Victory is in the bag

Leila Navidi

Travis Green, bottom left, and Emily Jensen, center, cheer for Erika Jensen, of Utah, the 2008 USA “Best Bagger” Champion, as she battles Gord Groves of Canada for the International “Best Bagger” title at Bally’s Las Vegas Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. Emily, who is Erika’s sister, won the title of USA “Best Bagger” in 2005.

By Brendan Buhler

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008 | 8:10 p.m.

The Legend of Bagger Jensen

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See how Erika Jensen of Utah followed in the legendary footsteps of her older sister to keep the world bagging championship in the family at this year's National Grocer's Association convention — which pits the country's best grocery baggers against each other in a paper vs. plastic competition.

Leila Navidi

Angie Fitzgerald of Fareway Stores competes for the state of Nebraska during the preliminary round of the USA "Best Bagger" Championship, presented by the National Grocers Association at Bally's Las Vegas Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008.

Drama and excitement. Paper or plastic?

Well, both, obviously. How could the National Grocer's Association really claim to determine the the "U.S.A. Best Bagger" and the "International Best Bagger" without testing bagger's skills in the two dominant mediums of their art? (O.K., "national" and "international" were fanciful titles, considering that just 24 states and two nations competed, but you get what you get at these things.)

The 24 American baggers faced off in five preliminary rounds, bagging in paper, and a championship round, bagging in both paper in plastic.

About two-thirds of the baggers were teens, but several had persevered to middle-age.

Every bagger had a cheering section from their market with them, be it Alabama Publix, a New Jersey ShopRite or a California Nugget Market (ask about their wine tastings).

They were loud, with the Californians clapping little neon plastic hands on sticks and heckling the announcer. Other states represented themselves with whistles and chants. The thing went: woooo-woooo-clap-clap-toot.

They seemed prepared to do it at length, but a round of competitive bagging takes about a minute.

It's the judging that takes the time, and in between, the M.C. had to make some banter, like when he asked Michigan's Lynne Yoder why her job title is "courtesy captain."

"It means I have to be courteous all the time," she said, "and maybe some day I'll be a major."

Each bagger worked with an identical set of items — cereal, eggs, bread, bagged salad, shaving cream, etc., etc. — arranged identically on their supermarket-style bagging areas. No one used more than two paper bags, and everyone put the soft stuff on top.

In the end, Erika Jensen of a Utah Macey's Market won, just as her sister had done two years before. She received a plaster paper bag trophy, a $2,000 check and the chance to immediately compete in a bag-off with Canadian Gord Groves.

But first the Candian market manager was made to sing his national anthem. They cut him off — Oh, Canada — before he warbled to the end of the hockey fan's favorite.

Then, in yet another blow to Canadian pride, Jensen beat Groves.

And, as a final insult to our neighbors up north, she didn't get a second check.