East Bay Big and Blind 2024

Graham Siggins delivered a masterclass in memory and speed by successfully resolving 58 of 64 cubes in 59:15 during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Held on November 24, 2024, at a private residence in Oakland, California, USA, the single-day gathering brought a tight field of 18 specialists together. Falling late in the competitive calendar, East Bay Big and Blind 2024 served as a high-stakes proving ground for long-form solving before the year drew to a close. The schedule bypassed standard short-format brackets, centering entirely on large puzzles and memory disciplines across six rounds of demanding play.

The late-autumn speedcubing calendar often sees solvers narrowing their focus toward niche events where technical stamina matters far more than rapid turn counts. That dynamic defined the action in Northern California, where every round tested endurance over raw sprint pace. Rather than standard 3x3 results dominating the headlines, the meet shone a bright light on the complexity of larger layers and blindfolded precision. Competitors tackled massive mechanical puzzles and prolonged memorisation sessions in an intimate setting that favored intense concentration.

Beyond his dominant multi-blind showing, Siggins secured two additional gold medals in the remaining memory formats. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, he posted a winning average of 1:48.27 and a best single of 1:45.21 to lead the pack, while Jason Ostdiek claimed second place with a 6:40.10 single. In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, where only five competitors stepped up to the table, Siggins took top honors with a single of 3:44.17. Anto Kam earned runner-up honors in the discipline with a mark of 19:46.00.

The large sighted puzzles delivered equally engaging battles. In the 6x6x6 Cube event, Heidi Chan secured the victory by posting a winning average of 2:06.44 along with a field-leading single of 1:47.45. Tsukasa Sano claimed second place with an average of 2:11.04, narrowly edging out Siggins who took third in 2:12.08 across 13 competitors. The 7x7x7 Cube title went to Calix Tang, who logged a 3:22.94 average and a 3:14.73 single, finishing ahead of Siggins at 3:33.61 and Chan at 3:34.19.

Strategy took precedence in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, where competitors spend an entire hour crafting the most efficient solution for a scrambled Rubik's Cube. Calvin Nielson took first place with an impressive winning average of 27.00 moves, supported by an event-best single solve of 24 moves. Stanley Tran earned second place with a 34.67 average, including a 25-move single, while Siggins rounded out the podium with an average of 35.33 moves.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants achieved major milestones that showed remarkable growth across the weekend. Mina Chau took on two events, highlighted by a first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with a time of 6:04.77 for an eighth-place finish, alongside a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 4:07.78 that improved upon a prior mark by 7.4 percent. Robert Alan Marks entered three events, claiming a 7x7x7 Cube personal best of 7:40.79, which was 6.6 percent faster than before, as well as a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 5:00.55 that dropped his previous record by 4.6 percent.

Other dedicated solvers added valuable accomplishments to their extensive records at this WCA competition. Ruby Lu entered three events, achieving personal bests of 2:16.83 in the 6x6x6 Cube and 4:16.32 in the 7x7x7 Cube, while capturing a weekend-best seventh place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Goodwin Liu concentrated on memory discipline, securing seventh place in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, and Wilson Li completed the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves challenge to finish twelfth overall.

The six events of East Bay Big and Blind 2024 highlighted the extraordinary focus required at the intersection of big cubes and blindfolded execution. Across six rounds of intense speed cubing, the 18 participants proved that end-of-season meets provide the perfect atmosphere for personal milestones and masterclasses in cube efficiency. As the 2024 season reaches its conclusion, this gathering in Oakland stands as a testament to the diverse disciplines that continue to elevate the sport.