Speed Stacks, in partnership with the World Sport Stacking Association is excited to announce a big step in the evolution of sport stacking. If you would like more detail about how this will impact tournaments and records please check out The WSSA announcement at www.thewssa.com/news/2021-02-28/new-g5-timer/
One of the most difficult and controversial aspects of our sport has been the rules around holding cups while stopping the timer. Over the last three years, more than 25% of the attempts in sanctioned tournaments were scratched for holding cups while stopping the timer and those scratches made up over 60% of all scratches. It's very hard to see these infractions in video review and almost impossible when live judging so the scratches are often controversial. Infractions for touching the cups when starting the timer and stopping the timer above the wrist are also very difficult to see and also cause a large number of scratches. Unfortunately, just eliminating these rules doesn't solve the problem - it just creates other problems that are just as hard to judge for.
Working closely with the WSSA, Speed Stacks has developed a solution for these problems. We realized that if stackers had to have their thumbs on the backside of the timer to start and stop it, then there is no way they could hold cups or start and stop the timer with their wrists. Based on this principle, we developed a new timer with four touch pads - two, like we have now for the fingers, and two more for the thumbs. This is the G5 timer and it's the next step in the evolution of sport stacking because stackers don't have to worry about being scratched for wrist stops or holding cups - it just isn't possible with this timer.
G5 timers will be required for sanctioned WSSA Tournaments beginning September 1, 2021. G5 Timers will be available worldwide on May 1, 2021 and can be pre-ordered now and will ship on May 1.
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Larry Goers
CEO, Speed Stacks Inc.