Yes, pizza breakdancing is a sport. And this young chef from Mountain View High School may be its superstar.
He just took home first place in "Individual Acrobatics" at the World Pizza Games last month at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A centerpiece of the International Pizza Expo, this competition lets people test their skills in stretching dough, folding pizza boxes really quickly and of course, freestyle pizza acrobatics (a.k.a. breakdancing).
Scott Volpe, 25, has been a badass pizza breakdancer since his days working at a pizzeria in Long Beach, California. The local chef at Fiamme Pizza made waves last year when he took home the top prize at the North America Pizza and Ice Cream Show winter trials in Columbus, Ohio.
In the video shared by the web show Brooklyn Pizza Crew, you can watch Scott dance to "Move your Feet" by Junior Senior. He rehearsed his routine for months to get it right, and even has his own version of a flip move called The Chair, which he calls Pizza Chair (around 2:50). Scott uses a special high-gluten pizza dough that won't tear when he tosses it.
Scott is the first American to win in several years. Usually the top spot goes to big-name competitors who travel from South Korea. The video you see here is his third and final performance of the competition, in the masters division.
Next month, Scott heads to Parma, Italy to compete in the Pizza World Championships. "I'm super stoked about bringing it home; Tucson's best pizza spinner," he said. Follow Fiamme's Facebook page for updates, or visit him at his roaming pizza truck or restaurant at 4706 E. Sunrise Dr.
