Media Contact: Catherine Cartwright
PMQ Pizza Magazine
901-356-8858
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oxford, Miss. (March 31, 2009) – This Thursday, the 2009 U.S. Pizza Team, sponsored by PMQ Pizza Magazine is heading to Salsomaggiore, Italy, for the 18th annual World Pizza Championship. Team members will compete in the largest dough stretch, fastest pizza maker, free-style dough-tossing and culinary competitions. Over 30 countries will be represented at this year’s Championship with countries such as Japan, France, Canada, and China battling the United States for the title.
In recent international competitions the team took home a multitude of medals, claiming the Gold in the team dough-tossing acrobatics and Silver in the individual dough-tossing competition.
This year’s U.S. Pizza Team features world-renowned Chef Santo Bruno from Tampa, Florida, who serves as the team’s official Culinary Coach. Also in the culinary competition is Michael Amheiser, from Pizza Dock in Fredericktown, Ohio; he was winner of this year’s Best Gourmet Pizza at NAPICS and America’s Best Pizza competition in Orlando. David Smith II, a “renaissance” pizza man from Emporium, Pennsylvania, will be representing the United States in all categories spanning culinary, fastest pizza, largest stretch and acrobatic dough-tossing.
This year’s acrobatic team is comprised of the U.S. Pizza Team’s Captain, Juan Hermosillo, and internationally-merited acrobatic champion, Ryan LaRose, from Pizzeria Del Corso in Brooklyn. Hermosillo has recently returned from Argentina, where he took center stage tossing dough for VISA’s debit card commercial. Also accompanying the team with their culinary expertise is Dave Moore from Mario’s Pizza in Lake Mary, Florida, and Patt Miller from A Slice of New York in Columbus, Ohio. The team is held together by team trainer Chris Green and team coordinator Caroline Felker, both from Oxford, Mississippi.
The team has been training hard and gearing up for fierce competition. With the team’s hard work and help from its gold sponsors: La Nova, Paradise Tomato Kitchen, California Milk Advisory Board and Throw Dough and the team’s silver sponsors: XLT Ovens, Marsal & Sons, Roma, Bag Solutions, F&A Dairy Products and Fontanini, 2009 promises to be one of the most successful years for the team.
About the U.S. Pizza Team
The U.S. Pizza Team is a group of pizza-makers and dough-acrobats whose mission is to promote the talent and camaraderie of the pizza industry. Find more information about the Team and its members at www.uspizzateam.com.
