Cubing Coffee Santa Cruz 2024

Inside Cafe Martinez, the familiar rhythm of speedcubing echoed across tables as timers flickered to life and plastic pieces clicked through lightning-fast turns. The gathering brought together 37 competitors in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, all eager to test their skills early in the 2024 calendar. It was a focused one-day gathering where every turn of a Rubik's Cube counted toward building momentum for the competitive months ahead.

The early-season fixture presented a packed schedule of five events spread over six rounds, offering local contenders an ideal arena to establish their form. Organised as an official WCA competition on February 17, 2024, the tournament provided an immediate gauge of regional sharpness. From fast sprints on compact puzzles to the technical endurance of bigger cubes, the day unfolded as a comprehensive examination of versatility.

At the forefront of the action was Rodrigo Paz Vaca, who produced an overwhelming display of consistency throughout the tournament. In the main event, the 3x3x3 Cube, Paz Vaca paced a field of 35 competitors through two rounds to claim the title with a winning average of 7.85 seconds, highlighted by the day's best single solve of 6.95. Dylan Aramayo Calle followed in second place with an 8.65 average, while Samuel Galarce Moscoso took third with a mark of 9.41 in the 3x3 results.

Paz Vaca extended his winning streak across three additional formats, capturing titles in rapid succession. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he topped the 25-competitor roster with a 3.50 winning average and a single of 2.48, leading Samuel Galarce Moscoso with 3.75 and Regors Luis Ríos Estevez with 4.17. He then transitioned to the 4x4x4 Cube, where he sealed first place with a 34.93 average and a 32.01 single, outpacing Dylan Aramayo Calle's 36.31 and Peru's Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez, who secured third at 39.66.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event brought another gold for Paz Vaca, who navigated the one-handed challenge to record a winning average of 15.58 and a single of 10.03. Dylan Aramayo Calle earned another silver on an average of 16.01, with Samuel Galarce Moscoso completing the podium at 17.00. The only event where the top prize eluded Paz Vaca was the Pyraminx, won by Antonio Adorno Suarez with a 3.61 average and a 2.49 single. Paz Vaca took second with 4.71, and Jose Antonio Ibarra Ovando finished third with 6.27.

Beyond the championship trophies, the tables revealed notable personal achievements across all experience levels. Lucas Pedraza Vieira delivered an outstanding personal best of 58.12 seconds in the 3x3x3 Cube, shaving 27.1 percent off his prior mark of 1:19.73. Lucas Aguilar Sanjines tackled five events and recorded a personal best of 1:25.95 on the 4x4x4 Cube, which was 22 percent faster than his previous best of 1:50.20, while also posting an 8.67 personal best in Pyraminx on his way to 12th place. Emiliano Viruez Jimenez secured 10th place in the 2x2x2 Cube while cutting his 3x3x3 mark by 19.1 percent down to 20.83 and his Pyraminx single down to 9.51.

Milestones in new disciplines added depth to the competition card. Takeshi Takey Okumura placed seventh in the 3x3x3 Cube and completed his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a result of 21.75 seconds. Mateo Bonilla Ayala dropped his 3x3x3 best by 13.3 percent to 13.84 across three events, and Santino Cuba Ponce de Leon improved his 3x3x3 standard to 28.01, a 13.7 percent drop. José Dyland Molina Noha registered his first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube at 5.09 seconds to finish 19th, while Andrés Campos Molina stepped onto the floor for his first WCA competition, recording a time of 54.79 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

The final ledger reflected strong national representation, with Bolivian solvers earning 14 podium positions alongside one podium finish for Peru. As the day concluded at Cubing Coffee Santa Cruz 2024, the variety of disciplines highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent in the region. The sharp times posted at Cafe Martinez set a high benchmark as these solvers carry their momentum into future stops on the competitive circuit.