Teta, left, and Pugsley, right, await the decision (Images: Suzi Pratt for CHS)

Champ — and Portland invader — Teta

Women quick with the wrist and a twist battled head to head Sunday as a fourth season of the Speed Rack “speed bartending” competition came to Seattle and attracted a big crowd to the Century Ballroom while raising money to fight breast cancer.

Southern archenemy Angel Teta, representing Portland’s Ataula, defeated our hometown hero Holly Pugsley, representing Anchovies and Olives and Tallulah’s, in the final round and will move on to the national finals in June in New York.

The annual event pits tenders from around the state — some from exotic locales like Portland thanks to “the 40 Creek Canadian Whiskey Scholarship which helps out-of-state bartenders, who do not have a local Speed Rack, enter the competition in other cities,” a spokesperson tells us. Like NASCAR racers, the corporate sponsorships run thick for Speed Rack contestants but it’s also a fun day to see some of your favorite locals show off on stage.

Here are the top 8 qualifiers from the Season 4 bouts in Seattle. Well played!
1.       Jennifer Aileen Akin – Oliver’s Twist, Magnolia
2.       Bridget Maloney – Witness
3.       Kathleen Manley – Rob Roy
4.       Kate Perry – Rumba
5.       Holly Pugsley – Anchovies and Olives, Tallulah’s
6.       Roxanne Siebert – The Republik, Honolulu, Hawaii
7.       Angel Teta – Ataula, Portland, Oregon
8.       Mindy Kucan – Hale Pele, Portland, Oregon

Organizers say more than 400 people attended Sunday’s event.

You can learn more at speed-rack.com.