In the first of Want to impress big flair interviews, I give you the legend that is Marco Canova. He explains what inspired him to learn this art and why he is determined to be crowned world champion!

How long have you been flairing for?

I started when I was 18 years old back in 2001

Who or what inspired you to start practising?

I was working in a coffeè bar in Italy, I was seventeen and I met a guy ‘Alessandro Rubis’ and he showed me a couple of moves and I started to practice with him. Then I moved to London when I was eighteen and I got to know the guys from TG Fridays and Roadhouse, where I met all the big flair community!

What was the first move you mastered and went f*** yeah?

A throw over the shoulder stall on the hand! It was so difficult when I first stared!

How much time do you commit to honing your skills and moves? Who has influenced your style?

When I first started I used to practice a lot! Every day, I still do it now, but back then it was a different way of practicing. When you start flaring you want to become good straight away, so I was there in the flair room all the time!

Now I practice in a different way because I know how to control the bottle so I just have to come up with new stuff and perfect my routine for competitions.

I got influenced by the UK flairers, as when I came to England I was very young, so I used to go to Roadhouse and look up to Neil Garner, Vince Chapman, Nicolas Saint John etc…

Which competition has got it ‘just right’? The one that is first in the diary and why?

I think the Roadhouse is the flair “competition”, It’s very international, being going for over 10 years now, all the best been to the RH and is on every single month with the big November final!

What is the future of flairing? Where can you see it going? Flair bartending will go very far!

Gianluigi Bosco and I are running a group on FaceBook called Flair Competition Results and in just one year we have posted the results of 160 events around the world!

These days flair is getting popular on TVs shows, many alcohol brands are using flair to promote their products and there are various flair training DVDs on the market for people that are willing to learn the art.

So with all this stuff happening and so many guys practising its going to be huge!

What’s your sickest move?

I don’t know! :) I let the other judge my flair!

You have just brought out a training DVD Funky Spin, European Style How is it different to other DVDs on the market?

It was launched four months ago and was filmed at Flairway bartending school, in Verona Italy by BigStanley production UK.

The DVD was supported by many brands involved in the Flair business such as Flairco, Flairshop.it, Volare liqueur, Antica Sambuca and Naty’s Juice.

The DVD was created for all the bartenders that would like to learn and experience the art of Flair, the discipline is growing a lots thanks to all the new up coming young bartenders that are getting into it and all the competitions around the world that gives the opportunity to confront each other in different stages.

The DVD is one hour long and is divided in different routines levels, this way any bartenders can decided where to start to practise from.

The course shows you many different combinations from working Flair techniques to exhibition Flair, multiple objects routines are also on the video.

A special part was dedicated to Finest Call mixes bottle, the ‘Finest Call Stalls’, which is getting very popular in every single competition.

It was shot from many different angles with a particularly attention to the details and slow motion which really help to learn and practice the routines.

Differences? Watch it!

What’s your favourite city / bar? and why is it that?

I don’t have a favourite city, I been to over 40 countries and every place got something different to offer, you know!

I like to lounge bars, where the music is not to loud and you can have a drink and still be able to talk without shouting!

Do you prefer exhibition or working flair?

Because I don’t work in a bar anymore I prefer exhibition flair! Working flair is nice too, but with exhibition it can me much more spectacular.

What’s you perfect flair set up? Bottle styles, number of tins or any partners in crime?

I think the Flairco mobile bar is great, it’s easy to put together and there is enough space for all the flair equipment! I don’t mind any bottle is good for me! Volare Liqueur is the best! :)

What sort of music do you train to? How does it differ to your competition piece?

I practice with any music really! Most of the time with Italian music. When it comes to the competition I use something popular that gets the crowd going.

What is your inspiration behind your routine?

I try to think a something that I never saw before, to come up with some new stuff!

What’s your biggest acheivement, when you knew you were sick at flairing?

For me being one of the best flairer in the world is a big achievement! This year is my fifth Roadhouse Grand Final and being there is a privilege.

I have won some competitions around the world like Helsinki Shaker, Bucharest Champions, Bratislava Head to Head, London RoadHouse, Las Palmas RBS Flair etc

Every time I win an international event is a great feeling!

What would it feel like to be crowned world champion?

Being a world champion I think is the dream of all the flair bartenders, there is a few different world championship around the world.

Legend of Bartending is not just a flair competition is also about the pour test and speed round. There is the RoadHouse Grand Final that is all about the flair, then there is the IBA world championship which is also about the cocktail not only the flair.

If I have to choose one definitely the RoadHouse!

www.canovamarco.com