Bay Area Speedcubin' 42 2023

Inside Dwinelle Hall at UC Berkeley, the atmosphere hummed with focused concentration as tables filled with timers, mats, and puzzles of every shape. A total of 59 competitors gathered in Berkeley, California, USA on March 18, 2023, stepping into an intense schedule spanning seven events across ten rounds. In such a high-stakes speedcubing environment, the margin between triumph and heartbreak often hangs on a single rotation, particularly in formats where the absence of a drop score leaves no room to hide.

The unforgiving nature of the mean-of-three format was on full display throughout the blindfolded disciplines. In these events, a competitor must execute three consecutive successful solves without seeing the puzzle; a single missed piece or misremembered sequence results in a DNF average. The 5x5x5 Blindfolded event delivered a stark illustration of this reality. Out of ten entrants, nine suffered complete DNFs across the board, leaving David Karalli (داود قراعلي) as the sole competitor to log a successful single, taking the gold with a mark of 22:36.00.

David Karalli (داود قراعلي) also dominated the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, where memory capacity is pushed to its ultimate limits. Karalli secured first place by successfully resolving 13 out of 17 cubes in a time of 56:41. Cameron Miller (梅克龍) took second place with a flawless 6 for 6 performance in 46:27, while Draco Tong claimed third place by putting up 6 out of 7 cubes in 55:04. In the 4x4x4 Blindfolded discipline, Akifumi Sasaki (佐々木彰史) navigated the complex centers and edges blind to win with a best single of 4:52.05, leading Nolan Yiu in second at 7:45.36 and Jeremy Benik in third at 9:22.70.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded rounds offered a gripping duel across three full rounds of action. Anto Kam (甘浩東) captured the championship single with a blistering 28.96 seconds, holding off a fierce challenge from David Karalli (داود قراعلي), who took the runner-up spot with a 31.43. Nolan Yiu rounded out the podium in third with a 48.75 single. Although the mean-of-three averages proved elusive at the top of the standings, the individual attempts showcased phenomenal recall and execution under pressure.

Away from the top of the podium, the heart of this cubing competition beat in the massive breakthroughs recorded across the main hall. Seungmin Hong (홍승민) delivered a sensational performance in 3x3x3 One-Handed, dropping their personal best down to 15.85 seconds, an improvement of 42.2 percent over their previous best of 27.41. Jonathan Rutenberg took on three events, taking 18th in Clock with a massive personal best of 12.34 seconds that slashed 41.8 percent off their previous 21.20 mark, while also logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx with 1:45.57 and a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 34.67. Thomas Đặng Hoàng Thịnh showed exceptional growth with a 3x3x3 One-Handed single of 45.96, improving by 41.7 percent from 1:18.83.

The spirit of trying new disciplines and breaking boundaries continued throughout the roster. Evan Chin took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 4 of 8 solved in 43:26, shaving 20.1 percent off their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best to hit 49.37, and placing fifth in Megaminx. Minh-Ky Kawamura also entered five events, recording a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 25:32.00, placing seventh, while improving their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 21.7 percent to 3:42.40. Q Sperske made a first ever attempt at Megaminx with 2:39.94, a first ever attempt at Clock with 24.90, and took 33 percent off their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark with 33.61. Ben Yin made a first ever attempt at Clock with 56.54 and 3x3x3 Blindfolded with 2:54.14, while newcomer Gautam Medabalmi attended their first WCA competition, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 40.34.

In the sighted categories, speed cubing technique was tested in both standard and unorthodox ways. The 3x3x3 One-Handed contest, drawing 52 competitors, ended with Anto Kam (甘浩東) claiming his second victory of the competition, delivering a winning average of 11.85 and a best single of 9.49 across two rounds. An Le finished second with a 13.59 average, and Cameron Miller (梅克龍) took third with a 13.89. In the Megaminx event, Isaac Langer secured first place with an average of 48.53, edging out Nolan Yiu at 50.43 and Cameron Miller (梅克龍) at 56.90.

The Clock event produced some of the fastest solve times of the competition, where Cameron Miller (梅克龍) took the top step of the podium with a winning average of 4.81 and a best single of 4.39. Evan Millsap followed closely behind in second place with a 5.41 average, while Jaidon Poraminthara Lin (เจเดิ้น ปรมินทร์ หลิน) completed the podium in third with a 5.85. Beyond the main classic Rubik's Cube variations, the variety of formats showed how versatile the region's competitors have become.

As the tables were packed away and the final 3x3 results entered into the database, Bay Area Speedcubin' 42 2023 wrapped up another memorable chapter in Northern California. Across seven diverse events and ten intense rounds, the competitors proved that while the risk of a mean-of-three format is severe, the rewards of fearless execution are unmatched.