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ATILLA ISKIFOGLU
What is your full name?
My full name is Atilla Iskifoglu

Where are you from?

I am originally from Turkey

Where do you live now and how

long have you lived there?
I have lived in the UK for 12 years

Where do you work?

I work in London in a cocktail flair
bar called Electric House and also
Cavendish No5

How long have you been flairing for?

I have been flairing for 10 years

Who did you look up to when you

first started?
I was actually watching the flair
bartenders from Singapore, they
were really good at the time. There
first started?
I was actually watching the flair
bartenders from Singapore, they
were really good at the time. There
were many flair bartenders I really
enjoyed watching. Youtube didn’t
exist at the time, so we had really
limited videos.

What was your first contest, and do

you remember where you finished,
and who won?
It was a Cutty Shark flair competition
in 1999. I came 7th out of 15 people.
I remember I kept dancing in my
routine because I didn’t have more
than 8 flair tricks! Flair legend  Hasan
Sivrikaya won. His style was
amazing.

The first time I saw you flair was back

in 2001 at Roadhouse. You put on
one hell of a show to the music of The
Mask. It was so awesome on many
levels. Where did you finish at that
comp?
That was my first World
Championship ever. Acting as Mask
(Jim Carrey movie), flairing and
dancing in the same time wasn’t easy
at all. But I really enjoyed that show.
I finished number two in that
competition.

Why do you think at that time you

were just about the only one at
Roadhouse to embrace 3 and 4
object flair, and to use a little
juggling?
At that time in 2001, 3 and 4 objects
were hard to do. Hard moves give
 object flair, and to use a little
juggling?
At that time in 2001, 3 and 4 objects
were hard to do. Hard moves give
me an adrenaline rush, and people
love it, and I’d rather do a hard and
risky move than a small and easy
move, honestly it’s a lot more fun and
makes me happy. When I am on the
stage I want to please the crowd as
well as entertain them while I am
doing my show. In 2001, I added a  
little juggling to my routine as I said,
the audience loves juggling and it
Photo by Lenka Pellova
looks smooth.

Why do you think people in London

were so anti-juggling?
Well that’s the question I have been
asking to myself for many years. The
funny thing about it is people in the
UK love to watch juggling, that’s why
all the American bartenders have
done well in past years in the UK. But
most flair bartenders in the UK say
that juggling is a circus act, and
belongs to the circus not the bar. If
you ask me, I am a flair bartender
who can juggle and flair, and as long
the person is putting in some effort,
trying hard and juggling in front of
me, I won’t judge, I’ll just enjoy the
show. It is all about the show isn’t it?

What is your favorite comp?

Legends.
Because it’s hard and needs a lot of
concentration, it’s about being a
complete bartender. I am really
excited for 2011 because I’ll be
competing at Legends.
 complete bartender. I am really
excited for 2011 because I’ll be
competing at Legends.

Do you pick you music first, then

build your routine around it, or do
you have a routine, then try to find
music that matches it?
Well, it’s a bit of both, I do have a
routine, but when I do find a good
song I do change the routine to go
well with the music.

How often do you practice?

I do practice 5 to 6 hours everyday.
Some days I just cant stop flairing
until I feel extremely tired.
Where do you practice?
I do have a practice room in London,
that’s where I practice most of the
times.

It seems to me like you took a break

from competing in flair comps from
2004 to 2009, did you? And if so,
It seems to me like you took a break
from competing in flair comps from
2004 to 2009, did you? And if so,
why?
Yes, I took a break from flair
competitions, but never from flair,
between 2004 and 2009. I was
doing flair shows all over the world. I
thought I should give some space to
new talents for them to improve their
flair routines. But then wherever I
performed flair people use to tell me
that it’s such a waste that I am not
competing. My ex-girlfriend always
wanted me to be back to the
competitions. After all those years I
felt that I am actually really missing
to compete. And I am back. And I
love it!!!! It’s going to be so much Photo by Lenka Pellova

fun!

Was it hard to start competing

again?
Not at all, I have a singing
background, I kind of groove up on
stage. When I am on the stage it’s
my opportunity to show people what
I have got. I don’t even think about
the competition, all I care is... “Do I
entertain people?” If I am, then that’s
why I am there.

How do you think flair has changed

over the years?
It changed a lot, it’s a lot faster and
smooth, and a lot harder. You can
see many items in the air, different
styles, competitors are more
professional. I do think that we have
to give something when we flair, flair
see many items in the air, different
styles, competitors are more
professional. I do think that we have
to give something when we flair, flair
is not only throwing things around,
it’s creating a feeling and sharing it
with everyone, just like dancing,
singing or acting.

