By Becca McFadden

While catching up with a friend over drinks on a recent trip to the U.S., I found the flow of conversation interrupted as we both became transfixed by the television suspended over the bar. Kids, most of them between the ages of 9 and 12, were rapidly stacking and unstacking what appeared to be beer cups against a background of hushed, completely serious commentary and the buzzing of stop watches.

What was it, we wondered? It looked like a drinking game without alcohol, the sort of thing you’d pick up after a weekend visiting an older sibling at university. But it was organized, and international – Germany, the UK, Australia and Japan were among the nations represented.

What my friend and I witnessed was Sport Stacking, a phenomenon that began in South California in the early 1980s. Not a collegiate hand-me-down at all, sport stacking was created by kids (though the World Sport Stacking Association’s (WSSA) World Championships include events for competitors aged 4 to 60+). And those aren’t beer cups they’re using – they are “sport cups” – specifically designed for their non-sticking properties and complete with three aerodynamic holes in the bottom. For training purposes you can buy a metal set, which makes the regulation cups feel much lighter in the heat of competition. Teachers love the game, as it fosters hand-eye coordination; it has also been successful among children with Down Syndrome or autism.

All this is well and good, but, ESPN coverage aside, there’s still something improbable about Sport Stacking. While it undeniably requires skill, it begs that same question dreaded by cheerleaders the world over:,is it actually a sport? The WSSA’s own literature tackles this question, acknowledging that “The association was originally titled World Cup Stacking Association,” but “in 2005, the name was changed to its current WSSA in response to growing awareness that stacking is considered a sport.” A quick search for relevant Facebook groups reveals a wide range of opinions in the first three hits: “Professional Cup Stacking: The Sport of the Gods,” “Sport Stacking is the Most Extreme Sport Ever!” and finally, “Since When was Stacking Cups a Damn Sport?!?!?”

Perhaps the experience of a live event would resolve this issue – or simply provide an unusual afternoon out. International schedules, records and general info can be found at www.worldsportstackingassociation.org. Or alternatively, just head down to your local and experiment with more basic equipment.

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