Stack of success for Jake (From Watford Observer)

Stack of success for Jake

8:22am Friday 18th April 2008 in News By Filip Hnzido

Lightning reactions and a healthy dose of perfectionism have led a teenager from a Bushey school to international glory in the most unlikely of sports, the speedy stacking of plastic cups.

Jake Emberton, 15, of Queens' School, is British champion and fourth in the world in Sport Stacking, in which pyramids of specially designed cups are made in seconds under strict rules and an unforgiving video camera.

Last week he flew back from Denver, America, where he competed against 1,050 people in the Sport Stacking World Championships and became best in his age group with a record time.

Next week he is appearing on Blue Peter where he will attempt to break his record on live television.

Noting how he got into the sport, which started in the 1980s, Jake, of Coates Way, Garston, said: "At Christmas 2006 I saw it at a fair. There was a boy who kept breaking my time and I kept breaking his.

"It got really competitive and I spent at least £5 on it and ended up winning £1 worth of chocolate.

"It was really fun so I just begged my mum for it for Christmas."

Since then he has practised hard to perfect his technique, regularly competing against other members of the British team, based in Essex, of which he is the fastest member.

He said: "You are always using both hands so you become ambidextrous and use both sides of your mind."

Although occasionally nervous, Jake said he was helped with continuous support from the school and family including his father John, mother, Nicky, brother Tom and sister Beth.

He said: "The competitions are always really close. If you get through to the finals they have video cameras on you and they'll film you and if you have a potential world record or a record for your country they'll put it on computer and play it frame by frame to see if you've done it correctly. One slight mistake and they'll cancel it. They can be really harsh."

Not one to let his fingers rest between practices, Jake regularly tries new activities and sports which he finds on the internet or through word of mouth.

He said: "I do other little things like I can solve a Rubik's Cube in about 20 seconds, I can juggle, I play guitar I just do lots of little things. I find them out and then do them to perfection.

"The next one's pen spinning. Lots of Japanese people are spinning them round their fingers.

"It's mad. That one's crazy but I'm not sure I'll manage it. Maybe under the table at school."

Of her son's success, Jake's mother, Nicky, said: "When we first saw it we thought it was just a toy, then last summer we saw him do it and totally had our breath taken away."

Video of Jake