Tim enters the stacking game

By Tim Goodwin - Apr 15, 2014 | 0 comments

Tim plays the role of judge in a speed stacking battle.

Tim keeps a close eye on Aaron Russell’s progress during a team challenge.

im goes toe-to-toe with Tyler Carrier in a cup stacking duel, and loses handily.

The pressure got to me. It’s just that simple.

I will admit, I may have been a little too confident going into my inaugural cup stacking duel with the great Tyler Carrier. After all, this kid was a seasoned member of the Beaver Meadow School Speed Stacking Club, and until 45 minutes prior, the extent of my stacking had been limited to aluminum cans in college.

Regardless of my clear disadvantage, I feverishly tried to keep up. Unfortunately, my quest to go as fast as possible was the beginning of my demise. My brain and eyes knew the next move, where the next cup was supposed to go. It just didn’t happen the way I envisioned it. I fumbled, bumbled and quickly fell behind. Soon, it was quite obvious there was no coming back in this battle. But I completed the full cycle anyway, just not anywhere close to the speed and precision of Carrier.

Carrier was the lucky one. Each and every student stacker wanted to battle the reporter. Of course they all just wanted a guaranteed win. Carrier just happened to get the first pick. And it worked out in his favor – this time.

In the stacking world, a cycle consists of 3-6-3, 6-6 and 1-10-1 formations. The world record for completing all three stands at 5.303 seconds. Thankfully, my first official attempt at completing the cycle was not timed. I can only imagine how many times the record holder could do it before I finished.

But later in my trip to the after school club – and without Carrier standing across from me – I gave it another shot. This attempt would be timed, so my chance at redemption was there for the taking.

I knew a good time would be the difference in a successful memory or one I’d just rather forget. Composure was the key to my full cycle time of 36.61, which club leader Jim Kinhan told me was “excellent” for a first go-round. His words, not mine.

It was a much better performance than the battle, and it even came with the entire stacking club, as well as a few parents and grandparents, watching in close proximity. It was all about staying in the moment.

I knew I had it in me. Now it’s only a matter of time before my stacking becomes the focus of a new world record, and hopefully a best selling book. I can see it now, “Stacking My Way to the Top: A Story of Perseverance, Inspiration and Cups.”

It should hit the shelves sometime between this fall and never. I’ll keep you posted.