If only movie stars got their street cred by being nice people. Seriously—even with mad espresso skills, could a Hollywood celebrity type ever make it to World Barista Championship (WBC) status? Not knowing them personally, we’d kind of bet they wouldn’t because making it to the top of the heap and claiming the most prestigious crown in the barista universe means you’ve got to be not only dedicated and gifted, introspective and adventurous, but also sincerely nice and truly honest along the way.

Approaching the final round of the 7th Annual WBC event, held in Bern, Switzerland, May 18–21, seven judges had a mighty task ahead of them. They were to evaluate the six finalists—James Hoffmann of the United Kingdom, Sammy Piccolo of Canada, Matthew Riddle of the United States, Anne Lunell of Sweden, Ingibjörg Jóna Sigurardóttir of Iceland, and Klaus Thomsen of Denmark—based on their technical skills at the espresso machine and grinder, their knowledge of coffee and the taste balance in the drinks they prepared. But that’s almost easier than determining the answer to the question at the back of their minds, which they were required to consider as each national barista champion passed their 15 minutes on stage: Who among these superstars is worthy of the title? Which one would be the most effective ambassador to our industry?

Movie stars aren’t picked that way. But there’s a reason barista champs are. In an industry so passionately poised to see quality and sustainable agriculture adopted into the lexicon of a mass consumer audience, the WBC champ is one of our best bets to get the message across. That’s the person the judges seek, a spokesperson, a champion, a compassionate human being. The top baristas recognize the virtual army of people who helped them achieve their spot on the championship stage—the devoted roaster, the hard-working boss, the meticulous growers at origin, the indefatigable trainers. But when The Today Show comes calling, they want to talk to the person who toiled under the spotlight and went on to hoist the trophy.

They want to talk to Klaus Thomsen.

The coffee was important, but so was having a good time. That’s what Thomsen thought to himself when he decided how he was going to get to the WBC event in Switzerland from his city of residence, Copenhagen. With roughly 650 miles separating the two burgs, a plane flight would have been the easiest option, especially considering how busy Thomsen was. Having claimed the Danish barista championship title just one month earlier, Thomsen had been training endlessly with the assistance of his girlfriend and fellow barista luminary, Sigga Dóra Halldórsdóttir; his boss at Estate Coffee, Søren Sylvest; his roastmaster and coffee mentor, Peter Dupont; and Fritz Storm, who won the WBC title in 2002 and has gone on to train some of the brightest baristas in the world.

But Thomsen had plenty more on his daily to-do list than training. He had a company to help run, a bar to work, customers to chat with, and coffees to explore. Still, Thomsen decided to get to Switzerland by minivan, a rental he and Halldórsdóttir packed to the hilt with grinders, ingredients, tools, equipment, and, of course, coffee, before hitting the road for Bern.

If you know Klaus, and he’s pretty easy to find and talk to, mind you, you understand this decision. You get that he wanted to drive because it would be scenic and bold, because he and Halldórsdóttir would have fun and laugh along the way, and because it was the best route for the coffee. Thomsen worried about the effects flying would have on his carefully crafted coffee beans, beans he had traveled around the world with Sylvest and Dupont to source, and over which he had hemmed and hawed to get the roast just right. No way was Thomsen going to make those beans fly.

Want to know what goes into making a WBC champion? Then order this back issue of Barista Magazine!