Have you heard of Speed Stacking?

September 9, 2002 7:51 PM

Have you heard of Speed Stacking?
posted by djacobs (36 comments total)

I am both scared and amazed. The clip is insane.
posted by puddsharp at 7:54 PM on September 9, 2002

"Whoa."
posted by RubiX^3 at 7:58 PM on September 9, 2002

united we stack, eh?

the terrorists have already won.
posted by ronv at 8:00 PM on September 9, 2002

at first, i thought that speed stacking was an incredibly stupid thing to do.

then, i thought about all the established sports that would seem equally stupid if one was seeing them for the first time (jai alai, perhaps, or polo), and thought that maybe i was just being close-minded and that i should give speed stackers their props as impressive athletes.

then i thought, nah. speed stacking really is an incredibly stupid thing to do.

i've gotta say, though, i'm impressed that somebody managed to start a successful business based on selling cups custom-made for stacking. "12 Cups specifically for the sport of cup stacking are available in 14 exceptional colors. These cups stack and unstack really fast!"

go, capitalism.
posted by textureslut at 8:03 PM on September 9, 2002

but where's the ball hiding?
posted by billder at 8:05 PM on September 9, 2002

good bloody freaking crap. yeah, i saw this clip a few days ago, and watched it dozens of times. that's just unreal. and useless, of course, but is training yourself to stack cups amazingly any different from training yourself to kick a round thing amazingly except for the money and prestige involved?
posted by oog at 8:11 PM on September 9, 2002

Speed Stacking:

Preparing the youth of today for the repetitive stress injury-inducing jobs of tomorrow.
posted by manero at 8:12 PM on September 9, 2002

The human race is bizarre.
posted by alms at 8:13 PM on September 9, 2002

I was flipping channels one night when I first caught a glimpse of this sport/game/whatever on Nickelodeon Games and Sports (click on "Lightning Hands" [RealVideo]). At first I was amazed, then I thought, "wow, someone must've had a lot of time on his hands."
posted by fredosan at 8:17 PM on September 9, 2002

I can see it now, at the very first kegger these kids ever go to, some Lacrosse star's gonna whip out the speed stacker keg cup and a roiling discussion down memory lane will ensue.

Whatever happened to Olympics of the Mind?
posted by crasspastor at 8:23 PM on September 9, 2002

Preparing the youth of today for the repetitive stress injury-inducing jobs of tomorrow.

Actually, I think it might be great training for the grifters of tomorrow.
posted by pitchblende at 8:31 PM on September 9, 2002

I did this for several years, until I blew out my third metacarpophalangeal.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:32 PM on September 9, 2002

This reminds me of watching the world jump-roping championships on ESPN2. Which was pretty much equally insane, but less...creepy.

Also -- the site's text is just plain awful. I mean, hrm:

Cup stacking helps train the brain for sports and other activities where the use of the left and right hands is important, such as playing a musical instrument or using the computer. Sequencing and patterning are also elements of cup stacking, which helps with reading and math skills.

Yes. Replace "cup stacking" with "a lively game of cribbage" and you're still okay. Slap in "video games" and you've still got a reasonable argument. Or juggling. Or, I dunno, really involved masturbation, maybe.

I just think it's a little unpleasant that the site flogs that particular notion -- "Wow, Speed Stacks are really, really good for your kid!" -- as much as it does. Subtlety, people.
posted by cortex at 8:36 PM on September 9, 2002

It seems to me to be avariant of juggling
posted by Fupped Duck at 8:39 PM on September 9, 2002

I wish people would warn when it's quicktime or something like it. I usually check the url but that one was deceptive.
posted by nyxxxx at 8:39 PM on September 9, 2002

Partial explanation: Speed Stacking was started by a guy who's a clown for Ringling Brothers.

But being someone who yoyos, juggles, and does other weird repetitive things, this one left even me going "WTF?!".

However, I still wanna do it. Cup stacking has to get chix SOMEWHERE, I'm sure. Too bad the whole contingent of pro cup stackers seems to be in 8th grade or lower.
posted by qDot at 8:42 PM on September 9, 2002

Wow someone actually admitted to watching Nickelodeon Games and Sports? I guess we all have a secret urge to watch repeats of Wild & Crazy Kids. Naw... I just think people who don't have skinamax like to masturbate to Mo from Extreme Global Guts?
posted by Dreamghost at 8:44 PM on September 9, 2002

Crasspator: I forget when, but they changed their name to Odyssey of the Mind at some point.

OM Rocked. Spontaneous 4-evah, punks.

One of these days I am gonna try to volunteer to be a coach. Some of my best memories of my childhood were connected to OM. :)
posted by tittergrrl at 8:48 PM on September 9, 2002

I bet this becomes a home-school staple.

