A blur of baggers battle for checkout championship in Lakewood

Maybe you think you know grocery bagging: heavy stuff on the bottom, light stuff on top — a snap, right?

Now suppose you’re invited to make it interesting, facing off in a speed-bagging contest against eight tough competitors with money on the line, and a group of grocery veterans judging the quality of your work by weight distribution and presentation as well as speed.

That was the scene Wednesday at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, where nine contestants from around the state faced off in the annual Best Bagger Battle, a light-hearted event sponsored by the Washington Food Industry Association, which represents the state’s independent grocers.

The contest featured a pretty prize: a check for $2,000, plus a trip to Las Vegas and a chance to compete in the national version of the bagging competition.

Asked about her preparation, Irene Wood, a floor manager and backup checker from Ralph’s Thriftway in Olympia, boiled it down to one word.

“Prayer,” she said, laughing.

At 57, she guessed she was the oldest competitor, but she wasn’t sure.

“Visual, visual and practice,” she said more seriously. “I’m aware of what I’m putting in. I just think of how best I want my bag when I get home.”

It might sound silly, but good bagging, often a starting job for young people, is a bit of an art, and the contest is more than a test of breakneck loading. It has judges, rules and standards: boxes on the sides, bottles in the middle, glass containers separated to avoid embarrassment, no items dented or bruised.

Quickness counts for a third of the score, but balance and efficiency also matter. The challenge: fill three grocery bags as swiftly as possible while aiming for equal weight distribution. Even a pound’s worth of difference costs a point, reflected on the judges’ scorecards.

At Wednesday’s event, three makeshift check stands were arrayed on an elevated stage, each packed with a set of the same grocery items, arranged identically, according to a paper diagram.

The 2-liter bottle of soda sat in one corner, not far from jars of applesauce, pasta sauce and other heavy items, crowded by lighter dry goods such as boxes of noodles and cereal.

Near the back of the room sat the champ: last year’s winner, Candice Lastimado, 23, who moved on to the national competition in Las Vegas and walked away with a national title: 2015’s best bagger. The honor came with extras, including a check for $10,000.

Lastimado, who graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma in August, represented Metropolitan Market in 2015. She worked at the company’s Admiral district store in Seattle, where she met a bagger whisperer, store manager Glen Hasstedt.

What’s the secret to successful bagging?

“Staying focused, practicing a lot and having a really good coach,” Lastimado said.

Not far away in the hall sat Talia Randle, the insider’s pick to win the day, also representing Metropolitan Market. She started working at the company’s Magnolia store in Seattle last summer. Co-workers noticed her bagging speed, and pointed her out to the manager. That just happened to be Hasstedt, who recently transferred to Magnolia.

Asked about preparation and training secrets, Randle gave an answer that sounded familiar.

“Stay focused,” she said. “Don’t let the noise around you shake you up.”

Hasstedt stood nearby, waiting for the competition to start. Asked for tips and fundamentals, the bagger whisperer’s face grew serious.

“The fundamentals are always staying focused, always staying consistent, staying true to the task and making sure you don’t get distracted,” he said. “Find your plan and work your plan. That’s the most important thing.”

The nine competitors faced off in groups of three, two rounds apiece — first with paper bags, then reusable plastic bags. Each had their loyalists. Some carried handmade placards and cheered during the preliminary rounds, while someone in the crowd rattled a cowbell. Generally, most contestants filled three bags in 90 seconds or less.

An emcee, Kate Yeager, kept up a steady stream of patter, interviewing each contestant between rounds as the groceries were reset according to the diagram.

Irene Wood finished second in her group both times, backed by cheers and signs saying “GO IRENE,” but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the last round. The finalists were Roman Agne of Poulsbo’s Central Market grocery store; Luke Netje, representing Rosauer’s Supermarket in Spokane; and Randle, from Metro Market.

Netje dominated the preliminary rounds. Standing 6 feet 7, he was by far the tallest contestant, and taller than anyone in the room. He filled his bags at breakneck speed, using both long arms to finish first in his qualifying rounds.

“I guess a lot of people look up to you,” Yeager said, as she interviewed him on the stage, drawing groans from the crowd.

The moment of truth came, and Yeager drew it out.

“If you win this, $2000 is yours,” she said. “Here we go — state’s best bagger on the line!”

The three contenders roared through the pile of groceries, flashing arms and filling the three bags as the cowbell rattled.

Netje filled his bags first, Randle second — but speed wasn’t the only measure. While the crowd chattered, the judges huddled, filling out the scorecards.

By the overall standard, the winner was Talia Randle, who broke into a big smile as her coach, Hasstedt, applauded.

“Wow, you are looking at Washington state’s best bagger,” Yeager said. “Are you headed to Disneyland?”.

“I’m headed to Vegas!” Randle said, and her smile wouldn’t stop.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 4:26 PM with the headline "A blur of baggers battle for checkout championship in Lakewood."