Adelaide Winter Saturday 2023

The winter morning brought intense focus and rapid hands to Goodwood Community Centre as competitors gathered in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Across the venue, the mechanical hum of turning layers, the snap of timers, and the concentration of competitors studying puzzle layouts set the tone for the single-day gathering. On June 24, 2023, the floor was arranged for a balanced programme of five events spanning nine rounds, bringing together puzzle specialists and newcomers alike for a full day of speedcubing.

While standard solves always draw attention, the less-common disciplines proved to be major highlights of Adelaide Winter Saturday 2023. The 6x6x6 Cube demanded immense endurance and precision across its complex layers, drawing twelve dedicated competitors to the tables. Brock Hamann claimed the victory in the event with a winning average of 2:32.83, anchored by a best single of 2:25.02. Matthew Flay secured second place with a 2:39.42 average, while Alexander Crush took third on the podium with an average of 2:54.79.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event brought complete silence over the staging area, testing pure memorisation and flawless execution without visual feedback. France's Eddy Deturche demonstrated outstanding discipline under the blindfold, winning the event with an average of 45.80 and registering the fastest single time of 39.06 seconds. Brock Hamann delivered another strong podium performance to claim second place in 1:13.36, while Jeremy Crouther rounded out the top three with a mark of 3:04.24.

Beyond the specialist events, large fields tackled the classic puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Eddy Deturche captured his second victory of the competition, averaging 36.96 seconds with a best single solve of 33.97 across two rounds. Leo Hock-Morris took the runner-up position with a 41.18 average, while Brock Hamann earned third place with a 44.38 average. The 2x2x2 Cube saw Swiss competitor Thomas Pierroz rise to the top of a 49-person field, averaging 4.30 seconds alongside a single of 3.13 to edge Deturche's 4.64 average and Hock-Morris's 5.12 average.

The main 3x3x3 Cube contest featured 57 competitors across three rounds, providing dramatic 3x3 results as the day unfolded. Eddy Deturche completed a remarkable treble by capturing first place with an average of 10.42 seconds and a single of 9.88. Leo Hock-Morris finished second with an average of 11.02, while Tess Karon reached the third step of the podium with an 11.35 average. Across all events, Australian competitors secured ten podium spots, French solvers earned four, and Switzerland collected one in a competitive WCA competition.

Away from the podium battles, several solvers achieved remarkable personal milestones and significant progress across the schedule. William Watson posted a major jump on the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a personal best single of 6.57 seconds to outpace his former mark by 62.9 percent. Alexander Tillett took on three events, completing a first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube in 1:27.86 while slicing his 2x2x2 Cube single to 5.46 seconds, a 58.8 percent improvement. Adam Edwards-D'Antonio slashed his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 38.6 percent to 12.54 seconds, cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 32.1 percent to 3.41 seconds, and dropped his 4x4x4 Cube best by 19.1 percent to 1:10.71.

Archie Scholefield registered a first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube in 1:53.16, while trimming his 2x2x2 Cube single by 33.9 percent to 2.97 seconds and his 3x3x3 Cube best by 14.4 percent to 18.32 seconds. Mark Ding entered four events and finished sixth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a first ever attempt in the event of 3:58.69 while improving his 3x3x3 Cube best to 23.98 seconds. Aaron Mi entered four events and finished sixth in 6x6x6 Cube with a first attempt of 3:23.50, alongside a 28.7 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube to 37.62 seconds. First-time competitors made their marks too, as Gunveer Singh Sandhu took on four events and finished seventh in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.02 single, while Shlok Hemant Padale logged a first official 3x3x3 Cube solve of 51.53 seconds.

With 58 competitors pushing their limits across various puzzles, this cubing competition in South Australia demonstrated the depth and versatility of the regional community. From the mental stamina of blindfolded solving and large-cube execution to classic Rubik's Cube races, the speed cubing action throughout the day set a high standard. As the winter fixture concluded, participants left with new personal bests and valuable round experience for the rest of the 2023 calendar.