Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2023

The Strathcona County Library transformed into an energetic arena on January 28, 2023, as 136 competitors gathered with their puzzles and timers. Stacks of multicolored cubes lined the tables, and the sound of rapid turning echoed across the hall throughout eight busy rounds of action. Solvers from across the country converged for Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2023, setting the stage for high-stakes competition across five official events in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.

Canadian standout Kyle Santucci rose to the occasion in the headline 3x3x3 Cube event, delivering a commanding performance on home turf. Facing a crowded field of 135 entrants across three rounds, Santucci locked in the top spot on the 3x3 results board with a winning average of 6.97 seconds and the fastest single of the day at 5.01 seconds. Paris Dorn followed in second place with an 8.65 average, while Azaro Gorloo secured third on the podium with a 9.12 mark, completing an all-Canadian sweep in the classic Rubik's Cube contest.

The larger puzzles brought equally fierce battles at this speedcubing gathering. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Benjamin Ragan took victory with an average of 33.68 seconds and a best single of 32.52, narrowly edging out Paris Dorn, who finished runner-up at 34.60 seconds. Jerry Liu of China captured third place with a solid 37.69 average. Dorn rebounded immediately in the 5x5x5 Cube, clinching the gold with an average of 1:03.99 and a sub-minute single of 59.25, ahead of Ragan in second at 1:09.25 and Kristopher De Asis in third at 1:13.12.

Precision under pressure defined the 3x3x3 Blindfolded round, where competitors must fully inspect and solve without sight. Jerry Liu took the title with a swift 1:23.46 single solve, leading the 24-person field. Benjamin Buchner claimed second place with a time of 1:40.96, while James Deibert earned third with a 2:19.92 solve. Buchner was not done yet, shifting gears to the 2x2x2 Cube and capturing the win with a blistering 2.50 average and a 1.89 single, finishing just ahead of Caleb dela Fuente at 2.55 and Danny Buschert at 2.85.

Beyond the podium battles, this WCA competition saw massive breakthroughs from competitors who made significant strides across their events. Zachariah Anderson dropped his 2x2x2 personal best down to 14.05 seconds, cutting 64.4 percent off his prior mark, and slashed his 3x3x3 personal best by 49.8 percent to 34.30. Izaac Eric Lindgren chopped 54.3 percent off his previous 4x4x4 mark to reach 1:53.13, alongside a 7.00 personal best in 2x2x2. Dane Piche-Moore took on four events, improving his 4x4x4 mark by 49.5 percent down to 1:18.04 and lowering his 5x5x5 time by 35.8 percent to 3:05.03. Mannix Wong tackled his first ever official 4x4x4 attempt in 1:16.69, his first 2x2x2 try in 4.01, and improved his 3x3x3 best by 48.1 percent to 13.62.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges at Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2023 with equally remarkable progress. Ethan Ling registered his first official 3x3x3 Blindfolded attempt at 3:13.43, placed 6th in the blindfolded round, and tried 4x4x4 for the first time with a 46.24 solve. Gengchen Tuo logged a first official 4x4x4 attempt of 1:15.52 and trimmed 44.6 percent off his 2x2x2 best to hit 2.82. Noah Brooks cut 44 percent from his previous best in 5x5x5 to finish in 2:45.56 and tackled five separate events on the day. Cree Tessier logged a first 4x4x4 attempt of 1:33.52 while cutting 33.4 percent off his 2x2x2 time to reach 6.31.

The 2x2x2 Cube also generated a flurry of noteworthy results across the table as competitors pushed their turn speed to the limit. Mrinal Rakshith Manoj Karthik posted a 9.63 single and a 10.55 average, while Siddharth Chhatbar delivered a 3.67 single and a 4.39 average. Asher Kumar recorded a 3.47 single and a 3.96 average, Ethan Basanov turned in a 3.06 single with a 3.95 average, and Lukas Holden achieved a 3.21 single and a 3.79 average, demonstrating exceptional depth throughout the single-round showdown.

By the final solve of the afternoon, Canadian solvers had claimed 13 podium spots, with Chinese competitors securing two. The successful gathering at Strathcona County Library highlighted the vibrant speed cubing scene across the province of Alberta. From national frontrunners to dedicated solvers unlocking major milestones, Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2023 offered an unforgettable day of competition as the community heads into the upcoming season of events.