Big and Blind North Andover 2024

Sixteen competitors gathered on July 13, 2024, to take on some of the most demanding disciplines in speedcubing at the Brooks School. Big and Blind North Andover 2024 brought together specialized talent in North Andover, Massachusetts, USA, staging seven events across eight competitive rounds. With a program focused entirely on large cubes and sightless disciplines, the one-day WCA competition delivered intense showdowns where every turn required absolute precision, deep spatial awareness, and total concentration.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition produced standout individual records and razor-thin margins. Elliott Kobelansky delivered a spectacular showing, clocking a lightning-fast single of 15.50 seconds on his way to securing the overall victory with a final winning average of 16.77 seconds. His rapid memorisation and flawless execution set the standard for the weekend, besting Rowe Hessler, who claimed second place with a 22.04 average after laying down a blistering 19.10 single and a 19.47 average of his own during the rounds.

Rowe Hessler established complete control over the remaining sightless events, taking home three distinct titles in an extraordinary multi-event showcase. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Hessler successfully solved 55 of 66 cubes in a time of 59:39, holding off Elliott Kobelansky, who placed second with an impressive 39 out of 44 in 56:24. Brazil's Thiago Han secured third place on the podium by managing 24 solved cubes out of 26 in 55:01.

Hessler continued his blindfolded masterclass in the big puzzle divisions. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, he earned first place with a single solve of 2:15.37, finishing well ahead of Caleb Retik, who secured second with 5:50.22, and Will Russo in third with 6:29.58. In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, Hessler captured another gold medal with a winning single time of 6:01.88, while Joey Mait claimed second place by registering a time of 17:34.00 in an event where five other finalists recorded a DNF.

Beyond the blindfolded categories, the big cube events featured exceptional speed and tactical consistency. Jeffrey Li claimed a decisive double championship in the largest puzzles, winning the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:32.82 average and a best single of 1:24.27, followed by Will Russo in second at 2:07.19 and Gage Coon in third at 2:07.21. Li followed that up in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a winning average of 2:09.92 and a single of 1:59.89. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Derek White captured the title with a swift 1:10.77 average, edging out Russo at 1:12.59 and Han at 1:12.82.

While the top steps of the podium featured familiar champions, several under-the-radar competitors achieved major milestones that the raw standings often obscure. James Wang entered four events and notched a career-best seventh-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a personal best of 3:34.31, which improved on his previous mark by 10.7 percent. Michael Lee stepped up for his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, taking eighth place by resolving 4 out of 6 cubes in 52:00. Luke Chestnutt made his first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube to place ninth with a 5:32.58 single, while cutting 5.7 percent off his 6x6x6 Cube personal best with a time of 3:20.35 alongside a 1:26.46 personal record in the 5x5x5 Cube.

Other dedicated solvers added valuable contributions across the packed schedule. Ryan Durette took on five separate disciplines, highlighted by an eighth-place finish in the 5x5x5 Cube. Alex Cohen competed across three big cube brackets, achieving his strongest result with a fifth-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube. James Donahue entered four events and earned fifth place in the 5x5x5 Cube. Their consistent performances demonstrated the deep enthusiasm driving the broader speed cubing field forward in North Andover.

The 3x3 results in the blindfolded category reflected remarkable individual progress across the board. Joey Mait captured third place overall in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 39.55 average, supported by a 51.03 single. Significant single marks were also recorded by Caleb Retik at 41.26, Will Russo at 1:40.67, Dylan Girouard at 2:08.68, and Gage Coon at 2:32.80, proving that solving a classic Rubik's Cube without visual aid remains one of the ultimate tests in speedcubing.

When the final round concluded, United States competitors led the medal count with 19 podium finishes, supported by strong showings from Canada and Brazil with three podiums each. Big and Blind North Andover 2024 proved that dedicated, single-day specialty tournaments offer an intense, rewarding stage for puzzle mastery. As the 2024 cubing competition schedule advances, the marks set here establish a high benchmark for the blindfolded and big cube community.