According to The New York Times, cup stacking, an event in which people from places like Oregon build a pyramid of cups as fast as humanly possible, is the newest, chillest sport.
The game, which was formalized in 1981 by cup stacking pioneer Wayne Godinet, a California Boys & Girls Club director, has been steadily growing in popularity, in part because it seems to be free of parents screaming at their kids. Instead, the game, which is now part of the physical education curriculum of thousands of schools, seems to emphasize inclusiveness. “Families who stack together, stay together,” one mom told the Times. That’s nice!
Because sports stories need tension, the Times explores the question whether or not a bunch of nice kids stacking cups is an actual sport. But William Orrell, the 17-year-old reigning Junior Olympic and world champion, is pretty sure that it’s a sport. “A lot of people don’t think it is a sport,” Orrell, who seems to be the Lebron James of the cup stacking world, told the Times. “But why is stacking cups any less important than putting a ball in a hole or through a hoop?” Good question, Will.
Here’s Orrell stacking some cups:
And setting the world record:
Here’s Chan Keng Ian, the ten-year-old who’s Orrell’s big competition, finishing in second at 2014's championships:
The two will square off this weekend at the World Sport Stacking Championships in Germany. Will Orrell be able to defend his championship, or will his young competition finally take the coveted trophy?