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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Plastic cups of various sizes were being moved by children's hands at ever-increasing speeds as youths in Fort Simpson participated in a world record challenge on Nov. 17.

JC Larter, 7, leans on a stack of jumbo cups during an event in Fort Simpson held to support an attempt to break the Guinness world record for the most people sports stacking at multiple locations in one day. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

For the second year in a row, students at Bompas Elementary School took part in the World Sport Stacking Association's attempt to break the Guinness world record for the most people sport stacking at multiple locations in one day. Last year 316,736 people from around the world helped set what is now the previous record. A new record was set this year after more than 380,000 people in 28 countries participated in the challenge. Approximately 40 people attended the event in Fort Simpson.

Teacher Val Gendron introduced sport stacking to students last spring. Sport stacking involves moving specialized plastic cups in a set pattern – such as a pyramid – and then stacking them down again. The most basic pattern requires six cups.

"It makes kids think and increases their reaction time," said Gendron.

The activity is also supposed to improve hand-eye co-ordination, promote ambidexterity and train both the left and right side of the brain at the same time. The students really like sport stacking, she said.

For the last five weeks, as part of the Bompas Get Active After School Program, Gendron offered sport stacking on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour after classes.

The record-breaking event marked the last sports stacking session for the year. During the hour-long event, students rotated through stacking sets of six regular-size speed stackers as well new tiny and jumbo cups.

Students were divided into groups and sent through speed-stacking relay races.

"I can tell the kids that were here last year," said Gendron.

The students' speed in stacking the cups has improved, especially for those who participated on a regular basis, she said.

Etanda Hardisty-Beaverho, 8, was one of the students at the event. She has been sports stacking since last spring.

"It's fun up stacking and cup stacking down," she said.

Hardisty-Beaverho said she liked the new smaller cups, especially the metallic silver ones that were heavier.

"They are tiny and really easy to up stack," she said.

Tamara Lennie, 8, agreed the tiny cups are the best of the three sizes.

"They are faster," she said.

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