Why do you think so many people

compete for only 3 or 4 years, and
then stop?
There can be many reasons, losing
the interest is a top reason for many
people.

Is there someone you wish would

start competing again? For me, it’s
Chuck Mac and Adriano.
I wish Alan Mays, Ken Hall, Christian
Delpech, Nicolas St Jones, Eric
Holbert, Angelo Viera, Francesco
Leoni and many more that I can’t fit
in here competes again, that would
be the best thing ever. I’ll just leave
the bottles and watch them.

Is there a person that you just love to

beat in a flair comp or are me and Photo by Lenka Pellova

Levi the only ones?

Where should I start? There are
many people on the list!

What is your idea of a dream comp ?

15 minutes long routine, and no
rules.

What is your favorite item combo to

throw- ie: bottle tin, two bottles and a
Photo by Lenka Pellova
tin?
All the combos I have are my little
What is your favorite item combo to
throw- ie: bottle tin, two bottles and a
Photo by Lenka Pellova
tin?
All the combos I have are my little
babies, I love them all because I
have spent hours to create them,
when I am alone I flair to the music
with bottle&tin, that’s the best that I
love.

Is there one move that you can not

land that drives you crazy?
Yes, like the move Rafael does, he
balances the bottle on his nose, I
can’t even attempt that move, do you
know how expensive is the nose
surgery?

Is there a flair move that you wish

was never invented?
Not really, I think they have all been
created for a reason. And I enjoy
them all.

Photo by Lenka Pellova

What was it like to be on Britians got
talent?i bet you were stoke to make it
to past the first round.
It wasn't easy, I am the first bartender
ever who does a one man show on
this sort of talent show. 
Because its not like a flair
competitions, its all about showing
your natural talent, its all about
entertaining people and
showmanship.
I was quite nervous at the start
because it was on the tv front of Atiila on Britain's Got Talent
millions of people, but as soon as i
start flaring i actually enjoyed and
had fun.
A specially there where 2000 people
millions of people, but as soon as i
start flaring i actually enjoyed and
had fun.
A specially there where 2000 people
front of me inculuding 3 juges. And
as soon as I begin my show they
where screaming, and thats where i
got relaxed
and continued my show with alot of
enjoyment. 
Atiila on Britain's Got Talent
Was that your first time being on
flimmed for flair?
No the first time when I was filmed
was in 2001  England Bbc1 6 a clock
news it can be viewed on you
tube: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=QeA4HVe-if8
BBC was interested because I was
representing Britain in World
Championship in Cuba. 
And which ewer country I went tv
stations where interested in filming
me like the tv station in Belgium 
Than  I was on few cable channels in
england, with small interviews 
 than in 2009 it was britain's got
talent, 
I was on Flair live tv in 2010 and had
an interview with World greatest flair
bartender Christian Delpech 
Here are some of the video links:
,http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2ebrFMPMH7U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=10ViPTh49QM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vLssh4rtjPo

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vLssh4rtjPo

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!
v=9vrUz9ed5jI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=rAeuXiqBuSw
 

What big plans do you have for the

coming year?
Compete in the biggest competitions,
and practice like I have never
practiced before. I will be working on
creating a really different style. And I
will just enjoy flairing.

Are you excited to be moving to

Vegas? Photo by Lenka Pellova

I have never felt this happy in my life,

because the best flair bartenders are
living in Vegas. And there is many
flair competitions happening. And
being a part of the dream team of
Rock & Rita’s makes me feel so
excited.

What do you think of the Rock &

Rita's team... should be fun?
That’s going to be more than fun, this
will be a history, it will be written on
the books, something big is going to
happen, and I can see it. This will
make America and Las Vegas the
leader of flair bartending in the
world for a long time, and I will do
my best to play my part very well in
make America and Las Vegas the
leader of flair bartending in the
world for a long time, and I will do
my best to play my part very well in
this amazing team.

What do you do for fun outside of

flair?
Flair, and flair, if I have some more
time then I go and flair again.
You probably will think I am such a
boring person, and I don’t blame
you, when I had a break from flair
for four years in my spare times I was
riding my motor bike all over the
town by the beach, I was rock
climbing, DJ-ing and singing in clubs,
and I was doing anything that sounds
fun.
But now I am still doing something
fun, except all those things I did in
that 4 years of break. Now I am
flairing, and for me it will be the only
fun for a long while.=