Bend school children join in attempt to set world record in ‘Speed Stacking’

Nov 07,2007 00:00 by Bend_Weekly_News_Sources

Students at Pine Ridge, Lava Ridge, Juniper, Buckingham, & Ensworth elementary schools in Bend will join peers from across the globe on Thursday, November 8, as they attempt to stake a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

During physical education classes, students will up-stack and down-stack 12 specially designed cups called “Speed Stacks” in predetermined sequences as fast as they can. Stackers will race against the clock and compete in relays.

For the second year in a row, Guinness World Records is billing the one day event as the “World’s Largest Sport Stacking Event,” where it will take the most people sport stacking at multiple locations in one day to usurp the old world record.

Last year, an official count of 81,252 stackers participated to set the first world record. This year, organizers hope to have more than 200,000 stackers involved.

Stackers from across the United States and around the world in countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia and the UK are expected to participate.

The benefits of speed stacking are said to include improved reaction time, hand-eye coordination, concentration and focus.