Bunbury's South West Speedsolving 2023

A mere six hundredths of a second separated the entire top three in the classic Rubik's Cube final at Bunbury's South West Speedsolving 2023. When the dust settled in the decisive third round, Jaxon Foster emerged victorious with a winning average of 10.67 seconds, edging out Charlie van Ooran at 10.72 and Tyler Williams at 10.73. Foster also registered the fastest single solve in the category at 8.99 seconds. The breathtakingly tight contest provided the definitive highlight of a packed single-day speedcubing program held at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School on August 5, 2023.

The 3x3 results capped an intense day of competition in Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia. A focused roster of 24 speedcubers gathered to contest five official events across ten rounds of action. Competitors from across Australia filled the tables, pushing for personal milestones across varied disciplines ranging from traditional twisty puzzles to specialty formats. The dramatic 3x3x3 Cube finish set an electrifying tone, proving how demanding elite speed cubing can be when every millisecond dictates podium positions.

While Foster captured the marquee title, Amy Smith put together a remarkably dominant multi-event campaign. Smith secured three individual victories over the course of the day, showcasing versatility across both mechanical dexterity and mental discipline. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Smith took top honors with an average of 3.13 seconds, leading Williams in second at 3.47 and Zak Kenny in third at 3.90. The 2x2 event proved exceptionally competitive across the entire roster, as multiple competitors logged quick times during the two completed rounds.

Smith carried that winning momentum into the Pyraminx, claiming gold with an average mark of 4.24 seconds after two rounds featuring 23 competitors. Williams secured the silver medal with a 4.44 average, while van Ooran completed the podium in third place at 5.45. Smith's fastest single in the event reached 2.96 seconds, demonstrating sharp turning efficiency on the tetrahedral puzzle. Williams pushed the pace throughout the final round, keeping the pressure on until the final solves were tallied.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline demanded immense memory work and steady execution, and Smith again rose to the top. Solving the standard cube without visual aid, Smith posted a gold-medal single time of 54.22 seconds among the seven entrants. Foster collected second place with a time of 2:06.44, while Kenny achieved third place on the strength of a 1:27.83 single. Blindfolded events require complete memorisation before the blindfold is donned, making Smith's sub-minute success a standout achievement.

Beyond the title battles, the competition highlighted remarkable individual growth from competitors testing their limits. Joshua Alan Meyburgh delivered a massive breakthrough in the 3x3x3 Cube, lowering his personal best to 11.32 seconds, an improvement of 45.2 percent over his previous 20.65. Joel Harrop took on four events and sliced his Pyraminx best down by 44.5 percent to 2.64 seconds. Roy Jansan Jr. competed across four disciplines and made substantial gains, knocking 43.9 percent off his Skewb mark to hit 12.73 seconds, alongside an 8.54 in Pyraminx. Sophia Dumergue also excelled in the Skewb, cutting 35.1 percent to set a 9.05 personal best.

Other competitors took on brand new disciplines or posted major milestones across the board. Jacob Gibson entered four events and trimmed his Pyraminx personal best by 31.6 percent to 5.76 seconds. Caleb Longden tackled four events, finishing eighth in 2x2x2 Cube, logging a 25.1 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with a 15.06, and posting a 7.26 in his first ever attempt at Skewb. Debutants also embraced the cubing competition atmosphere, as Caleb Emmanuel Santos completed his first WCA competition by logging times across three events, including 10.03 in Pyraminx, while Cooper Hopley took on four events in his first official appearance, opening with an 8.29 in the 2x2x2 Cube.

The Skewb tournament produced yet another compelling duel between the weekend's top contenders. Tyler Williams clinched the victory with a swift 3.88 winning average and a best single of 3.30 across two rounds of 16 competitors. Foster followed in second place with an average of 5.79, while Eshiel Benzion Narayanan secured third place at 5.94. The result ensured Williams finished the meeting with a full slate of podium appearances across multiple formats.

With 15 total podium places awarded across the five disciplines, Bunbury's South West Speedsolving 2023 demonstrated the depth of talent present in regional Western Australia. From dramatic six-hundredth-of-a-second margins on the 3x3x3 Cube to personal best drops exceeding forty percent, this official WCA competition delivered memorable head-to-head racing and meaningful personal achievements from start to finish.