When it comes
More than 400 compete in world championships
to fast eye-hand coordination, few sports can stack up to the one practiced at the World Sport Stacking Association championships here this weekend.
When world-record holder William Orrell’s friends ask him about his skill at sport stacking, it can be hard for him to explain.
The truth is, he’s considered the best in the world at the sport of rapidly stacking cups in pre-set patterns
“I usually try to start with that I’m the best in the state of North Carolina,” said Orrell, 19. “Then if they ask what my national rank is, I say No. 1. Then if they ask my world rank, I say No. 1. I try not to give [it] away all at once.”
He headlined the field this weekend at Rosen Plaza Hotel for the World Sport Stacking Association championships, which brought more than 400 of the world’s top competitors representing 19 countries to Orlando.
All were trying to keep up with Orrell, who can do the most complex stack, the “cycle” stack in 4.81 seconds.
With that many of the world’s best in one room, lightning-fast times send kids and teens running to congratulate record breakers and winners.
The cycle is Orrell’s best event and involves constructing the set of 12 cups into three towers, then tearing them down and rebuilding them into two towers of six cups, breaking it down and then a stack 10 cups high.
He does all seventy or so moves in 5.1 seconds — and a
spare thousandth of a second can mean the difference between a world record, and going home empty-handed.
“[The cycle] is the longest and there are so many little things that can go wrong,” Orrell said. “It’s very scary.”
Competitors this weekend ranged in age from 3 to 72 years old.
“Think about our events as a track meet — we call it a track meet for your hands,” said Don Teel, president of the World Sport Stacking Association.
Across the world, students in more than 40,000 schools are introduced to the sport in physical education classes, Teel said.
In some schools, it’s even taught before reading and writing because it helps build handeye coordination and develops both sides of the brain.
It also helps some introverted kids break out of their shells and become more social, said Larry Goers, CEO of the organization.
“Our kids aren’t typical athletes,” Goers said. “They’re not football players.”
For Valencia College student Javier Reyes, it was a pair of television commercials from his childhood that sparked his interest.
“When I got my cups I was absolutely addicted to it,” said Reyes, 18. “I’ve been practicing every day trying to be the best.”
It was his first world championship competition, and he said he was struck by meeting other stackers from countries such as South Korea, Canada and Singapore.
“It’s been an amazing two days and I’ve met a lot of great people,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.”