Bellingham Fall 2024

The competition hall at Western Washington University was filled with the rhythmic click of rotating plastic layers and the hum of timers resetting across dozens of stations. Puzzles were inspected, solved, and scrambled in rapid succession as competitors gathered for a full day of action on October 19, 2024. Before any results went onto the scoreboard, the floor reflected the dedication of participants who crossed regional lines and international borders to make their mark in Bellingham, Washington, USA.

Travel was a central theme of the gathering, with solvers arriving from across the state, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and across the border from Canada to compete alongside a contingent representing China and the United States. In total, 70 competitors converged to take on five distinct disciplines spread over nine rounds of play. The energetic cubing competition showed how far people will journey to test their speed against the clock alongside peers who share their passion for the craft.

The headline event delivered intense drama as 67 solvers contested three rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube. Harrison Michael Oberg of the United States secured first place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 7.50 seconds and a best single time of 6.34 seconds. Ash Black took second place on the podium with an average of 8.34 seconds, while Walter Lee Wilson captured third with an 8.39 average. The standard 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable depth throughout the bracket.

In the big cube events, Vikram Haldar proved dominant across multiple formats. Haldar earned the championship in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 32.07 seconds and a best single of 27.46 seconds, finishing ahead of runner-up Ash Black at 35.62 and third-place Harrison Michael Oberg at 36.21. Haldar then doubled his gold tally in the 5x5x5 Cube, putting up a winning average of 1:00.78 with a tournament-best single solve of 55.06 seconds. Ash Black secured another silver at 1:05.27, while Ethan Davis took third place in 1:11.62.

Beyond the standard rotation, alternative events showcased specialized skills. In the Pyraminx, Ash Black claimed the top podium step with a sharp winning average of 2.56 seconds and a fast single of 2.34 seconds, edging out Vikram Haldar at 3.13 and Saharsh Sai Vontela at 3.56. Meanwhile, the 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest, which demands complete memorisation before executing turns without sight, saw Ethan Davis capture the title with a winning single time of 24.32 seconds. Yubin Li took second place with a solve of 1:17.36, and Peter Preston finished third with a time of 2:24.37.

Tucked behind the podium placements at Bellingham Fall 2024 were massive personal milestones achieved across the 70-person field. Viaan Prajapati delivered one of the steepest single-solve drops of the tournament, taking their 3x3x3 Cube personal best down to 28.18 seconds, which was 41.7 percent faster than their previous mark of 48.35. Spencer Fraser lowered their 4x4x4 Cube mark by 28.9 percent to 1:48.23, while Ashrita Panigrahi improved their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 27.7 percent to clock 2:21.16. Sam McGough also made large strides by dropping their Pyraminx best to 6.14 seconds, an improvement of 26.6 percent.

Several competitors pushed their limits by taking on new challenges at Bellingham Fall 2024. Hugo Reihl recorded a first ever attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 3:34.43 while trimming their 4x4x4 Cube time by 24.4 percent to 1:22.04. Jessica Conner tackled five events on the day, logging a first ever attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube at 2:53.37, a first ever attempt in the 5x5x5 Cube at 4:05.53, and a Pyraminx personal best of 17.24. Henry Bolinger registered a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.24 while cutting their 5x5x5 Cube time by 24 percent to 3:01.85, and Xavier Hong took on four events, setting new personal bests across the board including a 3x3x3 Cube time of 15.58.

The single-day meet highlighted the health of regional speedcubing and the community that sustains it. From newcomers logging their first official marks to veteran competitors fine-tuning their execution, Bellingham Fall 2024 offered a complete showcase of speed cubing at Western Washington University. With 14 podium finishes earned by United States solvers and one by China, the event concluded an intense chapter on the 2024 calendar as competitors packed their bags and began looking ahead to their next WCA competition.

Whether competing in blindfolded rounds or racing through high-speed Pyraminx brackets, the participants at Bellingham Fall 2024 validated the extensive travel required to gather in the upper corner of Washington. As equipment was boxed up and tables were cleared, the shared efforts of the 70 solvers affirmed the enduring appeal of the sport across all experience levels.