🇨🇦 2026 Stronghold Roasting Championship: Canada (SRC)

Welcome to the registration page for the inaugural CStronghold Roasting Championship: Canada (SRC), presented by Eight Ounce Coffee and supported by Official Green Partner, Apex Coffee Imports!

We are bringing together 15 roasters — ranging from bold, adventurous home enthusiasts to skilled professionals — for a thrilling, multi-stage tournament on the Stronghold S2 tabletop coffee roaster.

Does this sound like you? Now's your time to step up and take a shot at the grand prize.

The winner will be crowned National Champion and earn full travel and accommodation support to represent Canada at the Stronghold World Final in Seoul, South Korea!

And there's more:

The Canadian SRC final round will take place alongside the Canadian AeroPress Championships! Prepare for a caffeine-fuelled day of fun, community, competition, and absolutely phenomenal coffee (roasted by you). 

Ready to enter?

⚠️ IMPORTANT: COMPETITOR REQUIREMENT

This is a mandatory 3-day in-person competition. All registered competitors must be present in Calgary, AB at Eight Ounce Coffee HQ for all three days (October 15–17, 2026).

REGISTRATION OPENS: FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 – 9 AM (MST)

🗓️ Condensed 3-Day Event Overview

• Day 1: Onboarding & Masterclass (Thursday, Oct 15 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
  • Competitor check-in, live S2 telemetry and safety walkthrough, structured hands-on touchscreen familiarization, and the Friday slot draw.
    
• Day 2: Closed-Door Competition Roasting (Friday, Oct 16 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
  • 60-minute timed slot per competitor across three S2 tabletop coffee roasters:
    • 45 Minutes ON-Machine: Setup, pre-heating, and roasting up to 3 batches (maximum 300g green per batch).
    • 15 Minutes OFF-Machine: Defect picking and submitting one (1) 235g roasted entry batch.
      
• Day 3: Judging, Public Finals & CAC (Saturday, Oct 17 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
  • Stage 1 (Morning): Blind cupping evaluation of all 15 submissions by our 3-judge panel (Top 5 advance).
  • Stage 2 (Afternoon): Top 5 finalist coffees batch-brewed on Fellow Aidens for a professional judge evaluation and ticketed public tasting / token vote (80/20 Hybrid Scoring).
  • Joint Podium: Winners announced alongside the Canadian AeroPress Championship!

🎟️ Competitor Entry Details

• Registration Fee: $150 CAD
• Capacity: Strictly capped at 15 competitors (first-come, first-served)
• Green Coffee Supply: 1.5 kg of competition green coffee provided on-site by Apex Coffee Imports (Technical specs emailed on Oct 8)

📄 Essential Competitor Links

Before completing your registration, please review both official event documents:

👉 📜 Read the Official Competitor Rules & Regulations

👉 🗓️ Read the Complete Event Overview & 3-Day Schedule