Agoura Cubing Again 2023

A blistering 1:09.10 average on the big 6x6x6 Cube set the tone for an intense day of solving in Southern California. That commanding victory by Max Park highlighted how much the larger and more specialized puzzles shaped the competition. Hosted at Lindero Canyon Middle School on July 22, 2023, Agoura Cubing Again 2023 gathered 114 competitors across five distinct events. While standard solves always draw a crowd, the heavier hardware and asymmetrical single-handed disciplines offered the day its sharpest competitive drama in Agoura Hills, California, USA.

The 6x6x6 Cube opened the spotlight on puzzle specialization, testing stamina across two full rounds. Park dominated the 31-competitor field with a best single solve of 1:07.48 on his way to the 1:09.10 winning mark. Brendyn Dunagan claimed the runner-up spot with an average of 1:30.91, while Dan Tran finished third at 1:45.77. Managing the massive mechanism of a six-layer puzzle demands exceptional spatial awareness, and the podium finishers separated themselves through unwavering consistency on the turns.

The focus on non-standard disciplines continued during the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which drew 64 solvers across two rounds. Park captured another gold with a winning average of 9.79 seconds, anchored by a best single effort of 8.60. The battle for the remaining spots on the podium proved fierce. Derek Hsieh of Taiwan secured second place with an average of 12.81, edging out Dunagan by a mere two hundredths of a second as Dunagan finished third with a 12.83 average.

Jack McGinty took on five different events at the venue, recording his first ever attempt at the 6x6x6 Cube with a time of 3:39.04 while slashing his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 62.9 percent down to 33.93. Joel Penetrante entered three events and delivered massive progress, shaving his 2x2x2 Cube personal mark by 62.4 percent to 2.36 seconds and dropping his 4x4x4 Cube best to 43.76 seconds. Chase Graber stepped up to the table for his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 1:15.13 solve and cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 57.4 percent down to 2.89. Yuyang Zhang took on five events, registering a first 4x4x4 Cube result of 1:38.95 and improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 48.4 percent to 3.30.

Michael Miloslavskiy logged his first official attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a time of 40.52 and improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.1 percent to 3.11 seconds. Miles Whittington posted a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 44.54 while cutting his 2x2x2 Cube time by 38.8 percent to 2.71 seconds. Adyant Manish Borhade delivered a first 4x4x4 Cube effort of 1:15.64 along with a 38.6 percent cut to his 2x2x2 Cube mark at 2.70. Justin Rhee took on five events, posting first attempts in both the 6x6x6 Cube at 4:50.24 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:19.59 alongside a 29.1 percent personal best improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 41.81.

The mid-sized 4x4x4 Cube brought 77 participants to the tables across two rounds. Park secured top honors once again, delivering a 20.68 average alongside an event-best single solve of 18.92. Dunagan took second with a 28.25 average, followed closely by Mulun Yin from China, who posted a 29.86 average to earn the third spot on the podium. Managing inner slice turns and edge-pairing under time pressure made this event a demanding technical showcase at this speed cubing gathering.

Sprint-style solving took center stage in the 2x2x2 Cube, featuring 98 entrants across three rounds. Dunagan seized first place with a 1.52 winning average and a single of 1.23. Nancy Liu of China took second place averaging 1.74 seconds, while Yuyang Zhen, also representing China, finished third with an average of 2.12. The rapid-fire discipline tested raw turning speed and inspection foresight, providing an exciting sprint contrast to the day's longer puzzles during this WCA competition.

The premier Rubik's Cube category concluded the schedule with 113 competitors battling through three rounds of classical speedcubing. Park led the pack to take the title with a winning average of 5.25 seconds and the day's fastest single solve at 4.63. Dunagan took second on the podium with a 7.15 average, while Liu earned third place with an average of 7.40. The 3x3 results served as a fitting culmination to a full day of precision solving.

Across 12 rounds of action, Agoura Cubing Again 2023 showcased the impressive versatility required across modern competitive disciplines. Representatives from the USA, China, and Taiwan shared the podium honours across the five featured formats. From big cube marathons to single-handed finesse, the cubing competition celebrated technical mastery at every level as solvers look ahead to their next competitive opportunities.