CubingUSA Northwest Championship 2024

Across four intense rounds of classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube action, Matty Hiroto Inaba delivered a championship-defining performance in Lynnwood, Washington, USA. Bringing the premier event to a dramatic close, Inaba posted a winning average of 5.36 seconds, anchored by a blistering single of 4.36, to secure the title ahead of Max Siauw and Sameer Aggarwal. The final round kept the Lynnwood Event Center on edge through the final solves, setting the tone for an extraordinary three days of speedcubing from June 28 to June 30, 2024.

The CubingUSA Northwest Championship 2024 brought together a massive field of 256 competitors across 16 events and 30 rounds of official play. Speed cubing at this scale showcased the full breadth of the WCA competition catalog, spanning classic twisty puzzles, side events, and complex blindfolded disciplines. Inaba emerged as the defining force of the tournament, capturing top honors not just in the main event, but across a staggering range of larger rotational puzzles throughout the weekend.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Inaba maintained control across two rounds, securing first place with a 23.74 average and a single of 21.54, again outpacing Siauw's 24.90 average and Aggarwal's 30.18. The 5x5x5 Cube final followed a similar script, where Inaba took gold with a 41.85 winning mark, while Siauw claimed second in 46.72 and Luke Tycksen secured third with 49.11. Inaba added yet another victory in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording an average of 1:21.72 to best Siauw and veteran competitor Kevin Hays.

Hays made his own mark at the top of the podium in the 7x7x7 Cube, putting together an average of 2:00.06 with a best single of 1:50.62 to edge out Siauw and Inaba. The shorter puzzles saw blistering paces, starting with the 2x2x2 Cube where Brian Johnson won the final with a 1.47 average over Carter Kucala and Greyson James. Johnson doubled his gold tally for the weekend by taking the Square-1 championship, logging a 6.02 average.

Beyond the podium battles, the Lynnwood floor produced significant milestones for dedicated solvers across multiple disciplines. Levi Baldwin slashed his personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube down to 37.93 seconds, an improvement of 46 percent over his previous mark of 1:10.18, alongside entering Skewb and 2x2x2 for the first time. Charlie Rogers cut 44.5 percent off his Pyraminx best with a 7.33 single and took on his first attempts in both 4x4x4 and 5x5x5. Sam Dodge chopped 42.7 percent off his 4x4x4 best to reach 57.01, while tackling the 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 cubes for the first time.

Versatility was on display as competitors embraced heavy schedules across unfamiliar events. TJ Leing took on 12 events, recording his first official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 38.81 single, the 6x6x6 Cube in 3:35.19, and the 7x7x7 Cube in 4:52.63. Colby Smith also tackled a 12-event lineup, logging first-time attempts in 6x6x6, Clock, and Square-1, while reaching 13th place in Pyraminx. Lucas Kim entered 12 events, trying Clock, Skewb, and 6x6x6 for the first time, while Viet Nguyen took on 13 events, posting initial attempts in Clock, Megaminx, and Skewb. Kaleb Kidney tackled 10 events, making debut attempts in Clock, 4x4x4, and 5x5x5.

Specialty puzzle finals delivered compelling finishes across the bracket. Luke Tycksen earned the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with a 10.61 average, holding off Carter Kucala and Inaba in a contest where the top three finishers were separated by mere fractions of a second. Ash Black proved quickest in Skewb, winning with a 2.18 average, while Mihir A. Rai topped the 176-competitor Pyraminx field with a mark of 2.51. In Clock, Dilshawn Sidhu captured the victory with a 3.88 average.

The endurance and memory events tested mental stamina to the limit. Ethan Davis secured two major victories, winning Megaminx with a 33.57 average and capturing 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by resolving 32 out of 37 cubes in 58:34. Jayce Li led Canada's medal tally by winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 20.31 seconds, finishing ahead of Ayden Kainalu A. Bueno and Davis. Jacob Turrubiartes swept the big blindfolded events, securing singles of 3:08.08 in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and 6:22.69 in 5x5x5 Blindfolded.

When the final timers stopped at the CubingUSA Northwest Championship 2024, United States competitors had captured 43 podium positions alongside 5 podium spots for Canada. With unforgettable 3x3 results, deep multi-event campaigns, and high standards set across all 16 events, the gathering at the Lynnwood Event Center delivered a memorable showcase for Pacific Northwest speedcubing.