Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2024

118 competitors gathered inside Strathcona County Library on January 27, 2024, as Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2024 delivered a packed single-day schedule of four events and eight rounds. The speedcubing action in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, challenged solvers across a dynamic range of puzzles, running from the lightning sprints of the 2x2x2 Cube up to the endurance and precision demanded by the 6x6x6 Cube. Across the entire day of competition, Canadian solvers locked down every single podium position available.

The morning schedule opened with intense preliminary action across the major rotational events. The 4x4x4 Cube launched straight into a rigorous three-round gauntlet featuring 77 competitors. Early qualifying heats set a demanding pace on the tables, testing depth and consistency as contenders fought through the first round to secure advancement into the semi-finals. At the same time, the larger 6x6x6 Cube opened its opening round with 46 entrants attempting to tame sixty individual moving pieces on the Strathcona stage.

Midday brought the rapid-fire single-round showdown for the 2x2x2 Cube, featuring a huge field of 112 competitors. With no second chances, Kyle Santucci claimed the title with a winning average of 2.45 seconds and a best single of 2.24 seconds. Benjamin Buchner took the runner-up step on the podium with a 2.60 average after posting a blistering 1.92 single. Benjamin Ragan completed the medal trio in third place with a 2.74 average and a 2.22 single.

As the afternoon progressed, attention shifted to the marathon solves of the 6x6x6 Cube final. Griffin Clem mastered the demanding puzzle to take the victory with an average of 1:48.63 and a best single of 1:44.26. Andriy Peleshchyshyn claimed second place with an average of 1:55.12, while Lucas Kuczaj secured the third podium spot by finishing with a 1:59.78 average. The precision required on the large cube highlighted the high technical standard present throughout the WCA competition.

Beyond the championship races, personal milestones defined the atmosphere across the tables. Joshua Ewanchuk achieved a major breakthrough, recording a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.54 seconds, which was 72.6 percent faster than his prior mark of 12.90, alongside a 33.19 single in the 3x3x3 Cube. Saul Abraham took on three events, posting an 18.00 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube that improved his previous best by 52.8 percent, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 52.8 percent to 5.70, and registering his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:42.88. Ronen Shoham logged a 51.2 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with an 8.46 personal best, reduced his 3x3x3 Cube best to 21.13, and logged his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:53.19. Grady Cousins earned 71st place in 2x2x2 Cube on a first attempt of 5.22 and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 44.9 percent to 20.77.

Other solvers showed massive growth across varied disciplines throughout the venue. Antony Dinga posted a 4.04 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube to go 43.8 percent faster, cut his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 18.81, and made his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 2:34.40. Shaniru Imalsha Medagedara tackled four events, recording a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 4:48.61 to finish 36.3 percent faster than before, while posting debut attempts of 5.78 on 2x2x2 Cube and 1:34.95 on 4x4x4 Cube. Cedric Morris logged debut attempts of 6.81 on 2x2x2 Cube and 2:32.64 on 4x4x4 Cube while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best to 21.50. Jason Yu completed his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 2:26.81, cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark to 6.93, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube time to 23.69.

The 4x4x4 Cube final crowned a champion after three rounds of intense speed cubing. Kamal Kandpal captured first place by producing a steady 31.77 winning average and a best single of 29.11. Benjamin Ragan captured his second podium of the weekend by taking second place with a 32.31 average, edging out Lucas Kuczaj who secured third place with an average of 32.98. The tight margins between the top three reflected the immense preparation behind every solve.

The closing event of the day brought the final round of the classic Rubik's Cube, where 118 entrants had started the morning preliminaries. In the decisive round, Kyle Santucci dominated the 3x3 results, capturing his second title of Cubing Above the Dinosaurs 2024 with a winning average of 6.28 seconds and a single of 5.48. Leif Anvik took second place with an average of 8.72 seconds, while Caleb dela Fuente rounded out the podium in third with an 8.99 average.

The single-day schedule concluded with twelve podium positions earned by Canadian competitors across all four categories. From big cube masteries to decisive sprints on smaller layers, the gathering in Sherwood Park highlighted both top-tier excellence and widespread individual development. Solvers across every tier wrapped up the competitive day with fresh milestones in the books as the 2024 cubing competition calendar got off to a memorable start.