me pass on going to the regionals. However, my managers did such a poor job getting judges, and spent no time explaining to the judges how they should judge, that I ended up with the highest score in the region and the corporate office said "We gotta see this guy in action!" So, instead of my managers saying, "Sorry, that must have been a typo, he didn't score that high", they said "Oh yeah! He's awesome! He'll be there!" Now they are pressuring me to practice all week and think that I can learn all the new tricks that I haven't been able to do in the 11 years I've been doing this. I called a manager friend of mine who has won a regionals in the past. He said the score I got is virtually impossible and that my managers are going to look like idiots when I get there and compete. I tried to tell them that, but they wouldn't listen to me. So, my record score of 849 points at store level will probably be 250 at regional level and I'm positive I will come in last, unless I can make up a lot of points and win the speed round, which I have a very good shot at and is the only part I care about. BTW, my manager friend who won regionals and placed second at the division finals which comes before world finals scored at 621 for his second place win. And this guy goes around and teaches people how to do this stuff!
To top it off, I have to be there from 8 am until probably 10 pm, and not get paid (unless I place in the top three, which I won't). Plus, I won't be able to work my scheduled shift that day.
And so, this is how sometimes winning is losing.

That is a tough one, and congrats but sorry you have to go. However, you could be wearing 80 lbs of uniform/rifle/ammo while disarming roadside bombs in Iraq. That's how I look at my days sometimes. Gets me through!

lmao! good luck buddy! you better go out and rent cocktail!

It's funny you should mention that because I just watched a bartender competition this last weekend on Extreme or ESPN2 or some crap like that.
I was just flipping through the channels & saw them going crazy behind a bar. It was just like that bartender movie Tom Cruise did a long time ago but ten times better. I was very impressed with how intricate some of the performances were.

Yeah. I can't really do that. I can do a very basic routine with one bottle. It looks cool if you've never seen bar flair before. And Tom Cruise trained at Friday's for Cocktail. The bar he starts at is based on the original TGI Fridays in Manhattan which was a singles bar. Look at us now. Ugh. So sad. You know, 5 or 6 years ago if I mentioned to people in the industry that I was a Friday's bartender, I got offered jobs on the spot, and people knew that I made loads of cash. Now, people say "You work at Fridays?" as if it couldn't get much lower. Unfortunately for me, they are about right. They have really run this company into the ground.

A flair bar just opened in my neighborhood. These are the next big wave of new joints. The TV events are making them popular. It is astonishing to watch some of these people do their thing.

Well Bar, your skills just don't seem to have an end. But I feel for your difficult situation. Too bad you'll be catching that flue bug going round right now, and have to miss it. LOL

And if you happen to get better and go...GOOD LUCK!

This post has been edited by Cpt. Snot Rocket: 09/08/06 4:51pm

I've got the solution. When faced with the problem where winning is really losing, you've got to pull out all the stops and lose so badly, you actually win.

Slip on a bikini, do your routine and viola! You'll leave such a lasting impression, they won't be able to help themselves but to give you the win. Just be sure not to shave your back hair before the competition!!

eeagggghh!

funny ive been tending bar since the early 90s but in 88 i worked at fridays in towson md and they did that comp then too.i think cocktail came out that year so they may be the granddady of the flair.i didnt know you worked at fridays bar but i was reading your first post thinking "fridays?" bartenders have it good there! i hated wearing hats as a waiter,one day i forgot my hat and they made me wear this sailor hat-i can tell you it was a long shift and i didnt last there very long after that day.hehe!!

Back when I first started at Fridays in '95 I had a mohawk, so I didn't have to wear a hat. They considered my mohawk decoration enough. I miss that mohawk. People were always telling me I looked like Travis Bickle. Unfortunately I don't have as much hair now as then, so a mohawk really wouldn't work. sigh.. LOL.

And hopefully I'll get to go first. I plan on drenching the judges with liquor. LOL!

You kidding you don't need a mohawk.
Just put your game face on
http://www.mobclan.com/forums/upload/index...ndpost&p=101836

THERE I WAS A YOUNG FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE with a sailor hat at work! every hot chick was in my section all day,i still wake up in the middle of the night.



sigh) find a happy place james! happy place!

IF ITLL MAKE IT MORE FUNNY it was a donald duck type hat





with a tassle!

Um, I'm not sure we needed to know about your private life.