Germany’s supremacy in the prestigious Stapler Cup forklift competition is under threat from the same forces sparking existential angst in the national economy: competition from abroad, reports the Wall Street Journal.
In the Stapler Cup, drivers and their four-strong team have to complete an obstacle course requiring them to build a tower of foam pieces and move it across the finish line, within nine minutes.
There are songs about the sport, tattoos and fully functioning kids’ models. The best drivers are treated like rock stars.
Jörg Klössinger, a two-time Stapler Cup champion, attributes German success to being a “pünktlich people”, meaning punctual and precise.
At this year’s event, however, the German team advanced into the semifinals along with the Netherlands, Slovakia and Belgium, but was knocked out. After trouncing the Slovakians, the Belgians took home the top prize: gold medals, a trophy and a €1,000 shopping voucher.
[Image: Von StaplerCup Official, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121999797]