Toronto man claims title of fastest drummer in the world

I would cue the drum roll for this story but it would be over before you heard it.

A drummer from Toronto has broken the world record for fastest drumming, according to the organizers of the World's Fastest Drummer competition in Nashville, TN. Tom Grosset demonstrates his speed tapping skills in a video from the "extreme sport drumming" competition, breathing heavily in concentration as he maintains the steady rat-tat-tat on the drum.

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When the meter exceeds 1,203 strokes in under a minute, listed by the organization as the previous record, spectators burst into cheer. The description says Grosset reached 1,208 strokes before the minute was over.

While drumming might not seem to warrant a place in the category of extreme sports, since its motions are almost imperceptible at times, a study in 2008 found drummers playing rock concerts needed endurance comparable to a professional soccer player.

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If you're still not sold on the suspense of counting drum beats, but you prefer your extreme sports with an element of sitting down, consider becoming a fan of chess boxing. Athletes alternate between rattling each others brains with boxing gloves and using those brains to compete at chess.