In a nostalgic dive into the origins of cup stacking, Kit Fox tells the story of how his father turned a shipment of seemingly useless plastic cups into something that would find its way into gym classes across America.
The couple's future hinged on accomplishing what the world's second largest toy company could not: convincing thousands of kids that stacking these plastic cups in pre-determined patterns was … fun. More critically, the couple needed to convince the parents of those kids to actually buy these cups, despite not even being able to drink from them.
Please understand: I know this whole endeavor is silly, that it's worthy of your slight mockery and general patina of confusion. But also understand that my dad created a culture in which German coaches passed strategic tips to Australian competitors. Where Japanese teenagers became pen pals with suburban Texans. Where nerves collapsed faster than the cups. Where kids and adults shrieked with joy over millisecond improvements. Where tension and drama and friendship mingled with the clattering cacophony of sliding and tapping plastic (there really is no sound like the one at these competitions).