Aliso Niguel Summer 2024

Max Park produced a masterclass on the main stage to capture the 3x3x3 Cube title with a 5.75-second average and a 5.31 best single, setting the tone for an exhilarating gathering in Southern California. The one-day WCA competition brought together 151 competitors to Aliso Niguel High School on September 8, 2024. Beyond the sheer pace at the top of the standings, the day in Aliso Viejo, California, USA highlighted the shared energy and camaraderie that define the speedcubing community across twelve intense rounds of action.

The atmosphere throughout the venue was fueled by nonstop side events and constant collaboration between heats. Solvers gathered around practice tables to trade techniques, compare hardware, and cheer on peers during early rounds. Aliso Niguel Summer 2024 offered five distinct events, giving participants plenty of room to test their versatility. Across the floor, the shared passion for solving the classic Rubik's Cube brought newcomers and seasoned hands together as the schedule unfolded through the late afternoon.

Park enjoyed a particularly commanding outing, taking first place across three separate disciplines. Alongside his victory in the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, he secured top honors in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 20.44 seconds and a best single of 19.60 seconds, finishing ahead of Dan Tran and Amogh Adluri. Park followed that performance with a win in the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, recording an average of 9.79 seconds and a single of 9.23 seconds. Tran secured second in one-handed solving with a 12.27 average, while Kyeongmin Choi reached third place.

Choi, representing Korea, provided plenty of drama throughout the smaller puzzle events and the main event lineup. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Choi claimed victory with a dazzling 1.48-second winning average and a 1.07 single, leading a competitive podium where Remy Trieu took second in 1.74 and Nancy Liu finished third in 1.90. Choi added a runner-up finish in the 3x3x3 Cube with a 6.60 average behind Park, with Liu taking third place with a 6.94 mark to complete the 3x3 results podium.

The Pyraminx bracket delivered another tight contest among 100 competitors. Daxton Westlake emerged on top of the standings with an impressive 2.46 winning average and a round-best 1.91 single. Josiah Liao took the second step on the podium with a 2.95 average, while Choi added a fourth podium finish to his day by grabbing third place with a 3.24 average. In total, competitors representing the USA claimed eleven podium spots, while Korea secured four across the day.

Tucked behind the podium races, several participants achieved personal milestones that embodied the spirit of this speed cubing gathering. James Ding Li took on five events, registering a Pyraminx personal best of 5.25 seconds that cut 55.5 percent off his previous record, while making his first career attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed and the 4x4x4 Cube. Jonathan A. Shuman also entered five events, dropping his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 51.7 percent to 44.23 seconds while attempting both Pyraminx and one-handed solving for the first time. Charles Kim improved his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 54.8 percent to 35.97 seconds and tackled the 4x4x4 Cube and Pyraminx for the first time, while Jonathan Imerman achieved a 53.4 percent improvement on Pyraminx with a 7.71 mark alongside his first outings in 2x2x2 Cube and one-handed solving.

That same drive was evident across multiple brackets as Dieu-Hy Le entered three events, cutting their Pyraminx record by 56.9 percent to 5.66 seconds, improving their 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.68 seconds, and logging a first attempt in one-handed solving. Andrew Feliciano entered four events, posting a 4.16 in the 2x2x2 Cube to drop his personal best by 49 percent, while logging his first official solves in Pyraminx and the 4x4x4 Cube. Timofei Sopin took on five events, earning a 12th place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed, setting a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 42.31 seconds that was 38 percent faster, and logging first career attempts in both 2x2x2 Cube and Pyraminx. Connor J. Delacruz also tackled a full five-event card, recording first attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 2x2x2 Cube, and Pyraminx.

By the time the final rounds wrapped up, Aliso Niguel Summer 2024 had delivered both elite individual showcases and deep community connections. The lively exchanges in the hall and the steady stream of individual personal milestones reinforced how rewarding a cubing competition can be across all skill levels. As the 2024 schedule rolls on across California, the competitors from this event leave Aliso Viejo with new memories, fresh personal bests, and momentum for the upcoming season.