Brisbane Mega Blind 2024

Twenty-five dedicated competitors gathered at Northside Christian College on October 19, 2024, uniting a close-knit group of puzzle enthusiasts for a day defined by shared focus and mutual support. Staged in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, the specialised schedule stepped away from the frenzied pace of a standard cubing competition, instead centering on long-form concentration and camaraderie. Between intense attempts at the tables, participants traded solving methods, scrambled for peers, and shared quiet words of encouragement across five demanding disciplines.

While standard speedcubing tournaments often focus on standard three-by-three sprints, this gathering brought niche disciplines to the forefront across nine rounds of action. Enthusiasts who spend months deciphering complex memorisation systems found a welcoming environment to test their routines alongside fellow solvers. The communal atmosphere in the venue offered a collective space where seasoned veterans and ambitious newcomers could exchange insights on orientation techniques and spatial memory for the classic Rubik's Cube and larger puzzles.

The blindfolded categories demanded supreme memory recall and mechanical precision, with Charlie Eggins delivering an exceptional series of performances. Eggins secured victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning single of 14.76 seconds across three competitive rounds, while also finishing atop the field in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a time of 2:10.42. Eggins completed a remarkable sweep of the individual blindfolded events by capturing first place in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a winning single of 6:22.06, navigating the intricate multi-layer complexity without visual feedback.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event brought its own distinct drama to the hall, testing pure memory endurance over extended attempts. Joseph Burnett captured first place with an impressive 10 out of 11 cubes solved within a time of 53:03, holding off Charlie Eggins, who registered a perfect 8 out of 8 in 13:25 to claim second place. Ming Dao Ting rounded out the podium positions by successfully solving 8 out of 9 cubes in 53:34, as a field of sixteen competitors took on the marathon memory challenge together.

Turning toward the twelvesided puzzle, Megaminx introduced dynamic speed cubing action that electrified the competition floor. Jamie Otsu claimed top honours with a winning average of 37.08 seconds across three rounds, punctuated by a best single of 32.90 seconds. Avery Graham earned second place on the podium with a solid 44.94 average, while Charlie Eggins collected third place with a mark of 52.76, completing a multi-event podium collection that reflected deep mastery across both sighted and blindfolded formats.

Beyond the top podium spots, the real heart of the weekend emerged through remarkable personal milestones achieved across the roster. Zyrus Santos took on four separate disciplines and delivered a standout performance, lowering their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 61.6 percent to 2:18.67, alongside a fourth-place result in 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Joel David Hibbert entered three events and made a successful first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 2/2 in 11:36, while cutting their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 50.3 percent to 2:14.84. Asaph Scott also showed massive growth, trimming 50.2 percent off their 3x3x3 Blindfolded best to hit 1:13.21. Connor Theodore produced a dramatic improvement in Megaminx, recording 1:03.40 to shave 49 percent off their previous best mark.

Several other competitors embraced new challenges and recorded major leaps in the friendly environment. Laura Ting tackled three events and completed a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a clean 2/2 in 15:49, securing sixth place overall. Connor Sharpe also took on a first ever attempt in the multi-cube event, logging 2/3 in 19:09 while trimming their Megaminx best by 4.1 percent to 1:42.71. Billy Chapman advanced their Megaminx best by 17.8 percent down to 2:26.44, and Tommas Austin-Milne achieved a personal best of 59.95 in Megaminx, improving by 18.8 percent. William Larsen embraced the multifaceted test as well, recording a first ever attempt at Megaminx with a single of 3:28.45.

Throughout the venue, participants cheered one another through arduous memorisation passes and tense solves, demonstrating the collaborative spirit that defines the broader speedcubing community. Whether reviewing intricate 3x3 results or discussing cube rotation strategies, competitors celebrated each breakthrough as a collective success. The shared focus required by blindfolded events created an unspoken bond between solvers sitting across the competition tables.

As the single-day WCA competition drew to a close, the participants reflected on a rewarding showcase of memory sports and physical dexterity. Brisbane Mega Blind 2024 highlighted the technical skill and community warmth found across the Australian cubing scene in 2024. With memories shared and personal barriers broken, the competitors departed Northside Christian College ready to refine their techniques for the upcoming rounds of the speedcubing calendar.