PMQ invites all Canadian pizza operators and employees to compete in the culinary portion of the World Pizza Championship in Salsomaggiore, Italy, March 14-16.

The highest placing Canadian contestant in the culinary competition (explained below) will be installed as an official member of the Canadian Pizza Team. The acrobatic portion of the Canadian Pizza Team has tentatively scheduled trials in June in Montreal (details to come in the next issue!).

As a member of the Canadian Pizza Team, you’ll earn an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to represent Canada in competitions against the pizza teams of Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the United States at PMQ’s New York Pizza Show on November 1st and 2nd.

(www.newyorkpizzashow.com)

What is the Canadian Pizza Team?

The Canadian Pizza Team will consist of pizza pros who hold one of four talents: culinary skill, dough stretching, fast pizza making and acrobatic dough tossing.

The four categories of pizza competition are:

• Gourmet Pizza – Judges look for the best pizza based on taste, presentation and bake.
  
• Largest Dough Stretch – Contestants attempt to stretch a 500-gram dough ball as wide as they can in five minutes by using a combination of the work table, tossing the dough in the air, and stretching and pounding on the floor.
  
• Fastest Pizza Maker – Each participant is given five dough balls weighing 200 grams. The contestant that stretches the dough fastest over five 30-centimeter screens decides the contest.
  
• Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing – The contestant performs a choreographed routine to music using five 400-gram dough balls. He or she is judged on creativity, synchronization, variety, dexterity and difficulty of routine.

For more information, check out the Canadian Pizza Team website at www.canadianpizzateam.com

How can I become involved?

If you come to Italy, March 14-16, 2005, the highest placing Canadian contestant from the culinary competition will be invited to represent Canada at the America’s Plate international pizza competition, November 2, 2005 in New York City at the New York Pizza Show.

The three acrobatic members of the team will be selected in Montreal during the Acrobatic Team Trials on June 8-10.

Travel arrangements can be handled by Perillo Tours (See their ad on page 21). If you are interested in learning more about competing in Italy in 2005, please contact Canadian Pizza Team Coordinator Caroline Felker at 662.234.5481 Ext. 125 or caroline@pmq.com.

– PMQ –