Chico Spring 2024

Twenty-five competitors gathered at the Bidwell Presbyterian Church on April 20, 2024, as the spring speedcubing calendar hit its stride in Northern California. With seven events crammed across 13 fast-moving rounds, Chico Spring 2024 offered an intense one-day proving ground for solvers looking to build form early in the competitive year. The compact lineup brought together a mix of experienced regional contenders and energetic newcomers who made the most of the brisk, concentrated schedule in Chico, California, USA.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event spanned three rounds of competition and concluded with a decisive showing at the top. Michael Larsen clinched victory with a winning average of 7.78 seconds, supported by a rapid best single of 7.15. Larsen held off Paul Mahvi, who took second place with an 8.07 average, while Jusun Choi of Korea completed the podium in third with an 8.28. The final round proved why these standard Rubik's Cube showdowns anchor any major cubing competition, offering tense turnarounds as the top finishers delivered sub-eight second efforts.

Larsen was not done after the main event, posting a balanced performance across several different formats. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Mahvi took top honours with an impressive 28.00 winning average and a round-best 26.24 single, leaving Larsen in second at 32.92 and Jason Ostdiek in third at 34.40. Larsen also secured third in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 15.46 average, alongside runner-up finishes in both Pyraminx and 3x3x3 Blindfolded, showing broad versatility throughout the single-day gathering.

Elsewhere across the floor, the speed cubing drama continued in the specialty categories. The 3x3x3 One-Handed title went to Jusun Choi, who recorded a tidy 13.30 winning average and a best single of 11.75 to edge out Ostdiek at 13.80. Meanwhile, the Skewb final was locked down by Taj Bressert, who won with a sharp 3.06 average, ahead of Choi's 3.37 and Mahvi's 4.77. In the memorisation test of 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Jason Ostdiek took the win with a single solve of 34.17 seconds, comfortably clear of Larsen at 1:40.21 and Mahvi at 2:15.71.

The short-format puzzles belonged squarely to Sebastian Stone, who put together a stellar double-gold performance. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Stone took first place with a 2.94 average, holding off runner-up Kenji Gipson-Nahman at 3.16 and Ostdiek at 3.19. Stone followed that up with a triumph in Pyraminx, taking the title with a 3.01 average ahead of Larsen at 5.33 and Bressert at 6.09. Across the preliminary heats and finals, the 2x2x2 bracket saw a rapid succession of brisk personal marks set across the entire roster.

Beyond the medals and finals, the heart of the competition was visible in the breakthroughs achieved by solvers pushing their own personal boundaries. Giovanni Cecchettini delivered massive leaps forward, lowering their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 69.7 percent down to 6.61 seconds and trimming their 3x3x3 mark by 56.2 percent to 22.45. Luca Cecchettini followed a similar trajectory, dropping their 3x3x3 time by 56.3 percent to 17.85 and improving on 2x2x2 with a new personal best of 4.62, which was 50.7 percent faster than before. Hartley Hansen dropped their 2x2x2 best by 37.2 percent to 6.52 and took 33.2 percent off their Pyraminx mark with an 11.14. Luke Schooling lowered their 2x2x2 time by 25 percent to 5.47 and took their 3x3x3 best down to 20.09, while Jackson Dake sharpened their 2x2x2 single by 16.5 percent to 9.24.

Newer milestones were also carved out by competitors trying fresh puzzles for the very first time on a WCA competition stage. Australia's Levi Foy tackled five events, recording their first official attempt at Skewb with a 15.46, their first Pyraminx solve at 10.51, and a 10.9 percent improvement in One-Handed to 1:21.63. Several debutants also made their opening marks in the WCA database. Harry Hansen-Higgins opened with attempts in three events, recording a 19.62 in Pyraminx, 2:20.43 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 39.21 in 3x3x3. Silas Garrett similarly completed three first-time events, posting 31.15 on 3x3x3, 6.92 on 2x2x2, and 12.83 on Pyraminx, making their presence felt across the day.

When the final timers were packed away, Chico Spring 2024 left a distinct stamp on the northern California cubing scene. With 18 podium positions claimed by United States competitors and three by Korea, the tournament delivered high-quality 3x3 results alongside dramatic improvements down the order. The day captured the dynamic nature of competitive solving, offering an early-season testing ground where both seasoned contenders and emerging talents found their rhythm.