New Zealand Sports Stacking Championships is back in Whanganui

Tournament director Karyn Slade will be competing in and judging at the 2025 New Zealand Sport Stacking Championships in Whanganui this weekend. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui is hosting the 2025 New Zealand Sport Stacking Championships this weekend.

In sports stacking, also known as speed stacking, athletes must accurately stack and unstack a set of custom plastic cups into pre-determined sequences, such as a pyramid, and then back into their original configuration as fast as they can.

Athletes may compete individually or in teams and are scored based on speed.

“Come and watch and see the stackers throughout the day,” said event director and competitor Karyn Slade.

The specially designed cups have a textured surface for improved grip and ventilation holes to prevent sticking.

Whanganui is the home of Speed Stacks (NZ) - the sole officially licensed distributor of endorsed speed stacking equipment in New Zealand.

The city has hosted many stacking championships before, including the recent Master’s Championship in February.

Karyn Slade has been involved in organising speed stacking events along with fellow tournament director Ian Kerr for 17 years.

They have worked together to grow the mostly grassroots sport in New Zealand through local schools.

The sport offers an opportunity to work on hand-eye coordination, teamwork, good sportsmanship and is something they can “channel themselves into”, said Slade.

The championship will feature three individual events, two doubles events, and one relay event. The competition will be divided into novice and experienced categories.

There are almost 40 registered competitors, ranging in age from nine to 70-plus.

Several competitors are going for New Zealand records, while athletes competing under Fiji and India are aiming for records in their home countries.

Trophies will be awarded to the top three athletes overall, the top three males and females in each event, and a sportsmanship trophy.

“It’s about positivity and giving everyone a high five at the end,“ Slade said.

Stackers will compete in various categories and events at St Mary’s School Hall this Saturday between 8.30am and 4pm on Saturday.