Neat parlor trick, but I fail to see how it's anything more than that. Pulling a quarter out from behind someone's ear is not a "sport" and neither is this.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:49 PM on September 9, 2002

I've got to agree that the "sell, sell, sell!" component of the website is exhausting. From the PE Teachers Talk section:

I've tried to buy my own cups and drill holes in the bottom to prevent them from sticking together thinking I would save money and get the same results. You won't be able to get the same speed from the homemade ones. Speed is the name of the game!

Greg Goodman
Physical Education Teacher
Blue Springs, Missouri
posted by arielmeadow at 8:53 PM on September 9, 2002

I can imagine a Mad Max future, where automatic-resetting bowling alleys will be instead staffed by a crack team of former speed stackers, regulated to resetting pins.

And at times, their efforts are mocked when they're hit by errant bowling balls.

Oh what a world, what a world.
posted by Stan Chin at 9:02 PM on September 9, 2002

"Olympics of the Mind" changed to "Odyssey of the Mind" or just "OM" round about 1983 or 1984. The first year I was in it, it was Olympics; the second, it had been changed to "OM," which, we were told, didn't really stand for anything -- but if it did, it would definitely stand for "Odyssey" not "Olympics."
posted by kindall at 9:20 PM on September 9, 2002

I, for one, welcome our new cup-stacking overlords.
posted by Acetylene at 9:53 PM on September 9, 2002

Oh my God, I saw that video and spewed Mountain Dew all over my beautiful LCD iMac. Damn you MeFi! Damn you!
posted by josh at 10:02 PM on September 9, 2002

That's gotta be one of the greatest things I've ever seen. Some day they're going to build FedEx commericals around that girl.

By the way what's with the kid in the background? Dead body? Drunk? Tired out from a non-stop day of cup-stacking fun?
posted by willnot at 11:39 PM on September 9, 2002

So will we be seeing cup-stacking on TNN in a few months? When they cancel Slam-Ball? I Can see the promotional blitz now...

"ExTreMe CuP-StaCkiNg SaTurDays on TNN!"

Right after professional Bull Riding and right before Robot Wars.

As you can see folks the TV was not made for Saturday Evenings...

What about HBO? Well silly it's not TV it's HBO
posted by Dreamghost at 11:53 PM on September 9, 2002

you have got to wonder about the person who actually started this all off in the first place. or maybe the guys selling these cups had a big order fall through and therefore decided to create a sport out of cups to sell off the excess.
posted by zoid at 1:18 AM on September 10, 2002

Anything you can do after eating a roast dinner is not a 'sport'.

Live by this.
posted by Frasermoo at 4:46 AM on September 10, 2002

Someday, when ESPN is reporting the MLSSPA is preparing to strike against the owners of MLSS, I'll remember that video of a simpler time.
posted by ?! at 6:09 AM on September 10, 2002

Wow someone actually admitted to watching Nickelodeon Games and Sports?
Actually, I admitted that some time ago. :)

I guess we all have a secret urge to watch repeats of Wild & Crazy Kids.
Eesh! That show is bloody awful... and I heard they brought it back.
posted by fredosan at 6:45 AM on September 10, 2002

josh: sorry about the iMac ;)

I also watched the jump roping championships last night, and they were great.
posted by djacobs at 7:21 AM on September 10, 2002

I wonder what the performance enhancing drugs for this are?
posted by carter at 7:55 AM on September 10, 2002

Y'know, if this were done with stackable rectangular containers instead of cylindrical cups....

...it could usher in a renewed interest in cigar box juggling.
posted by Smart Dalek at 7:58 AM on September 10, 2002

My kids do speed stacking in P.E. at school. Everyone loves it. For two weeks the kids carry around their cups in special bags, race each other on the playground, and basically go speed stacking mad.

I tried it myself and it's fun and kind of challenging. There's a pattern to follow and some strategy to shave off time from your run. I don't ever think it'll be an olympic event, but it's a great playground game, like marbles or jacks.
posted by jazon at 8:14 AM on September 10, 2002

OM Rocked. Spontaneous 4-evah, punks.

*grin* went to the world championships in '94. ames, iowa baby! that was the apex of my academic career; every OM meeting thereafter was just three hours of trying to make everyone laugh harder than they'd ever laughed before.
[/OT]

For two weeks the kids carry around their cups in special bags, race each other on the playground, and basically go speed stacking mad.

more power to 'em! seriously, there's only one brand of these silly cups (unless you make your own custom set), and no booster packs or special series that'll blow everyone away until the next special series comes along. plus, it's just cups, and not like there's kids who can't get ahold of cups to play with. this is a great playground game.
posted by carsonb at 11:10 AM on September 10, 2002

My high school basketball team almost got kicked out of a restaurant once because we were cup stacking. Or trying to, at least. As I recall, none of us were really very good at it.
posted by emmling at 7:36 PM on September 10, 2002