News Summary

FRANKLIN — Tossing dough earned Casey Cole a trip to Paris.

The chef at Pisanello's Pizza in downtown Franklin is heading overseas to France on Saturday, March 22, to compete in the International Pizza Championships.

It will be the second time Cole has traveled across the Atlantic to throw dough against the best from around the world. Last year, after winning a competition in New York City, the Carlisle graduate earned a spot on the United States Pizza Team, which won the international event in Naples, Italy.

Earlier this month, the 21-year-old won gold again at the New York Pizza Games for his acrobatic tossing.

"It felt good to be able to keep my title," Cole said.

And this time he's not nervous about the competition.

"I think going to Italy last year got rid of my nerves," he said. "Now I can't wait to get there and do it all over again."

Cole got his start in pizza tricks when he began working at Pisanello's in 2005.

While everyone else was stretching dough with a rolling pin, Cole got creative, tossing it into the air.

"I started getting bored doing the same old thing," he said.

His tricks caught the eye of Pisanello's owner Tom Combs, who encouraged him to learn more.

With online videos and a lot of experimenting, Cole soon developed a skill that has taken him across the country, to Italy and in front of the camera on CBS' "The Early Show."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or mengle@coxohio.com.