Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023

Inside the Vista Verde Basketball Court, the rhythmic clack of turning plastic echoed across the hardwood as speedcubing closed out the calendar year. Competitors gathered to test their finger dexterity, visual tracking, and deep algorithmic knowledge on the final Friday of the season. Speed cubing rewards exceptional physical control and technical precision, whether navigating big cubes or executing intricate ergonomic turns. The one-day gathering drew 57 competitors across 8 events and 10 rounds, setting the stage for high-level drama in Caloocan City, Philippines on December 29, 2023.

Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023 featured an intense battle in the standard Rubik's Cube category, where 55 competitors contested two rounds of competition. Karl Matthew Angeles captured the victory with a winning average of 7.68 seconds in the final round, having delivered a best single of 6.79. Carl Ashley Cortes secured second place with an average of 7.93, while Stacy Nicole Viray Mabalot rounded out the podium in third with an average of 9.37. The depth of the 3x3 results demonstrated how competitive the local scene remains as the year concluded.

Big cube specialists found substantial success throughout the tournament, led by Richmond Mico Rigor. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Rigor claimed the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 29.74 seconds, holding off Christian Naguio at 34.34 and Karl Matthew Angeles at 35.88. Rigor repeated the feat in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a winning mark of 54.49 seconds, narrowly edging Dale Palmares at 55.11 and Christian Naguio at 59.97 in a very tight final.

The longer formats saw Dale Palmares and Christian Naguio split top honours. Naguio seized first place in the 6x6x6 Cube with a mean of 1:35.51, finishing just ahead of Richmond Mico Rigor at 1:36.69 and Dale Palmares at 1:40.71. In the 7x7x7 Cube, which featured two full rounds, Palmares claimed the victory by logging a 2:19.51 average to beat Naguio at 2:30.25 and Louie Jay Quibote at 2:49.46.

Dale Palmares continued his strong showing by winning the Clock event with an average of 6.68 seconds, leading Yuji Yoshida at 8.17 and Zoei Principe at 8.26. In the Square-1 event, Francis Yuel B. Merced earned the title with a mark of 15.11 seconds, finishing ahead of Jacob Miko Tan at 16.45 and Yuji Yoshida at 17.75. Blindfolded solving demands intense mental focus and total memorisation, and Jacob Miko Tan captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded win with a best single of 46.85 seconds, outpacing Naguio at 1:24.33 and Yoshida at 1:39.93.

Beyond the championship trophies, this WCA competition revealed massive personal growth across the roster. Karl Martin Montealto took on 5 events and posted an exceptional Square-1 personal best of 16.02 seconds, cutting 75.3 percent off his prior mark of 1:04.95, while also earning a Clock personal best of 14.90 and making his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:41.52. Ervy Gemar Regis showed immense progress in 4x4x4 Cube with a personal best of 1:12.47, a 47.1 percent drop from 2:17.08, alongside first career attempts in Clock at 10.59 and Square-1 at 27.11.

Norainne Mari Mañeja entered 5 events and dropped her 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 38.3 percent to 1:33.09, while registering her first official attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 2:57.07 and 7x7x7 Cube at 5:40.45. Thomas Jacob Aldaba earned 4th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a debut single of 1:52.25, lowered his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 42.04, and completed his first Clock solve in 11.46. John Lendon P. Segundo shaved 8.5 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube time down to 58.70, while attempting Clock in 22.35 and 5x5x5 Cube in 2:55.13 for the first time.

Rennel Marcos made inaugural tournament runs across three distinct events, clocking 1:17.66 in 4x4x4 Cube, 35.09 in Clock, and 3:21.14 in 5x5x5 Cube while placing 6th in Square-1. Hiroyuki Iriyama tackled 8 events, putting up debut solves of 13.80 in Clock, 2:59.89 in 6x6x6 Cube, and 5:15.73 in 7x7x7 Cube. James A. Acana embraced 7 events, notching his first official attempts in Square-1 at 53.43, 6x6x6 Cube at 4:29.20, and 7x7x7 Cube at 7:33.58. Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023 ended as a complete celebration of progress and precision across every level of this classic cubing competition.

May 57 na kalahok ang nagtipon sa Vista Verde Basketball Court upang tapusin ang taon sa pamamagitan ng matinding labanan sa bilis at talas ng isip. Sa Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023 na ginanap noong December 29, 2023, sumabak ang bawat manlalaro sa 8 opisyal na kategorya na binubuo ng 10 rounds sa Caloocan City, Philippines. Nakataya ang karangalan sa huling torneo ng taon para sa komunidad ng speedcubing kung saan sinubok ang bawat segundo ng kanilang preparasyon sa ibabaw ng timer.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube na nilahukan ng 55 na manlalaro sa dalawang rounds, nakuha ni Karl Matthew Angeles ang tagumpay matapos magtala ng winning average na 7.68 at pinakamabilis na single na 6.79. Pumangalawa si Carl Ashley Cortes na may average na 7.93, habang pumangatlo naman si Stacy Nicole Viray Mabalot na nagtala ng 9.37 average sa podium finish. Ang labanang ito sa tradisyunal na Rubik's Cube ang naging sentro ng buong araw sa paligsahan.

