Bay Area Speedcubin' 61 - San Jose 2024

A mere thirteen hundredths of a second separated the top three competitors on the Pyraminx podium in a breathtaking battle at Andrew P. Hill High School. Tripp Peters claimed victory with a winning average of 2.75 seconds, narrowly edging Cameron Miller at 2.82 seconds and Sebastian Stone at 2.88 seconds. Peters posted a best single of 2.39 seconds during the final round, providing just enough cushion to secure the gold medal. That intense finish set the tone for an action-packed Saturday of high-level speedcubing in San Jose, California, USA.

Held on April 27, 2024, Bay Area Speedcubin' 61 - San Jose 2024 brought together 186 competitors across six events and thirteen rounds of competition. The single-day WCA competition showcased both elite talent and rising local speed cubing competitors. Solvers from around the world traveled to San Jose to test their skills across puzzles ranging from the standard Rubik's Cube to specialized challenges like Square-1 and blindfolded solving.

Cameron Miller delivered a standout overall performance throughout the weekend, securing multiple podium placements and setting major benchmarks. In the 3x3x3 Cube, Miller captured the title with a winning average of 7.30 seconds and a best single of 6.86 seconds in a field of 183 competitors. Caleb Yao earned the runner-up spot with a 7.96 average, while Amahl Weinstein Agrawal rounded out the podium in third place at 8.59 seconds. Miller also recorded single marks of 7.11 and an earlier round average of 7.97 on his way to topping the 3x3 results.

Miller also took the top prize in Square-1, navigating the shape-shifting puzzle to a winning average of 7.83 seconds and a best single of 6.29 seconds among 49 entrants. Calvin Nielson followed in second place with an 8.39 average, while Brandon Lin secured third place at 9.64 seconds. Miller further showcased his versatility by finishing second in both 4x4x4 Cube and 3x3x3 One-Handed, compiling an exceptional medal haul across the entire event schedule.

International competitors also made significant marks in the individual disciplines. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Richard Jay S. Apagar from the Philippines took first place among 107 competitors, posting a winning average of 30.81 seconds and a best single of 29.21 seconds. Nico Harper completed the 4x4x4 podium in third place behind Miller with an average of 33.31 seconds. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Albert Luthje from Denmark topped the 93-competitor field with an average of 11.78 seconds, besting Miller's 12.27 average and Matt Mao from China at 15.48 seconds.

Blindfolded solving added another layer of intrigue to the tournament schedule. Brandon Lin won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event out of 35 competitors, logging a decisive best single of 44.41 seconds without sight. Matt Mao secured second place with a single solve of 52.06 seconds, while Caleb Suh took third place with a time of 1:04.90. Across all events, competitors representing the United States claimed 14 podium places, alongside 2 for China, 1 for Denmark, and 1 for the Philippines.

Behind the headline winners, numerous competitors achieved major personal milestones throughout the cubing competition. Vic Ungboriboonpisal entered five events, cutting 53.4% off their 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best to hit 32.00 seconds while also recording debut marks of 1:28.10 in 4x4x4 Cube and 44.15 in Square-1. Ryan Chiang tackled three events, dropping their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 30.4% down to 20.28 seconds and recording first-time results in One-Handed and 4x4x4. Baidehi Roy improved their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 26.8% to 19.88 seconds and posted first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube and Pyraminx. Colin Hartman dropped their Square-1 personal best by 41.2% down to 54.09 seconds and set a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 10.20 seconds.

That drive for improvement continued across the staging tables. Jangwon Park shaved 33.5% off their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to finish in 12.72 seconds while making a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:49.26. Vismay Murthy took on five events, earning a 15th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube, improving their 4x4x4 Cube best by 29.1% to 54.55 seconds, and posting a first Square-1 result of 48.89 seconds. Karan Bisht lowered their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 26.5% to 7.73 seconds alongside a first One-Handed solve of 23.15 seconds. Anshika Nandan improved their Pyraminx best by 25.1% to 5.05 seconds, set an 11.64 3x3x3 Cube personal best, and logged a first 4x4x4 attempt of 1:59.08.

With fast times, new milestones, and wire-to-wire podium races, Bay Area Speedcubin' 61 - San Jose 2024 offered an exhilarating display of talent at Andrew P. Hill High School. From the dramatic Pyraminx final to the precision of blindfolded solving, the event highlighted the vibrant depth of the Northern California speedcubing community.