Carrying a restaurant tray. In Paris, where an entire restaurant is often manned by only one or two staffers, tray stacking is an art form. At the Course des Cafés, servers race through a 4 km course, carrying a tray with a coffee, a croissant, and a glass of water. No running! They must walk briskly without spilling anything. In the 2025 edition, one contestant completed it in 18 minutes and 29 seconds. Give him all your tips.
Parallel-parking. The humbling side of being behind the wheel can win you a trophy in Philadelphia, USA. The city held the first contest of this kind last month, for which 14 drivers arrived in their own cars for three rounds: One Shot, Tight Squeeze, and Under Duress. Camera assistance was banned. Testing criteria included proximity to the footpath, number of moves, and speed. And in the third round, there was peak chaos with distractions thrown in. Mario ‘One-Shot Mar’ Zucca won. Let’s say he fit neatly into the top spot.
Bed-making. Thailand’s Ultimate Housekeeping Challenge is held in March for 100 top hotel-room staff. They’re judged on bed-making, towel-folding, flower-arranging, and speed-cleaning. But bed-making alone runs four rounds and covers precise corner tucks, quick stripping and flipping, and avoiding creases. Gold-medalists are able to do the whole thing – duvets, pillowcases and all – in under two minutes.
{{/usCountry}}Bed-making. Thailand’s Ultimate Housekeeping Challenge is held in March for 100 top hotel-room staff. They’re judged on bed-making, towel-folding, flower-arranging, and speed-cleaning. But bed-making alone runs four rounds and covers precise corner tucks, quick stripping and flipping, and avoiding creases. Gold-medalists are able to do the whole thing – duvets, pillowcases and all – in under two minutes.
{{/usCountry}}Grocery-bagging. The first Best Bagging contest by the National Grocers Association was held in 1987 in Dallas, USA. Now, it’s big enough for Las Vegas. Contestants must pack identical orders of 30 to 38 commonly purchased items in under two minutes. The usual rules apply: Eggs above cans. Bread away from danger. Glass bottles kept apart. The bag must have balanced weight, style, and appearance. Rocco Cammarota from Georgia won this year (he spent months training). He probably loves self-checkouts.
Assembling flat-pack furniture. The UK’s Flatpack World Championship is for people who see furniture as the greatest jigsaw puzzle of them all. At the 2026 edition, held in May, Hayley McAuley from Wigan defended her title by assembling a bedside table in just 8 minutes and 20 seconds, beating her own 2025 record of 9.33 minutes. Her prize: A golden Allen key. The furniture was donated to the British Heart Foundation.
Table-setting. If the forks are on the wrong side of the plate, the judges at Culinaire Malaysia will deduct points. Participants have a 30-minute deadline to create 4 identical place settings, execute matching napkin folds, and demonstrate knowledge of a 5-course menu. Distractions and challenges are added in. There are marks for hygiene, technical skills, presentation and speed. Was that napkin a swan or a bishop?
Typing. You might type at the speed of light in the group chat, but can you do it with the entire world watching, typolessly? Intersteno’s online International Keyboarding Competition attracted 1077 competitors from 20 countries this year. Each took on 10-minute typing challenges and could even test their skills in multiple languages. Claire Hill from the UK won the Mother Tongue prize, going at it with 993 keystrokes per minute. Ducking brilliant!
Porridge-making. Imagine telling your parents you are pursuing a career in porridge. Scotland’s Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship is where to go. The 2026 edition, held last month, saw 28-year-old Gina Saarberg from the Netherlands beating competitors with a dish made from pinhead oats, water (imported from the Netherlands), and salt. Yes, she brought her own water. No fancy toppings or elaborate plating method. Just an extraordinary level of commitment to breakfast.
Using Excel. Spreadsheet specialists have taken their shot at a $100,000 Microsoft Excel World Championship prize pool since 2022. Challenges are logic-based and must be solved inside Excel, with some rounds giving players just 30 minutes per game. The 2026 finals will take place in Las Vegas from November 30 to December 2. This is what ‘Excel proficiency’ on someone’s resume really means.
Whistling. Japan’s World Whistlers Convention is 10 years old this year and has categories for a capella soloists, whistlers with musicians, and acts that combine whistling with other art (some even tap dance). Using your fingers to whistle is permitted only in one category. The 2026 edition (it’s held every two years) took place in June, and Indian duo Aboli Thosar and Nikhil Rane took 3rd place with a theatrical whistling performance. The act told a moving story of a teacher helping a student make it to the world stage.
From HT Brunch, November 07, 2026
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