Eastside Side Events 2024

A blistering 16.15-second blindfolded solve by Charlie Eggins provided the sharpest flash of brilliance across an intense weekend of puzzle racing in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Staged at the YMCA Community Centre Redlands on February 17 and 18, the Eastside Side Events 2024 drew 71 competitors for two full days of high-calibre speedcubing action. The tournament shifted attention away from basic Rubik's Cube formats, testing entrants across 10 specialised disciplines over 25 packed rounds. International journeys shaped the top of the standings, with elite solvers travelling across oceans and borders to challenge the Australian field on the 2024 calendar.

Singapore international Tristan Chua Yong made the overseas journey count by dominating the largest puzzles and the complex Megaminx table. Chua Yong claimed three distinct titles across the weekend, taking the 6x6x6 Cube in an average of 1:32.05, the 7x7x7 Cube with a mark of 2:12.54, and the Megaminx with a winning mark of 29.41. In the 7x7x7 event, Chua Yong held off Australian standout Hayden Ng, who secured second in 2:19.81 ahead of China's Yibo Wang. That cross-border rivalry defined multiple podiums, turning the gathering into a fiercely contested international showdown.

Hayden Ng struck gold of his own in the 5x5x5 Cube, clocking a 53.17 average to narrowly edge Chua Yong's 54.53 and Wang's 1:01.18. Ng showed consistent control on the mid-sized puzzle, capturing a crucial victory for the local contingent in a 58-competitor field. The one-handed solving division also highlighted high-level technique, where China's Yibo Wang produced a sub-10 performance. Wang earned the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with a 9.87 average, staying clear of Australia's Nicholas Paul and Hayden Ng to underline the depth of international talent present in Queensland.

Short-format puzzles delivered rapid turnarounds and razor-thin margins. Junqi Feng of China topped a 60-person field in Pyraminx with an average of 2.27, outlasting Australia's Vaibhav-Jai Ravipati and Benjamin Warry. Zhenyu Zhang paced 59 solvers in Skewb, taking victory with a 3.16 average after posting a 1.93 single. In Clock, Lachlan Adams-Romyn logged a winning 4.16 average to best Elijah La Porte and Zayd Chaudhry, while Benjamin Warry secured the Square-1 title with a 7.71 mark.

Beyond the title fights, competitors across the tables embraced new challenges and recorded major leaps in performance. Nate Garthon tackled 10 separate disciplines, making his debut on the 6x6x6 Cube with a 4:30.41 mark, attempting Clock for the first time at 13.72, and carving his Skewb personal best down by 50.4 percent to 3.39 seconds. Zayden Walker logged his first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt with a 35.68 solve while slashing his Pyraminx personal best by 47.9 percent down to 4.88. Tyler Norman took on 10 events, logging a debut Clock time of 9.83 and improving his Skewb best by 24.1 percent to 10.94.

The expansive schedule allowed many solvers to broaden their repertoire. Kyle Rongkai Wang tackled a full programme of 10 disciplines, posting first-time official marks of 1:38.45 in Square-1, 30.59 in One-Handed, and 2:33.79 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Connor Sharpe also completed 10 events, earning an 8th-place finish in Clock with a personal best of 5.76, an improvement of 21.5 percent, alongside a debut Square-1 solve of 51.15. Joshua McCorkell completed seven events, logging first attempts in Blindfolded, Skewb, and 6x6x6, while Daniel McCorkell recorded his first Skewb solve of 3.54 on the way to a 12th-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube. Charlie Shulman added debuts across Pyraminx, Skewb, and Clock.

Blindfolded execution remained one of the purest tests of skill at the venue, requiring total memorisation under the stopwatch. Charlie Eggins sealed the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title on the strength of his 16.15 single, finishing ahead of Conan Mo's 46.87 and Jamie Otsu's 1:22.67. The discipline saw dozens of competitors navigate official attempts, including Josiah Freudigmann who completed an official average of 3:04.42, adding to the extensive record of individual achievements logged during the two-day meet.

By the conclusion of the Eastside Side Events 2024, Australian competitors collected 18 total podium spots, while visiting delegations from China and Singapore secured 8 and 4 podiums respectively. For both seasoned international travellers and dedicated local solvers, the gathering proved how vibrant a WCA competition can be when non-standard puzzles take center stage. Enthusiasts will closely track the subsequent speed cubing fixtures across the country as the broader circuit unfolds, checking 3x3 results and side-event standings for the next wave of progression in modern cubing competition.