Colorado Mountain Tour - Golden 2023

The tables inside the Golden Event Center filled early on June 10, 2023, as timers rested on black mats and judges readied scorecards for a packed single-day schedule. Hand warmers, lubricant bottles, and practice cubes clustered across the warm-up area as solvers prepared for the opening calls. The gathering in Golden, Colorado, USA brought together 53 competitors across 16 rounds of action. For a handful of participants, the morning walk to the station marked their first time stepping onto the official stage at an organized cubing competition.

Stepping into a sanctioned WCA competition brings a distinct rhythm of nervous anticipation and focused execution. The transition from home practice to official speedcubing involves strict inspection limits, formal judging procedures, and the unmistakable click of the timing pads. For first-time entrants, the event provided an immediate immersion into the community atmosphere. Four solvers made their official career debuts during Colorado Mountain Tour - Golden 2023, taking on the pressure of live competition across multiple disciplines.

Among those experiencing their first official rounds, Dane Ruhland tackled three separate disciplines, logging a first ever attempt of 22.42 seconds in the 3x3x3 Cube alongside marks of 13.38 in the 2x2x2 Cube and 20.17 on the Pyraminx. Justice Bame stepped up for a two-event program, opening their ledger with a 24.40 in the 3x3x3 and 6.78 in the 2x2x2. Owen David Long delivered a 26.96 3x3x3 result while recording 5.49 in the 2x2x2, and Truman Hatch completed his first competitive day across two events, highlighted by an 11.86 in the 2x2x2 Cube and a 40.33 in the 3x3x3.

Progress was equally vibrant throughout the broader field, where seasoned participants took on fresh challenges and shattered personal benchmarks. Roman Skroznikov delivered a massive breakthrough on the Pyraminx, logging a personal best of 6.00 seconds that shaved 41.4 percent off his previous mark. Ryan Nelson notched a 37.3 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.77 personal best, while Jaxon Morrow produced a 40.20 in 3x3x3 One-Handed to drop 33.9 percent from his former standard. Carter Marshall expanded his repertoire across five events, taking his first ever attempts in Clock at 20.31, 2x2x2 Cube at 4.03, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 37.09. Eli Woest similarly tackled five events, recording his first official attempts in One-Handed with 1:01.96, Clock with 20.79, and 2x2x2 Cube with 3.74. Brandt Finch logged a 21.1 percent personal best of 17.98 in the 3x3x3 alongside his first ever attempts at Pyraminx and 2x2x2. Noah Schreiber posted a 22.01 in the 3x3x3 Cube to improve by 10.5 percent while trying Clock and 2x2x2 for the first time, and Brandon Adams secured a 12th place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while cutting 28.4 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark with a 7.17 personal best.

The fight at the top of the standings delivered high-caliber speed cubing throughout the afternoon. In the main event, the classic Rubik's Cube drew 52 competitors across three elimination rounds. Luke Garrett commanded the final with an outstanding 5.69 winning average, backed by a best single solve of 5.55 seconds. The podium in the 3x3 results saw Zayn Khanani take second place with a 7.79 average, while Jacob Nokes earned third position with an 8.08 average.

Luke Garrett was a dominant force across the tournament, securing three separate event victories. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Garrett captured first place with an average of 10.24 seconds and a single of 9.14 across three rounds of play, leading Zayn Khanani in second at 14.35 and Simon Kellum in third at 14.83. Garrett added a third title in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, where competitors must solve without sight after a brief memorization phase. Garrett won the 22-person field with a best single of 44.30 seconds, finishing ahead of Stone Amsbaugh at 54.07 and Leia Jiang at 55.24.

The 2x2x2 Cube featured intense short-burst sprinting over three rounds among 51 entrants. Zayn Khanani clinched the top spot on the podium with a lightning-fast winning average of 1.42 seconds and a best single of 1.22. Luke Garrett followed closely in second place with a 1.73 average, while Simon Kellum claimed third with a 2.74 average. A long list of competitors established personal competition bests during the fast-paced 2x2 rounds.

Specialty puzzles rounded out the six-event schedule with equally tight margins. In the Pyraminx final, Simon Kellum prevailed with a 2.43 winning average and a 1.59 single across 45 participants, outperforming Jack Bellomy in second at 3.23 and Luke Garrett in third at 3.80. The Clock event concluded with Alayna Garrett capturing the title with an average of 6.46 seconds, finishing ahead of Luke Garrett at 6.94 and Orrin Simpkins at 7.69.

By the conclusion of the final rounds, all 18 podium positions were claimed by United States competitors in an energetic display of regional talent. From first-time entrants completing their maiden solves to multi-event winners pacing the podiums, Colorado Mountain Tour - Golden 2023 offered a complete showcase of dedication and precision in the foothills of the Rockies.