Anna Zhao

    anna.whizh@yahoo.com

    Lam Yu-ching, a 17-year-old Hong Kong girl who studies at Shenzhen Concord College of Sino-Canada, has achieved a measure of fame since she featured in a video about players of Rubik’s Cube and sport stacking that was broadcast on Metro TV a few weeks ago.

    Sport stacking, also known as cup stacking or speed stacking, is a sport that involves stacking plastic cups in specific sequences in as little time as possible. The cups used are specially designed with holes on the bottom to allow ventilation so the cups don’t stick. It can be played by an individual or in a group.

    Lam’s enthusiasm for sport stacking started when she first tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube at an animation and comic exhibition held in Shenzhen last June. Later she joined a Rubik’s Cube club in the city, where people with the same interests meet regularly.

    It was at this club that she first heard about sport stacking. “There were many mature cube players but cup stacking was relatively new in the city, and I decided to do it,” Lam said. She added that playing sport stacking has made her more outgoing and increased her self-confidence.

    She practices a whole set of sport stacking movements at least 50 times a day. “I used to play piano so my fingers move quickly in the same way with cups,” she said.

    In the beginning her parents didn’t show much support, worrying that sport stacking would take too much of her time. But they soon started to approve when they noticed that their daughter was becoming more outgoing and active.

    Lam’s focus sometimes led to complaints from her neighbors who — due to the noise — questioned why Lam’s house was always undergoing repair. She therefore plays outdoors at night.

    Lam said there was a period when she was bored with repeating the same movements and she was frustrated that she had made little progress in her speed.

    The regular gathering of club members on Saturday afternoons at Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian is a good way for her to exchange experiences with those who are considered masters. She can find inspiration from more experienced players and she sometimes gives tips to beginners. “We teach people for free and I feel happy to make friends there,” Lam said, adding that teaching little children can be much more demanding. “You have to be patient and persuasive because they are easily distracted.”

    Many middle schools in Shenzhen have Rubik’s Cube and sport stacking clubs, including Meilin Middle School, Shenzhen Middle School and Shenzhen Senior High School. Students from the school clubs also organize competitions and other exchange programs, Lam said.

    She added that Rubik’s Cube requires a good sense of space and sport stacking demands coordination between the eyes and hands — and also good teamwork when playing in groups.

    Though it would seem unlikely, she has experienced muscle strain in her arms due to the extremely fast speed of hand movement. But she hopes she will have the opportunity to improve as she faces less pressure at school. Lam has already been accepted by the Swiss Hotel Management School and her talent in playing sport stacking may have been a factor in her successful application.