Caloocan Cube Craze 2024

51 competitors converged on SM Center Sangandaan on June 9, 2024, measuring their preparation against a tight schedule of twelve rounds across six distinct disciplines. While most of the field assembled from across Caloocan City, Philippines and neighbouring provinces, the reach of the gathering extended across oceans, drawing international representation from Peru. Long journeys and local commutes alike culminated in a focused single-day test where precision on the timing pad rewarded every kilometre travelled.

The 2024 edition of Caloocan Cube Craze 2024 showcased remarkable depth across traditional and niche events. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube, Brenton Angelo Lo Wong navigated three rounds against fifty contenders to capture the title with a winning average of 7.21 seconds, complemented by a sharp best single of 6.57 seconds. The 3x3 results in the final round saw Karl Matthew Angeles secure the runner-up position with a 7.81 average, while Jaybee Montecillo finished third with an 8.74 average.

Brenton Angelo Lo Wong extended his dominance to the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a 47-competitor bracket to take gold with a final average of 2.13 seconds. His performance earlier in the day reset the record books, highlighted by a national record average of 1.61 seconds and a personal single of 1.22 seconds. Isaiah Benedict S. Feria took second place on the podium with a 2.28 average after delivering a 1.23 single, and Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes claimed third with a 3.00 average, posting his own 1.90 single along the way.

Blindfolded events brought intense concentration to Caloocan Cube Craze 2024, where competitors tackled puzzles purely from memory. John Axel B. Gordo took the top spot in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final, posting a winning average of 25.24 seconds alongside a best single of 22.19 seconds. Luis Gabriel Magadia earned second place with 1:18.94, while Peru traveler Andres Taipe took third with a single of 1:18.06. Gordo repeated his victory in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, successfully resolving 28 of 41 cubes in 58:06, followed by Magadia with 11 of 12 cubes in 53:11 and Jacob Miko Tan with 7 of 9 in 31:24.

Craig Luke Jimeno commanded the Pyraminx event, taking first place with an average of 3.03 seconds and a best single of 2.02 seconds in a field of 37 entrants. Isaiah Benedict S. Feria took the second step on the podium at 4.14 seconds, and Yuji Yoshida secured third at 4.54 seconds. In the Clock event, Zoei Principe prevailed over 27 competitors with a winning average of 5.52 seconds and a 3.28 single, holding off Kyle Capiral with 5.69 seconds and Ezekiel L. Inciso with 6.04 seconds.

Beyond the podium battles, the floor of Caloocan Cube Craze 2024 was defined by massive personal milestones from dedicated participants. Brian Hill T. Ayapana delivered a stunning breakthrough in the Pyraminx across four events entered, logging a personal best single of 1.25 seconds that was 61.8 percent faster than his prior mark of 3.27, earning a seventh-place finish. Davin Victor Gabriel Chu achieved a dramatic improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube, cutting his best from 21.37 seconds down to 9.78 seconds for a 54.2 percent reduction, while also dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 11.4 percent to 40.77 seconds. Francine Rovie F. Retanan contested four events and improved her Clock record by 46.3 percent to 10.62 seconds, adding personal marks of 4.41 in 2x2x2 Cube and 11.71 in 3x3x3 Cube. Sam David A. Viduya ventured into the Pyraminx for the first time with a 9.14 single, alongside personal bests of 7.45 in 2x2x2 Cube and 21.79 in 3x3x3 Cube.

The progress continued across every corner of the venue as competitors took on new challenges. Zander Verona entered four events and made a strong first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, registering 4 out of 6 cubes solved in 55:59 to finish fourth, while also posting a 2x2x2 Cube best of 4.23 seconds and a 3x3x3 Blindfolded best of 1:48.28. Joshua B. Elca made his first official Clock attempt with an 8.80 single, trimmed 17 percent off his Pyraminx best to hit 5.42 seconds, and finished twelfth in 2x2x2 Cube. Jino France Abelinde completed four events, trying Clock for the first time with a 15.61 single and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube mark to 3.39 seconds. John Hendrix M. Francisco made his first appearance in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.47 single and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best to 17.46 seconds.

As the day wrapped up, the gathering reaffirmed the appeal of live speedcubing in the region. Whether executing rapid turns on the classic Rubik's Cube, trying out new disciplines, or chasing regional standings, participants demonstrated the vibrant momentum of speed cubing in the country. Caloocan Cube Craze 2024 provided an ideal arena for both travelling veterans and advancing local solvers to test their limits under official WCA competition conditions, setting a formidable benchmark for the community heading into the next competitive cycle.

Nagtala si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong ng pambihirang bilis nang magtala siya ng national record average na 1.61 sa 2x2x2 Cube upang pangunahan ang aksyon sa Caloocan Cube Craze 2024. Sa naturang kompetisyon na ginanap sa SM Center Sangandaan sa Caloocan City, Philippines noong June 9, 2024, nagpakitang-gilas ang 51 kalahok sa anim na magkakaibang larangan. Ang tagumpay na ito ay naging hudyat ng isang maaksyong araw ng speedcubing sa lungsod kung saan nagtagpo ang mga beteranong kampeon at mga baguhang manlalaro na sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang opisyal na torneo.

