Cubing in the Clouds 2023

Luke Garrett delivered an emphatic statement on the competition stage, securing the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with a blistering 5.70 winning average and a single solve of 4.78. That dominant display set the tone for an intense weekend where every round tested endurance and precision. The 3x3 results confirmed Garrett at the summit, leaving Nicolás Sánchez in second with a 7.07 average and Tommy Cherry in third at 7.31 across three demanding rounds of Rubik's Cube action.

Held across March 4 and March 5, Cubing in the Clouds 2023 brought 64 competitors to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia, USA. The two-day program featured nine events and 22 rounds, creating a high-stakes championship environment across diverse disciplines. Garrett expanded his medal haul significantly, taking gold in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 28.53 average, winning Clock with a 6.02 average, and claiming Megaminx with a 38.89 average to finish the meet with four distinct event victories.

The fight for big cube supremacy produced dramatic margins throughout the schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube final, Vishwa Sankar captured victory with a 52.98 average, holding off Garrett by just nine hundredths of a second as Garrett posted a 53.07 average, while Sean Hartman took third with 57.40. Sankar repeated his winning form in the 6x6x6 Cube, logging a 1:37.02 average to top Katie Hull at 1:39.60 and Hartman at 1:39.95 in a closely contested podium race.

Hartman broke through for a title of his own in the 7x7x7 Cube, recording a winning average of 2:29.35 along with a single solve of 2:27.32. Hull secured another runner-up finish with an average of 2:37.68, while Garrett placed third with a 2:42.91 mark. In Square-1, Cherry claimed the top spot with a 7.92 average, edging out Chris Chi at 8.04 and Noah Swor at 9.91 over three rounds of technical maneuvering.

Specialized events added further variety to the timetable. Eli Parker proved untouchable in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming first place with a 9.69 average ahead of Garrett, who clocked 10.44, and Andreas Lambropoulos, who finished third with 13.80. Meanwhile, the Clock podium saw Daniel Mullen secure second place with a 6.27 average and Dalton Padgett take third at 6.80, concluding a robust weekend of speedcubing across traditional and mechanical puzzles.

Beyond the championship finals, the tournament floor was defined by athletes tackling ambitious milestones across the nine-event slate. Rihan John delivered massive breakthroughs, taking 58.2 percent off their previous best in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 46.36 single, improving their 3x3x3 Cube best by 25.1 percent to 12.26, and recording a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 32.47. Henry Schueneman took on nine events, cutting his Square-1 best by 57.2 percent down to 17.55 while also registering initial career marks of 4:59.87 on the 6x6x6 Cube and 6:29.42 on the 7x7x7 Cube.

Other competitors embraced new challenges on the official stage. Isaiah Scott competed across nine events, dropping 37.3 percent off his Clock mark to 12.85, improving his 3x3x3 single by 27.7 percent to 8.47, and cutting his Megaminx personal best by 27.2 percent to 1:29.76. Weston Todd posted a 12th place finish in Square-1 alongside an 8.13 personal best that was 32 percent faster, while trying Clock for the first time with a 9.11 solve and 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:35.98. Joe Bagley logged initial competition solves in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:10.71, the 5x5x5 Cube at 2:33.01, and the 6x6x6 Cube at 5:02.85.

Fresh faces and multi-event regulars added depth to the bracket at Cubing in the Clouds 2023. Eli Satterfield tackled nine events, establishing first marks in Square-1 with 35.40, the 6x6x6 Cube with 3:52.98, and the 7x7x7 Cube with 6:49.70. Debutants embraced the pressure, with Karthikeya Volety entering their first WCA competition to record a 59.25 single in the 4x4x4 Cube, 2:03.13 in the 5x5x5 Cube, and 6:22.42 in the 6x6x6 Cube, while Jason Hu made his speed cubing debut with attempts in the 3x3x3 Cube at 29.46, Megaminx at 3:31.27, and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:33.90.

The 2023 gathering at Cloudland Canyon highlighted the depth of regional talent across the standard cube and extended categories. From Garrett sweeping four distinct finals to the broad field of 64 solvers setting personal milestones, this cubing competition served as a comprehensive test of resolve and preparation across every discipline on the program as competitors prepare for the remainder of the season.