Strange Sports #1 - Cup Stacking

Fast Stacker
by Amy Preston
Kit Fox eyes the 12 specially designed plastic cups in front of him. He’s practiced for countless hours for this moment. With thousands of people in the stands and hundreds of competitors next to him, he knows what he has to do.

Kit swiftly stacks the cups into what’s called a 3-6-3: where he creates a pyramid of three cups, followed by six cups and then three again. Next, he takes down each stack and builds two six-cup pyramids.

Then with lightning-quick hands, he tears down the sixes, places a cup on either side of the mat and stacks a tower of 10 cups. Without hesitation, he downstacks the big pyramid to end up just how he started — with stacks of three, six and three cups.

After his hands slap the mat, Kit looks at the clock: 8.6 seconds. (That’s about half the time you spent reading the above description.) Not his best but it earns him first place in the Cycle in the sixth-grade division and second overall out of 542 competitors at the 2004 World Cup Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado.

“When I got my time at Worlds, I probably jumped 3 feet in the air,” Kit recalls.
First-time cycle learners complete the pattern in about 60 to 90 seconds, so Kit’s hard work has paid off.

Stacked Against Him
Looking back, Kit’s family believes it’s a miracle he can even compete in the sport of cup stacking, let alone be among the world’s best.

Kit was born with nystagmus, a condition where the eyes move rapidly back and forth without focusing.

“When he was 3 or 4 months old, we thought he was blind,” Kit’s dad, Bob, says. “His eyes would not follow or track anything.”

Before Kit turned 2, he had two eye operations. His parents were concerned about their son's ability to read or play sports. Sports are especially important to the Foxes because Kit’s older siblings excel on the playing field and his dad used to teach physical education.
While Bob was still a teacher, he introduced all of his children to cup stacking. Kit had just turned 3.

“We believe this sport has helped him,” Bob says. “Research suggests that using both sides of the body activates both sides of the brain. Kit will always have the eye condition, yet he’s the best reader in our family.”

Six years ago, Bob left the classroom and founded Speed Stacks — a company that manufactures cup stacking equipment and introduces the sport to schools and other organizations. Kit is a member of his father’s Speed Stacks demonstration team and travels around the world.

Quick as a Fox
Kit enjoys showing kids and adults how to cup stack, but he loves competing against other stackers. This year’s world championships will be hosted in Denver in April.
During competition, intense pressure combines with thousands of people watching every move. “Having faith in myself and God takes away some of my nervousness,” Kit says. “I say a prayer or two before competitions.”

Once he steps out to compete, Kit drowns out the audience and focuses on what he has to do.
Kit adds that his relationship with Christ has helped him persevere and accomplish unimaginable things in his life, including cup stacking.

“He’s encouraged me to keep doing stuff — like reading and basketball,” Kit says.
For more information on Speed Stacks go to www.speedstacks.com. To find out about the World Cup Stacking Championships visit www.worldcupstackingassociation.org

Kit’s Corner Hometown: Denver, Colorado Siblings: Brennan, 14, and Emmy, 17. Emmy holds the world record in the cycle and 3-6-3 with times of 7.43 and 2.72 seconds respectively. (World records must be set during competition.) Favorite subjects: Literature and social studies Hobbies: Football, basketball and reading. Church: Cherry Hills Community Church Favorite Bible story: Noah and the ark. “It just tells how people were cruel and God used Noah to save things,” Kit says. Media appearances: “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” TV show and many local news stations Places traveled: All across the United States, England and Australia.

Stack Facts Want to cup stack but don’t think you have the skill? Regardless of athletic ability, Kit says anyone can cup stack — with practice, of course. “It’s challenging at the beginning,” he says. “Once you practice a lot, you get muscle memory so you can pretty much do it without thinking. It can still be difficult because you have to learn how to not fumble.” When Kit practices, he tries to go for his best time by stacking the cycle and 3-6-3 over and over again. Cup stacking not only helps eye-hand coordination, but it also teaches real-life lessons, such as: Fix your mistakes and never give up. “If you don’t fix your fumbles,” Kit explains about making mistakes or having cups fall, “your time doesn’t count or you get a penalty. You never give up until you get it right.”
Copyright © 2005 Focus on the Family.All rights reserved. International copyright secured.(800) A-FAMILY (232-6459)

FROM: http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/truelife/interviews/A0001203.cfm 2.8.05