Berkeley Fall 2024

The spacious expanse of Pauley Ballroom buzzed with relentless energy as competitors took their stations across rows of solving mats. Timers flashed green, plastic mechanisms clicked in rapid succession, and scorecards circulated continuously through the staging area. The atmosphere captured the distinct rhythm of a high-intensity cubing competition, where physical endurance and visual processing converge on every single solve.

Held in Berkeley, California, USA on October 13, 2024, Berkeley Fall 2024 gathered a bustling field of 219 competitors across five events and ten rounds of play. While standard Rubik's Cube solving relies on sheer explosive speed, larger and more complex puzzles demand deep stamina and long stretches of sustained focus. Solvers must manage complex algorithmic tracking without losing their mechanical tempo, making the extended events a grueling test of endurance.

The Megaminx contest served as a prime showcase for that relentless stamina, requiring competitors to navigate twelve distinct faces through a single demanding round of 77 participants. Alessandro Diomampo of the USA mastered the dodecahedral challenge, securing the victory with a winning average of 38.73 seconds and delivering the best single of the event at 36.22 seconds. Nolan Yiu claimed second place with an average of 40.08, while Ruby Lu followed closely in third with 43.52.

When attention shifted back to the traditional puzzle, the 3x3 results brought world-class speedcubing talent to the main stage. Danny Sungin Park took the championship in 3x3x3 Cube after navigating three intense rounds of 206 competitors, finishing with a commanding winning average of 6.62 seconds and a best single of 6.06. Zerui Cheng earned second place on the podium with a 6.82 average, narrowly edging out Varun Mohanraj who posted a 6.92 average for third.

The single-handed discipline delivered its own display of dexterity in 3x3x3 One-Handed, where 120 competitors battled through two rounds. Anto Kam representing Hong Kong took top honours, capturing the victory with a 10.37 winning average and posting the event's fastest single solve at 8.42 seconds. Ethan Jan secured second place with an average of 10.54, while Henry Helmuth rounded out the podium in third with a 12.22 average.

Away from the top steps of the podium, numerous solvers achieved massive personal breakthroughs throughout the weekend. Finlay Ingraham took on three events, posting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.19 that was 56.5 percent faster than before, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube best of 12.22, which shaved 21.8 percent off their prior mark, while also making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 44.32. Atticus Blecker delivered a 50.9 percent improvement with a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.74, while also recording first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.14 and Pyraminx at 8.67. Taylor Leach achieved a 48 percent drop with an 11.82 2x2x2 Cube personal best and a 45.3 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with 21.08, adding a first Pyraminx attempt of 15.07. Elvis Clark took on five events, improving their Pyraminx personal best by 45.3 percent to 7.11 while logging first attempts in Megaminx at 2:15.66 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 46.22.

Other competitors expanded their repertoires across multiple disciplines at the WCA competition. Benjamin Wang entered four events, cutting 46 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube mark with a 2.88 personal best and 28.9 percent off their 3x3x3 One-Handed time with 22.96, while also logging a first Pyraminx result of 6.98. Ashton Chow improved their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 39 percent down to 4.87 and recorded a first Pyraminx solve of 11.23. Rushil Joshi dropped their 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 35.2 percent to 31.13, made a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 3.79, and set a 3x3x3 Cube best of 14.18. Aayan Lakhani tackled four events, cutting 33.8 percent for a 13.23 3x3x3 Cube personal best, dropping 28.2 percent for a 1:38.83 Megaminx mark, and making a first Pyraminx attempt of 9.38.

The shorter events also produced sharp competition across the floor during speed cubing brackets. In Pyraminx, Jacob Kotai of Canada triumphed among 131 competitors with a 2.76 winning average and a 1.98 single, outperforming Sebastian Stone at 3.31 and Lucas Kim at 4.00. In 2x2x2 Cube, Ezra Severson captured first place with an average of 1.79 and a 0.94 single, leading Stanley Tran at 1.97 and Kenji Gipson-Nahman at 2.04 in a bracket that saw numerous sub-two marks recorded.

With 13 podium finishes for the USA alongside international podium spots for Hong Kong and Canada, Berkeley Fall 2024 concluded as a comprehensive test across five events. From the extended stamina demanded by Megaminx to the split-second execution of sprint puzzles, the gathering demonstrated the full spectrum of competitive puzzle solving.