A habit widely considered unrefined is getting a serious twist with dozens of contestants – shortlisted from hundreds – set to compete in Hong Kong’s first leg-shaking contest this Saturday.

The finals of the quirky competition, featuring 64 contestants vying for the crown in Kai Tak’s Airside on Saturday, follow two qualifying rounds that involved more than 600 participants over the past two weekends.

The event is organised by the World Serious Organisation, a group popular among young people with 345,000 Instagram followers, whose mission is to “take meaningful things seriously” while bringing fun to stressed-out Hongkongers.

Caleb Chen, a 34-year-old marketing officer, was one of the keen leg shakers who took part in the qualifying round for fun. He ended up with 334 shakes in a minute.

“Packaging this familiar habit into a head-to-head leg-shaking challenge, with a dedicated scoring programme and a competition system, has made it so unique,” he said.

Leg shaking is generally considered uncouth and even rude in Chinese society, given that it can be disruptive to those in close proximity.