Christmas Cubing Sigua 2023

Eighteen competitors gathered in Siguatepeque, Honduras on December 10, 2023, turning Casa de la Cultura Siguatepeque into a proving ground for both seasoned solvers and rising newcomers. Christmas Cubing Sigua 2023 brought together a vibrant field where fresh faces stepped onto the official stage alongside established champions. Over the course of nine rounds across seven distinct events, the one-day WCA competition showcased the rapid growth of the local community as several participants made their official debuts on the tournament floor.

The 3x3x3 Cube tournament delivered thrilling drama across two rounds of play, capturing the essence of competitive Rubik's Cube solving. Fares Daniel Flores Hernández of Honduras claimed the top step on the podium, locking in the championship with a winning average of 12.87 seconds and a tournament-best single of 9.26 seconds. Fellow countryman Ivan Arnoldo Navarrete Sermeño secured second place with a 13.82 average, while Luis David Hernández Mejía rounded out an all-Honduran podium in third place with a 15.01 average, highlighting the depth of the 3x3 results.

Beyond the main event, the short puzzles produced tight margins across the tables. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Ivan Arnoldo Navarrete Sermeño captured victory with a decisive winning average of 4.17 seconds, powered by a best single solve of 3.31 seconds. Connor Weed of the USA followed in second place with an average of 4.35 seconds, while Anthony Gabriel Torres Mejia of Honduras earned third with a 4.42 mark. The event saw fourteen competitors engage in fast-paced turns where fractions of a second separated the top contenders.

Fares Daniel Flores Hernández continued his winning form in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking first place with an impressive average of 21.62 seconds and a single of 17.49 seconds. Luis David Hernández Mejía took silver with an average of 27.58, while Connor Weed captured bronze with a 31.56 average. Meanwhile, the Pyraminx saw Elias Antonio Alvarez Ramos rise to the top over two competitive rounds, posting a winning average of 8.17 seconds ahead of Ubilson Abieser Hernández Mejía at 9.29 and Flores Hernández at 9.87.

Longer-form and specialty puzzles highlighted the versatility of the competitors in Siguatepeque. Owen Marchlewski of the USA triumphed in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 1:00.18 and a single solve of 53.92 seconds to edge out Luis David Hernández Mejía at 1:00.41 and Josef Garcia at 1:02.94. In the Skewb, Garcia captured gold with a 7.30 average, followed by Anthony Gabriel Torres Mejia at 8.66 and Marchlewski at 11.00. Connor Weed dominated the Square-1, winning with a swift 10.75 average, ahead of Marchlewski at 27.47 and Garcia at 38.18.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones in their solving journeys. Percy Yassir Ferrera Hernández entered three events, achieving an eighth-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube thanks to a personal best single of 2.12 seconds that improved on his previous mark by 56.7 percent, alongside a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:03.10. Leony Yu Way tackled six different events, earning tenth in 3x3x3 One-Handed while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube best to 5.32 seconds, a 54.9 percent improvement, and cutting his Skewb best to 19.44. Samuel Octavio Alvarez Ramos took on two events, slashing his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 10.60 seconds, which was 52.1 percent faster than before, while also improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 19.1 percent to 41.42.

The progress continued with Abdel Leonardo Azzad Luque, who registered for five events, logged his first ever official attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:22.26, made his first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.99, and finished fourth in Pyraminx with a personal best of 7.50 seconds that was 27.8 percent faster than his previous standard. Dorian Ernesto Rosales Rodriguez competed across seven events, taking fourth in Square-1. Meanwhile, three newcomers made their official tournament debuts in the 3x3x3 Cube: Joel Espinoza Arriaga logged an opening mark of 18.97 seconds, Jonathan Nazith Meza Rodriguez posted a 20.65 in his first appearance, and Jorge Miguel Durón Izaguirre completed his inaugural attempt in 40.37.

The tournament served as a vibrant showcase of regional speed cubing talent in Central America, with host nation competitors securing twelve podium placements while visiting American solvers earned nine. The gathering demonstrated how a dedicated speedcubing meet provides equal space for elite times and milestone moments for newcomers starting their competitive careers. As the final scrambles cleared from the tables, Christmas Cubing Sigua 2023 wrapped up an eventful day that set a strong foundation for the upcoming season.

From debut solves to narrow victories across seven formats, the single-day cubing competition underscored the passion and precision driving the regional community forward. As the solvers packed their cubes and gear, the shared successes and personal bests at Casa de la Cultura Siguatepeque marked another exciting chapter for Honduran puzzle enthusiasts looking ahead to future challenges on the timer.