Berkeley Winter 2024

A total of 251 competitors converged on Pauley Ballroom on February 4, 2024, many crossing continents and oceans to take their place at the solving tables. Speedcubers represented delegations from across the globe, including Hong Kong, India, Denmark, China, Japan, Israel, and New Zealand, making Berkeley, California, USA a truly international hub of high-stakes puzzle solving. Across seven official disciplines and 14 intense rounds of play, the single-day WCA competition showcased both elite world-class execution and tremendous personal progression on the West Coast.

The premier Rubik's Cube category featured a massive field of 249 participants battling through three complete elimination rounds. Varun Mohanraj delivered a masterclass in the final round, taking top honors with a stellar 7.04-second winning average alongside the competition's best single time of 5.39 seconds. Ethan Jan captured the silver medal with a 7.47 average, while James Chea rounded out an all-American podium in third place with a mark of 7.53 seconds, solidifying some of the sharpest 3x3 results seen this year.

Varun Mohanraj was not finished with his winning ways at Berkeley Winter 2024, extending his dominance directly into the large-cube realm. In the 5x5x5 Cube event, Mohanraj paced a competitive lineup of 83 solvers to secure victory with a 50.63-second average and a blazing 46.54 single. Paul Mahvi followed in second place with an average of 54.30 seconds, while An Le claimed the bronze position after recording a steady 1:00.77 mark in the single-round showdown.

Cameron Miller staged a spectacular double victory of his own in the short-format events. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Miller took the crown with a lightning-fast 1.49-second average, having also dropped a 0.94 single earlier in the round. Stanley Tran finished as runner-up with an average of 2.15 seconds, closely trailed by Rami Sbahi at 2.17. Miller then transitioned smoothly to the Pyraminx, claiming gold with a 3.09 average over India's Pravith Velmurugan, who clocked 3.41, and Sebastian Stone, who took third in 3.53 seconds.

The one-handed and specialty events brought further international flair to the stage. Hong Kong's Anto Kam topped the 3x3x3 One-Handed bracket, averaging 9.99 seconds with a 8.42 best single to edge out Ethan Jan at 11.47 and Denmark's Albert Luthje at 12.60. In Skewb, Taj Bressert secured victory with a 3.24 average, finishing ahead of Cameron Miller at 3.67 and Rami Sbahi at 3.99. Meanwhile, David Karalli won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division with a 21.83 single, leading Anto Kam at 34.89 and China's Cindy Xiaoyue Huang at 38.21.

Beyond the championship podiums, the cubing competition served as a launchpad for remarkable individual milestones across every stage of development. Logan Kubota entered four disciplines and delivered a massive Skewb personal best of 6.84 seconds, trimming his prior mark by 62.8 percent while also posting a 59.63 in his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed. Shubhaay Mehta made a Pyraminx debut with an 11.35 single, alongside a 6.18 Skewb personal best that improved his previous standard by 61.1 percent, and a 24.44 in the standard cube. Skye Hermans took on five events, improving by 50.6 percent to record a 4.99 Pyraminx personal best, logging a 12.76 in the 3x3, and making a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 2:27.93.

The breakthrough performances continued with Deepesh Krishna Kavali, who posted a 5.00-second 2x2 personal best to slice 49 percent off his previous benchmark, notched a 52.94 in one-handed, and completed a debut Skewb solve of 10.64. Harsh Shah recorded a 48.2 percent improvement on Pyraminx with a 9.51 single, reached a 17.01 in 3x3, and debuted on 5x5x5 with a 3:54.55 effort. Eysin Fujita achieved a 7.52 Skewb personal best, a 48 percent drop, and completed a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.84 single. Erik Martin tackled three events, cutting 47.4 percent on Pyraminx for a 5.35 personal best and registering a 3:34.83 in his 5x5x5 debut. RJ Black slashed his 3x3 mark by 41.6 percent down to 19.33, while completing initial career attempts in both Pyraminx and Skewb.

From long-distance travelers flying in from overseas to regional speed cubing enthusiasts setting career-defining times, the gathering at Pauley Ballroom captured the competitive depth of the global community. With United States competitors collecting 16 podium positions alongside honors won by Hong Kong, India, Denmark, and China, the tournament demonstrated the universal appeal of speedcubing. As the 2024 season moves ahead, the high standards established in Northern California set a lively benchmark for tournaments across the globe.