On its continued quest to find the Worlds Fastest Drummer, NAMM Summer Session 2006 again featured the highly charged phenomenon. The contest consisted of two categories, Battle of the Hands and Battle of the Feet.

Winner Battle of the Hands
Matt Smith of Flint, Michigan, who will be a junior this fall at Grand Blanc High School, became Battle of the Hands winner with a score of 1,030 Single Strokes. Daniel Rice placed second (1,001) while Scott Laborde placed third (911).

At only 16 years old, Matt is the youngest WFD World Champion to date! Last January, Matt Smith took second place in the world competition in Anaheim, California. Says the new winner:

\"I used to have a mentor in Romania from when I lived overseas for a couple of years, and he\'d make me do single strokes and other rudiments for long periods of time without stopping. It helped me build my endurance, and that is the main key with speed drumming. Usually, after a few seconds, people\'s arms get tensed up and blood vessels start popping. Then they just give up.\"

Smith, who has been drumming for seven years, also dabbles in other instruments, such as the piano and vibes. His father and grandfather play the trombone, while his mother plays the saxophone.

Winner Battle of the Feet
The Battle of the Feet winner Hensley Souryavong with a score of 774 Single Strokes followed by Tom Miller (720) and Toby Phillips (694).

The Preliminary Heats were held July 14th and 15th. Included in the event were technical demonstrations, insight sessions and appearances by WFD Champions and World Record Holders Johnny Rabb (Deana Carter, Tanya Tucker, SheDaisy, Maynard Ferguson), Tim ‘The Missile’ Yeung (Nile, Hate Eternal, Vital Remains), and Randy Briggs (WFD & DCI Champ).

The top ten Fastest Hands and top ten Fastest Feet then competed the WFD World Finals, on Sunday, July 16th. This year’s Finals event was kicked off by DRUM! magazine\'s Phil Hood and featured an incredible performance by the Ten Finger Orchestra featuring Paul Allen and WFD World Champion Johnny Rabb. Also appearing were winners of the Miss WFD Austin 2006 title, Ivy Lynn and Kristin Maverick!

Grand-Prizes for the 2006 Summer Session contest included:

• 2 Pearl Drum-Sets,
  
• a year supply of Pro-Mark drumsticks (with Winner’s name),
  
• 2 sets of Meinl cymbals,
  
• Axis LongBoard ‘A’ Double Pedal,
  
• and 50 Remo drum heads

The next WFD World Finals is scheduled for NAMM Winter Session in Anaheim, California in January 2007.