Bozeman Cubing 2024

Twenty-three competitors filled the activity hall at Hyalite Elementary School on April 20, 2024, creating an energetic environment for speedcubing in the Mountain West. Bozeman, Montana, USA served as the backdrop for a compact yet demanding schedule featuring nine official events and sixteen fast-moving rounds. The bustling school venue provided the perfect setting as competitors of varied experience levels took their seats at the timing stations. Every turn of the classic Rubik's Cube echoed through the gymnasium as the single-day schedule got underway.

Jonathan Truchot delivered a standout performance across the day, claiming multiple victories in the state. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube event, Truchot captured first place with an 8.80 winning average across three tense rounds, posting a best single solve of 7.56 seconds. Clément Cherblanc followed in second place with a 10.08 average, while Tye Gorder rounded out the podium positions by taking third place with an 11.01 average. The final round concluded an intense sequence of 3x3 results that tested consistency under the venue lights.

The 2x2x2 Cube competition proved to be a major highlight of the morning schedule, drawing twenty-one participants across two rounds. Jonathan Truchot secured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 3.29 seconds alongside a 2.66 single solve. Clément Cherblanc took the runner-up position with a 3.91 average, and Dakota Heitkemper earned third place with a 4.44 average. The brisk event generated high-speed action that kept the judging tables fully occupied throughout both preliminary and final runs.

Jonathan Truchot continued his run through the mid-sized hardware, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 32.17 average and a best single time of 27.36 seconds, finishing ahead of Clément Cherblanc at 38.62 and Tye Gorder at 43.97. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Truchot once again topped the rankings by recording a 59.69 average and a 53.32 single. Cherblanc took second place with a 1:07.06 average, while Gorder claimed third in 1:31.80, showcasing steady big-cube execution inside the elementary school auditorium.

Clément Cherblanc established complete control over the specialty disciplines during the afternoon sessions. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Cherblanc took the title with a 16.84 winning average and a 14.80 single, besting Jonathan Truchot at 18.54 and Tye Gorder at 21.89. Cherblanc added a victory in Megaminx with a 57.15 average and a 52.75 single solve, before sealing first place in Square-1 by recording a 12.82 average and a 9.82 single, demonstrating remarkable dexterity across complex twisty puzzles.

Jonathan Truchot picked up two additional event wins in the side categories. In Pyraminx, Truchot posted a 5.21 winning average with a 3.74 best single to lead a field of nineteen entrants. The Skewb event saw Truchot capture first place with a 5.26 average and a 3.45 single, followed by Clément Cherblanc in second at 6.75 and Tye Gorder in third at 9.10. Across the entire competition, podium finishes remained heavily concentrated, with United States competitors earning eighteen podium spots and France earning nine.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants delivered dramatic breakthroughs and made bold debuts. Wilson Littman produced one of the day's biggest drops, lowering their Pyraminx personal best to 4.35 seconds, a 59.1 percent improvement over their prior mark of 10.64, while also taking a first ever attempt at Skewb in 12.40. Kegan Stipe cut their Skewb mark by 46.4 percent to 9.92 seconds, improved their 2x2x2 Cube best to 2.82, and registered a first attempt in Square-1 at 1:25.88. Hawke Schwartz trimmed their 2x2x2 Cube best by 44.6 percent down to 3.98 seconds and shaved 42.6 percent off their 5x5x5 Cube best to finish in 4:17.18. Owen Emory Stark recorded personal bests across three events, lowering their 5x5x5 Cube time by 40.4 percent to 2:25.05, their Skewb single to 9.32, and their 3x3x3 One-Handed time to 41.19.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges across the nine-event roster during this energetic cubing competition. Silas Juarez completed their first WCA competition by entering eight events, logging a 27.27 single on the 3x3x3 Cube, a 1:12.23 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and reaching a 9th-place finish in Megaminx. Joshua Brown also took part in their first official tournament, entering six events and registering a 1:21.01 single on Square-1 for 6th place alongside a 20.79 in Skewb. Boaz Salusso competed in six events, logging first attempts in Megaminx at 3:25.41, Pyraminx at 11.36, and 5x5x5 Cube at 4:59.14. Bruno Flowers expanded their resume with three event debuts, logging 8.99 in Pyraminx, 12.03 in Skewb, and 31.52 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The successful execution of Bozeman Cubing 2024 highlighted the growing enthusiasm for speed cubing throughout the region. From the opening rounds at Hyalite Elementary School to the final solves of the afternoon, the gathering gave both seasoned podium contenders and enthusiastic debutants a platform to test their skills. As the venue packed down at the close of April 20, the local community looked back on a full slate of nineteen podium awards and numerous personal bests in the 2024 season.