Betting on Balls of Chaos

July 12, 2017 3:35 AM

Regular marble runs are fun, but Jelle created a whole Marblelympics!

The initial Marblelympics was held in 2016 with some amazing events, from the classic Sand Rally to more unusual courses like the Long Jump, Team Pursuit and Hurdles.

And it's back again in 2017, with new events like Fidget Spinner Collision as well as old classics like Funnel Spinning.

Who will win this year? Which team has been training hard? Which marbles will show the value of inertia determination, being perfectly spherical grit and luck mental toughness?

If all the competition is too much, Jelle also maintains a playlist of other excellent marble runs and machines.

(Sand marble rallying previously)

posted by Stark (17 comments total)

I'd be entirely OK with outright replacing the actual olympics, and also the NCAA, with this. I think mostly people just want to see a thing win a thing and as long as there's an announcer talking with the appropriate sports grammar it's more than sufficient.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:40 AM on July 12, 2017 [12 favorites]

Now I kind of want to do something similar with my kid's Hot Wheels and figure out which is the fastest.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:17 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Mellow Yellow were robbed!
posted by leibniz at 4:22 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wow.
posted by Miko at 5:35 AM on July 12, 2017

The announcer's sports riffing is SO SPOT ON. My kids and I watched the whole darn thing. I was Team Momo, but they were more Rojo Rovers and Limers.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:48 AM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

I do not like that some starting configurations provide inherent advantages for some of the competitors. Yes I am serious.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:40 AM on July 12, 2017 [5 favorites]

For the long jump -- the track is the same for everyone (same slope, same release point), and there's that much difference in how far a marble will go ? Intriguing. What makes that happen ? The marble's size/weight or smooth/evenness ?
posted by k5.user at 7:16 AM on July 12, 2017

It changed. Why? Because tiny variations, the orientation of hairs on your hand, the amount of blood distending your vessels, imperfections in the skin…
posted by dominik at 7:20 AM on July 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

I want to see those competitors tested for performance enhancing substances such as teflon, molybdenum disulfide and graphite.
posted by flabdablet at 8:42 AM on July 12, 2017 [6 favorites]

I've been keeping up with this channel since I first saw it on the blue. It's super mesmerizing, and his THOUSAND marble runs are like a trance.
posted by numaner at 9:25 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

This guy's voice is so soothing. I could listen to him forever.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:47 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

The logistics involved in setting up and filming that sand run are quite impressive.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:14 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]

Hyp
Hypno
Hypnotic
Hypno
Hyp
Hypno
Hypnotic
Hypno
Hyp
Hypno
Hypnotic
Hypno
Hyp
posted by Jesse the K at 12:26 PM on July 12, 2017

Just watched the qualifiers as a lark and now I'm like 100% rooting hard for Limers (especially after that heartbreaking chute late in the spiral qualifiers) and ready to watch the main event.

It changed. Why? Because tiny variations, the orientation of hairs on your hand, the amount of blood distending your vessels, imperfections in the skin…

Limestone, uh, uh, finds a way.
posted by cortex at 1:17 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]

I forgot FIFA. Let's replace that with marbles too.
posted by Wolfdog at 2:50 PM on July 12, 2017

I don't know why but I started pulling for Pinkies early on, can't believe the Limers are doing so well!
posted by numaner at 9:44 AM on July 19, 2017

No more events until 29 Jul? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooes
posted by Wolfdog at 1:00 PM on July 22, 2017