Naging mabagsik din ang kampanya ni Richmond Mico Rigor sa mas malalaking puzzle matapos magwagi sa dalawang magkahiwalay na event. Pinangunahan ni Rigor ang 4x4x4 Cube tangan ang winning average na 29.74 at best single na 25.24 laban sa 43 kalahok, habang pumangalawa si Christian Naguio sa 34.34 at pumangatlo si Karl Matthew Angeles sa 35.88. Hindi pa doon natapos ang kanyang dominasyon dahil inangkin din niya ang unang puwesto sa 5x5x5 Cube na may 54.49 average laban kina Dale Palmares na may 55.11 at Christian Naguio na may 59.97.

Bumawi naman si Dale Palmares sa iba pang mahihirap na kategorya sa Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023. Naghari si Palmares sa Clock na nagtala ng 6.68 winning average at 4.79 best single laban sa 19 na kalahok, kasunod sina Yuji Yoshida sa 8.17 at Zoei Principe sa 8.26. Dinoble pa ni Palmares ang kanyang tagumpay nang manalo sa 7x7x7 Cube sa pamamagitan ng 2:19.51 average, dinaig sina Christian Naguio na nagrehistro ng 2:30.25 at Louie Jay Quibote na may 2:49.46 sa podium.

Sa 6x6x6 Cube, nagwagi si Christian Naguio na may winning average na 1:35.51 laban kay Richmond Mico Rigor na may 1:36.69 at Dale Palmares na may 1:40.71. Sa Square-1, si Francis Yuel B. Merced ang nanguna sa 11 kalahok tangan ang 15.11 winning average, habang pumangalawa si Jacob Miko Tan (陈在元) na may 16.45 at pumangatlo si Yuji Yoshida sa 17.75. Sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded, kung saan kailangan ang kabisote bago lutasin ang puzzle nang nakapiring, naghari si Jacob Miko Tan (陈在元) gamit ang kanyang 46.85 single laban kina Christian Naguio na may 1:24.33 at Yuji Yoshida na may 1:39.93.

Sa likod ng mga pamilyar na kampeon, marami ring manlalaro ang nagtala ng malalaking hakbang at sariling tagumpay. Si Mateo James Alcantara ay lumahok sa 2 events kung saan naitala niya ang 3x3x3 Cube personal best na 9.14 na 29.3 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa dati niyang 12.93, bukod sa kanyang unang subok sa 4x4x4 Cube na may 1:13.90 at 37th finish. Si Daniel Yanga ay sumabak sa 5 events at nagtapos sa ika-6 na puwesto sa 3x3x3 Cube, gumawa ng personal best sa 5x5x5 Cube na 1:25.61 na 9 porsyentong mas mabilis sa dating 1:34.09, at nagtala ng unang subok sa 7x7x7 Cube sa 4:21.32 at 4x4x4 Cube sa 40.07. Si Ethan Z-Jon B. Potpotan ay pumasok sa 5 events, nagtala ng 9th finish sa 6x6x6 Cube gamit ang unang subok na 2:41.30, unang subok sa 7x7x7 Cube na 3:46.51, at personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube na 10.39. Si Christian Paul Lara ay sumabak din sa 5 events at pumoste ng 7th finish sa 4x4x4 Cube kalakip ang unang subok sa 6x6x6 Cube na 2:36.38 at 7x7x7 Cube na 4:01.91.

Para naman sa mga bagong salta sa ganitong cubing competition, naging mahalagang entablado ang torneo upang maipakita ang kanilang galing. Si Glenan Cris P. Gonzales ay sumabak sa kanyang unang WCA competition sa 4 na events, nakamit ang 9th finish sa 3x3x3 Blindfolded sa unang subok na 3:33.81, kasabay ng unang subok sa 4x4x4 Cube na 1:01.72 at 5x5x5 Cube na 2:04.87. Si Jason Luis C. Gonzales ay pumasok din sa kanyang pinakaunang paligsahan sa 3 events, nagtala ng 25th finish sa 5x5x5 Cube sa unang subok na 1:55.74, gayundin sa 3x3x3 Cube sa 10.89 at 4x4x4 Cube sa 58.32. Samantala, sina Jace Legaspi at Arvi Christian Magcalas Alinea ay parehong sumalang sa kanilang unang torneo sa 3x3x3 Cube, kung saan nagrehistro si Legaspi ng 47.57 at si Alinea naman ay nagtala ng 29.37.

Ang kabuuang 24 na podium finishes para sa mga pambato ng Pilipinas ay nagpatunay sa lumalawak at tumitinding antas ng husay sa bansa. Matagumpay na naisara ng Caloocan Year-End Blast 2023 ang taon para sa bawat kalahok na nagbuhos ng kanilang gilas bago sumapit ang bagong yugto ng mga paligsahan.