Para sa mga sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition, ang bawat ikot ng Rubik's Cube sa harap ng opisyal na timer ay nagbigay ng panibagong karanasan. Ang tapang ng mga baguhan na pumasok sa entablado ng paligsahan ang nagbigay-buhay sa buong araw ng palaro, habang sabay-sabay nilang hinarap ang hamon ng bilis at konsentrasyon. Sa kabuuan ng 12 rounds sa buong araw, naging patunay ang torneyo sa patuloy na paglago ng komunidad sa bansa.

Sa pangunahing dibisyon ng 3x3x3 Cube, muling nanguna si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong matapos magrehistro ng winning average na 7.21 at pinakamabilis na single na 6.57 laban sa 50 iba pang katunggali. Sumunod sa kaniya sa podium si Karl Matthew Angeles na nagtala ng average na 7.81 para sa ikalawang puwesto, habang nakuha naman ni Jaybee Montecillo ang ikatlong puwesto sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang 8.74 average.

Bukod sa kaniyang pambansang rekord sa preliminary rounds, kinuha rin ni Brenton Angelo Lo Wong ang gintong medalya sa finals ng 2x2x2 Cube tangan ang 2.13 winning average. Pumangalawa sa naturang labanan si Isaiah Benedict S. Feria na may average na 2.28, habang pumangatlo si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes na nagtala ng 3.00 average matapos ang masusing pagtutuos ng 47 kalahok.

Sa likod ng mga labanan para sa podium sa cubing competition, maraming kalahok ang nagtala ng mahahalagang tagumpay sa kanilang sariling mga talaan. Si Edwin D. Montenegro Jr. ay sumabak sa apat na kategorya sa kaniyang unang torneo at nagtala ng 4.46 sa Pyraminx, 10.72 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 18.49 sa Clock. Si Dominic Hutalla ay nagtala naman ng 7.17 sa Pyraminx, 11.23 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 5.72 sa 2x2x2 Cube sa kaniyang unang sabak. Unang pagkakataon din ito para kay Jeniel Lopez na nagsumite ng 40.30 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 6.61 sa Pyraminx, at 11.87 sa 2x2x2 Cube. Ganoon din si Haki Tyler C. Malabanan na nagtala agad ng 16.02 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 6.06 sa 2x2x2 Cube, at 14.72 sa Pyraminx sa tatlong sinalihang laban.

Hindi rin nagpahuli ang mga manlalarong nagtala ng malalaking personal best sa torneo. Pinatunayan ni Gianne Elianah Garcia ang kaniyang pag-unlad sa pamamagitan ng 8.71 sa 2x2x2 Cube na 25.9 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dati, kasabay ng 14.91 sa Clock na 16.6 porsyentong pagbuti sa apat na kategoryang kaniyang sinalihan. Si Chloe Olivia Yuque ay nagrehistro ng 3.58 sa 2x2x2 Cube para sa 24.5 porsyentong pag-angat at 15.86 sa Clock na 3.3 porsyentong mas mabilis. Naitala naman ni Bernard Jon T. Eugenio ang 6.84 sa Pyraminx na 23.7 porsyentong mas matulin, kalakip ang 4.96 sa 2x2x2 Cube at 16.86 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Samantala, si Mark Anthony Dellosa ay sumabak sa unang pagkakataon sa 3x3x3 Cube tangan ang 10.28, at nagtala ng 3.48 sa 2x2x2 Cube na 4.1 porsyentong pagbuti.

Sa larangan naman ng Pyraminx, pinatunayan ni Craig Luke Jimeno ang kaniyang galing matapos dominahin ang 37 manlalaro gamit ang winning average na 3.03 at best single na 2.02. Nakuha ni Isaiah Benedict S. Feria ang ikalawang puwesto sa talaang 4.14 average, habang nakamit ni Yuji Yoshida ang ikatlong puwesto sa kaniyang 4.54 average.

Naging kapana-panabik din ang kategoryang Clock kung saan nagwagi si Zoei Principe na may winning average na 5.52 at best single na 3.28 mula sa 27 kalahok. Pumangalawa si Kyle Capiral sa pamamagitan ng 5.69 average, at sinundan siya ni Ezekiel L. Inciso sa ikatlong puwesto na may 6.04 average.

Sa mga blindfolded events na nangangailangan ng masusing pagsasaulo, naghari si John Axel B. Gordo sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded matapos magtala ng winning average na 25.24 at pinakamabilis na single na 22.19. Pumangalawa si Luis Gabriel Magadia na may 1:18.94 habang pumangatlo si Andres Taipe mula sa Peru sa bilis na 1:18.06. Dinomina rin ni John Axel B. Gordo ang 3x3x3 Multi-Blind kung saan matagumpay niyang nalutas ang 28 sa 41 puzzle sa loob ng 58:06, habang pumangalawa si Luis Gabriel Magadia na may 11/12 sa 53:11 at pumangatlo si Jacob Miko Tan (陈在元) na may 7/9 sa 31:24.

Nagtapos ang Caloocan Cube Craze 2024 na nag-iwan ng magagandang alaala at panibagong aral para sa lahat ng 51 kalahok. Mula sa pambansang rekord hanggang sa mga unang subok ng mga bagong manlalaro, ipinamalas ng buong delegasyon ang mataas na antas ng husay at disiplina bago maghanda para sa susunod na panahon ng palakasan.