Cubing Among the Drumheller Dinosaurs 2024

135 competitors made the journey across the plains and valleys to converge on the Badlands Community Facility on August 24, 2024. Speedcubing enthusiasts travelled vast distances to reach the heart of the Canadian badlands, drawn by a packed single-day schedule featuring five events and ten hard-fought rounds. Cubing Among the Drumheller Dinosaurs 2024 brought a massive travelling contingent together in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, filling the arena with intense solving across every puzzle discipline on the roster.

The journey proved especially fruitful for Kyle Santucci, who captured multiple titles during the competition. In the flagship Rubik's Cube category, Santucci claimed victory across three rounds of play among a field of 134 entrants. Delivering a decisive 5.64 winning average alongside a tournament-best single solve of 5.22, Santucci set the standard. Caleb dela Fuente secured second place on the podium with a 7.51 average, while Lucas Kuczaj completed the top three with an average mark of 8.11.

Kyle Santucci continued his winning form in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking the top spot with a 12.86 winning average and a best single of 11.16 out of 70 competitors. Lucas Kuczaj earned the silver medal in the event with a 14.77 average, followed by Dave Virk in third place at 15.37. The one-handed event proved to be one of the most technical showcases of the entire speed cubing tournament.

Beyond the standard 3x3 results, Lucas Kuczaj delivered a standout performance in the Megaminx division. Besting 55 competitors across two rounds, Kuczaj captured first place with an impressive winning average of 31.97 and a sharp 30.82 single. Ethan Basanov took the second podium position with an average of 56.11, while Danny Buschert placed third with an average of 1:01.13, finishing an intense schedule on the twelve-sided puzzle.

The 2x2x2 Cube event gathered 116 solvers across two rounds of rapid turns at Cubing Among the Drumheller Dinosaurs 2024. Benjamin Ragan took the title with a swift 2.44 winning average and a 2.08 single. Nolan Thompson followed closely behind in second place with a 2.67 average, while Kyle Santucci stepped onto the podium once again to collect third place with an average of 2.80.

In the precision-demanding 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, memorisation and execution combined across 28 competitors in a single round. Bernabe Kondrak secured first place with a single solve of 30.29. Eric Hess earned second place on the podium with a time of 40.69, while Xavier Saunders rounded out the podium finishers with a 47.68 mark.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the weekend was defined by major individual strides from solvers throughout the roster. Cache Adams entered five events, cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark down to 26.07, which was 50 percent faster than his previous best, while also logging a personal best of 1:51.07 in Megaminx and placing 16th in blindfolded solving. Clark Hoeksema recorded a personal best of 4.39 in 2x2x2 Cube, an improvement of 46.8 percent, dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 26.5 percent to 15.15, and put up his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.18. Geo Phoenix Gan lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.35, an improvement of 45.1 percent, while also tackling five events. Chanz Joseph Distor improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 40.1 percent to 6.08 and logged his first one-handed solve at 56.15.

Several competitors also took on unfamiliar challenges for the first time at Cubing Among the Drumheller Dinosaurs 2024. Nicholas Jorgensen improved his one-handed personal best by 35.9 percent to 1:45.38 and made his first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 5:16.76. Aaron Thompson lowered his one-handed mark by 31.3 percent to 1:19.97 while trying Megaminx for the first time at 3:34.57. Making their official debuts at a WCA competition, Bowei Meenagh tackled four events including a first 2x2x2 Cube solve of 20.91, while Benjamin Hachey entered four disciplines, recording a first Megaminx result of 3:40.06 and an initial one-handed solve of 55.81.

With 15 total podium places secured across the day by Canadian competitors, Cubing Among the Drumheller Dinosaurs 2024 concluded as a memorable gathering in Drumheller. The extensive travel undertaken by competitors paid dividends through fast times, newly attempted puzzles, and personal breakthroughs that will propel the community forward into the next season of competition.