Albany Summer Solving 2023

Inside the Albany Church of Christ, the rhythm of turning plastic and dropping timers set the tone for a full day of head-to-head puzzles. Judges and scramble team members traded stations continuously, keeping the tables running on schedule across six separate events. The community behind Albany Summer Solving 2023 ensured every scramble was verified, every solve was accurately recorded, and each station remained ready as twenty-six competitors stepped up to the mat on January 28, 2023.

Staging a seamless WCA competition requires meticulous coordination from the local organizers, WCA delegates, and regular volunteers who step away from their own practice cubes to run score sheets. Operating in Albany, Western Australia, Australia, the crew managed fourteen full rounds of play throughout the single-day gathering. Their work allowed participants to focus entirely on their solves, creating an environment where both elite athletes and first-time entrants could test their skills against the clock in 2023.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the program, drawing twenty-three contenders through three rigorous rounds. Jonathan Charlesworth emerged on top with a winning average of 9.28 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single solve of 7.97 seconds in the traditional Rubik's Cube contest. Jeremy Foott secured the runner-up spot on the podium with a 9.97 average, while Charlie van Ooran took third place with a 10.01 mark in a tightly contested final round.

Charlesworth expanded his winning tally across multiple puzzle categories throughout the day. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Charlesworth claimed the title with a 2.15 average, finishing ahead of Amy Smith who took second at 2.96 and Joshua Hounslow who claimed third in 3.57. Charlesworth followed up by taking the Skewb victory with a 3.32 average, while Tyler Williams finished second at 3.76 and Sebastian Bock reached the third spot at 4.72. A fourth victory arrived in Square-1, where Charlesworth won with a 10.58 average over Hounslow and Smith.

Away from the main podium battles, several competitors delivered standout breakthroughs that highlighted the depth of the field. James Cooper achieved a major milestone in Skewb with a personal best of 5.47 seconds, an improvement of 51.7 percent, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 23.38 seconds that was 41.6 percent faster than before. Lachlan Warham made a first ever attempt at Skewb with a 15.80 mark while shaving 14.4 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best at 6.70. Mark Beeck posted a 6.91 Skewb best that was 34.6 percent faster and dropped his Pyraminx time by 25.3 percent to 6.63. Oliver Burns dropped his Skewb best by 26.9 percent to 6.12 and lowered his Pyraminx record by 24.8 percent to 5.98 seconds.

Other participants marked key milestones in novel events and established disciplines. Clarance Leong recorded a first ever attempt at Pyraminx, finishing with an 8.56 result. Michael Taran took on his first ever attempt at Square-1, recording a 1:38.88 on his way to an eighth-place event finish. Oliver Kandiah completed a debut speedcubing outing by taking on four events, logging an initial Pyraminx attempt of 10.74, a 2x2x2 mark of 6.69, and a 3x3x3 time of 20.30. Flynn Creelman also made a memorable debut across four disciplines, registering a first ever attempt at Skewb in 11.07, a 2x2x2 time of 5.84, and a 10.90 in Pyraminx.

The Pyraminx event featured twenty-three competitors and delivered a thrilling final showdown. Amy Smith captured first place with an impressive winning average of 4.16 seconds, powered by a fast single of 3.15. Charlesworth followed in second position with a 4.80 average, just barely edging out Charlie van Ooran who claimed third place with a 4.82 mark. Smith added another strong performance in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, where memorization and spatial execution without sight remain vital, taking second place with a single of 44.38 seconds.

Blindfolded solving provided another major highlight as Joshua Hounslow took top honors in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event. Hounslow secured victory on the strength of a 37.77-second single solve, holding off Smith and Tyler Williams, who completed the podium with a 1:27.56 single. That victory completed an eighteen-medal sweep for competitors representing Australia across all six featured puzzle categories at the gathering.

As timers were packed away and the final scores submitted, Albany Summer Solving 2023 stood as a testament to the community spirit that underpins modern speed cubing. The tireless volunteers ensured every competitor enjoyed fair, precise conditions from the morning opening to the final awards ceremony. With another successful cubing competition completed in Albany, local solvers look ahead to the training and preparation that will shape their next official campaign.