Ardmore Big & Blind 2023

Eight distinct events packed into a single intense day gave the twenty-five competitors at Ardmore Big & Blind 2023 an exhaustive test of speedcubing skill. Held on January 14, 2023, at the Courtyard by Marriott Ardmore in Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA, the gathering bypassed standard three-layer speed rounds to spotlight giant layer puzzles, intricate mechanical oddities, and rigorous memory challenges. Across fifteen rounds of tournament action, the lineup demanded everything from rapid fingertip agility on mechanically unique apparatuses to protracted, silent bouts of total recall.

Big cubes anchored the daytime schedule, placing endurance and layer management at the forefront. Ryan Pilat delivered a commanding performance across the traditional multi-layer events, securing victory in the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 1:01.43 after setting the single mark at 59.53 seconds. Pilat duplicated that dominance on the larger hardware, logging a winning 1:45.21 average in the 6x6x6 Cube over three competitive rounds and capturing the 7x7x7 Cube with a final average of 2:41.97, topping fields of twenty-two, eighteen, and sixteen entrants respectively.

The podium chases across the big cube ranks remained fiercely contested behind the winner. Lydia Workman secured second place in all three major multi-layer events, notching averages of 1:04.96 in 5x5x5 Cube, 1:51.60 in 6x6x6 Cube, and 2:51.84 in the 7x7x7 Cube. Jose Ortiz Jr. consistently locked down third place across the same trio of events, posting marks of 1:05.03, 1:55.15, and 3:06.17. The consistency from both challengers underscored how high the competitive standard climbed throughout the afternoon in Oklahoma.

Beyond conventional layers, the schedule ventured into specialty categories that altered the rhythm of the cubing competition. Dylan Baumbach topped twenty entrants in the Square-1 event, averaging 6.31 seconds in the finals to edge out Hassan Khanani at 6.48 seconds and Calvin Nielson at 7.43 seconds. Meanwhile, Ryan Pilat added another title in the double-sided Clock discipline, averaging 7.50 seconds to finish ahead of Mason Langenderfer at 7.86 seconds and Jose Ortiz Jr. at 8.72 seconds, proving adaptiveness across entirely disparate mechanisms.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made massive personal strides across multiple disciplines. John Wanger II entered five events and recorded dramatic personal bests, cutting his Clock single to 13.77 seconds for a 38.6 percent improvement, lowering his Square-1 mark by 36.3 percent to 33.99 seconds, and trimming his 5x5x5 Cube personal record by 17.3 percent down to 2:22.99. Sutton Barkley attacked six events, dropping their Clock single to 7.02 seconds for a 34.6 percent leap, slicing their 7x7x7 Cube best by 30.6 percent to 3:43.41, and earning a seventh-place finish in Square-1. Will McCoy improved in three big puzzle categories, including a 24.7 percent cut to 4:34.42 on the 7x7x7 Cube, while Kile Harvey took on three events, posting a 33.7 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded to 3:20.88 alongside first-ever official attempts in Square-1 and the 5x5x5 Cube.

The breadth of the schedule also invited competitors to test themselves against unfamiliar events for the very first time. Joshua Resendiz attended their first WCA competition, logging initial career attempts of 2:24.92 in the 5x5x5 Cube and 54.50 seconds in Square-1. Adrian Salazar tackled four events, recording official baselines in the 5x5x5 Cube at 1:54.81, the 6x6x6 Cube at 3:57.50, and the 7x7x7 Cube at 8:21.71. Samuel Threlkeld logged first attempts across the 5x5x5 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, and Square-1, while Caleb Trelford entered two events, registering a first 5x5x5 Cube mark of 4:35.45 and finishing seventh in Clock. These breakthrough moments across new categories formed the true backbone of the weekend.

The blindfolded slate demanded absolute concentration, requiring participants to memorize piece placements before executing solutions unseen under strict regulations. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, where standard 3x3 results take a back seat to memorisation speed, Jeremy Sheng earned the title with a single of 19.48 seconds across two rounds. Fletcher Berry secured the runner-up spot with a best single of 22.22 seconds, while Ryan Pilat placed third with a time of 23.17 seconds.

The longer-format blindfolded categories presented an even steeper technical barrier. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event, Ryan Pilat secured top honors with a successful single of 3:37.28, finishing ahead of Mason Langenderfer at 5:49.28 and Jeremy Sheng at 6:43.26. The 5x5x5 Blindfolded event proved the ultimate test of endurance, where Mason Langenderfer claimed victory with a single solve of 16:12.00, while Jeremy Sheng took second in 18:21.00 as the only other competitor to record a successful time among six entrants.

By offering an arena dominated by big hardware and memory-intensive formats, Ardmore Big & Blind 2023 highlighted the diverse disciplines that keep speed cubing compelling. From rapid rotations on the Clock to marathon blind solves, the day rewarded versatile puzzle handlers across every round. As competitors look ahead to the next phase of the competitive season, the performances in Ardmore established a high benchmark for non-standard Rubik's Cube mastery.