Four Canadian record holders are travelling to Denver from St. Stephen, N.B., on Thursday to compete in the speedy stacking of plastic cups into pyramid formations.

Four of the five Canadian competitors who will attend the World Sport Stacking Association championships are from the small coastal town in southwestern New Brunswick.

"I'm hoping I can break some of my records that I have right now," said Sam Backman. "I don't think I'm going to get the world ones, but I'm going to try my best, so it should be fun."

Backman, 14, is Canada's fastest cup stacker in his age category.

Timed pyramids

The growing sport involves competitors stacking, collapsing and restacking a set of 12 plastic cups as quickly as possible in regulation patterns.

With a blur of hands and a clacking sound as the cups move about the table, competitors assemble the brightly coloured cups into a series of pyramids and then collapse them as quickly as they are piled up.

The timed event requires precise assembly and disassembly of the patterns. Fumble a single cup and the competitor must start the pattern again. If a cup falls off the table the competitor is disqualified.

About 1,100 competitors from eight countries are expected to meet in Denver on April 5-6 to take part in the competition.

Rebecca Fawkes holds a Canadian record in three-cycle stacking competition and will also be going to Denver.

"There's a lot of 12-year-olds going from all across the world, so top 50 would be pretty cool," Fawkes said.

The four New Brunswickers are all students at St. Stephen Middle School, while the fifth is from Ontario.

After-school program popular with kids

The New Brunswick school has been offering speed stacking as part of its physical education program for three years and it has grown into an after-school activity, said Jennifer Simpson, the stacking coach.

The activity encourages ambidexterity and improves concentration, said Simpson.

"You'll find kids who play the piano or kids who do play a sport are kids who do well at this," she said. "It all crosses over, because they have to use both hands all the time and both sides of the brain are connecting, and it's just great to see."

About 40 students sign up every month to learn sport stacking as part of an after-school program, Simpson said, and spend an hour a day practising.

"A lot of those kids will then go home and do the same thing," Simpson said. "A lot of them have bought their own cups and will practice for hours at home, which some of the parents are happy about and some of them aren't."

Josie Scott will also be representing Canada at the competition. "It's fun and I like the competition and anybody can do it," she said.

Improves dexterity, concentration

Since taking up the sport two years ago, Backman said it has helped him improve in other areas of his life.

"My piano has improved, because I've been playing since I was four, so I think that's improved my cup stacking and that's why I like it," Backman said.

Backman said he doesn't expect to bring home the championship cup from the tournament, but is still looking forward to the adrenalin of the internationally televised event.

The world record for stacking is held by German David Wolf, who in 2007 at age 12 put his cups through the competitive cycle of formations in 7.15 seconds.