Comedians Beer Mat Flipping Championship returns

One of the most coveted titles in comedy is to be contested again… with the Comedians Beer Mat Flipping Championship returing next year.

Those vying for the title will include Phil Wang, Rosie Jones and Helen Bauer, while fellow comics Sikisa and Stuart Laws will oversee proceedings.

Laws, pictured, set up the contest in 2023 – and at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, tried to break the record of 74 mats in 60 seconds, set in 2013 by Ashrita Furman.

He will have another go at the 2025 championship, due to take place on January 31 at the Pleasance in London, in a bid to take away just one of the 200-plus world records that Furman currently holds.

Laws said: ‘I’ve been beer mat flipping since I was eight, when my little paws could barely grip a beer mat. The sport had a grip on me, though, and now, 30 years later, I’m again attempting the world record and to go pro as a flipper. 

‘More importantly, I want to bring the sport to the wider world. It’s such a compelling and simple sport that gets fiendishly difficult under the lights and up against rivals, and comedians are the perfect competitors: eager to entertain and desperate to win/cause chaos when it becomes clear they’re not going to win. I’m thinking especially of Nish Kumar flipping the whole table.’

Previous championships have been held in London and at Machynlleth Comedy Festival and at the Monkey Barrel in Edinburgh. Here's Laws flipping 50 mats there this summer:

Tickets for the 2025 championships are available here.

Published: 23 Oct 2024