Eastwood Cubing 2024

A total of 108 competitors assembled for the two-day schedule at Eastwood Cubing 2024, staged at the Eastwood Event Centre in Warren, Ohio, USA. Spanning February 17 to February 18, the competition presented a demanding schedule of 13 events and 23 total rounds. Speedcubing enthusiasts from across the region gathered to contest everything from compact side puzzles to large-cube classics in an action-packed 2024 weekend.

The opening phase of the weekend established a furious tempo across the large cubes and specialist disciplines. Henri Gerber delivered a formidable statement in the single-round showdowns, claiming top honours in Megaminx with a 35.60 winning average and a best single of 33.02. Gerber extended that momentum to 5x5x5 Cube, recording a winning average of 55.15 to edge Luke Garrett at 55.80 and Ganghui Lin at 1:00.13. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded arena, where participants commit the puzzle configuration to memory before executing the solve without sight, Gerber secured victory with a best single of 43.47.

Luke Garrett answered with a commanding demonstration of depth across the big cubes as the middle stages unfolded. In the 6x6x6 Cube final, Garrett captured the top spot with a 1:42.36 average, just ahead of Gerber at 1:43.04 and Chris Chi at 2:06.17. Garrett followed up by taking the 7x7x7 Cube title on a 2:30.56 mark over Gerber and James Hildreth. Meanwhile, Evan Wright carved out a signature win in Square-1, navigating three rounds before logging a 7.99 average in the final to take the gold.

Short-format disciplines maintained the high energy throughout the WCA competition schedule. Gerber picked up another first-place finish in Skewb with a 3.29 final average, while Jacob Dyland Bennett took second with 3.75 and Chris Chi finished third at 3.99. Garrett seized the Clock title with a 4.69 winning average ahead of Caleb Kearney and Gerber. Garrett further added titles in 4x4x4 Cube with a 27.32 average, 3x3x3 One-Handed with 10.28, and Pyraminx with 2.66, highlighting the versatility demanded by high-level speed cubing.

Away from the top steps of the podium, Eastwood Cubing 2024 provided the stage for significant personal breakthroughs and milestones across the field. Charles Cavanaugh tackled 11 events, taking 10th place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 4:31.29 first attempt, while chopping his Clock personal best down to 13.42 for a 63.3 percent improvement and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube mark to 2.19. Fedor Kalinkou entered 8 events, making a 5:06.23 first attempt in blindfolded solving and trimming his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 47.53, an improvement of 48 percent over his previous 1:31.39 mark. Adam Runninger took on 7 disciplines, posting a 6.24 in Skewb to cut his previous best by 64.4 percent, while also recording a 20.79 first attempt at Clock.

Other competitors similarly embraced broad event rosters at the Eastwood Event Centre. Samuel Pottinger entered 10 events, delivering a 2.72 first attempt on Skewb, a 1:49.61 first attempt on Megaminx, and a 17.25 on Square-1. Dylan Gesmundo matched the heavy workload by competing in 10 events, logging first attempts in Megaminx at 1:57.70, 5x5x5 Cube at 2:05.55, and Square-1 at 35.75. John L. Tinkham completed 9 events with new baseline marks of 12.99 in Skewb and 32.20 in Clock. Tristan Starosto posted a 36.01 first attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed, while Everett Walker registered a 5.81 initial Skewb solve during his 8-event campaign.

The 2x2x2 Cube rounds generated intense drama with 98 entrants battling across two stages. Garrett sealed the event victory with a 1.53 winning average and a 0.93 single. Sujan Feist earned the silver medal on a 1.98 average, while Jacob Dyland Bennett rounded out the top three with 2.13. The depth of the field proved remarkable, as competitors across the board registered high-level personal execution through the bracket.

The cubing competition concluded with the premier 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube championship, drawing a field of 105 entrants across three elimination rounds. Garrett stamped his authority on the headline category, claiming victory with a 6.04 winning average and a competition-best 4.68 single. Benjamin Pugh took the second podium position with an average of 7.68, while Phillip Lewicki completed the top tier on 7.94. The definitive 3x3 results capped a dominant eight-gold showing by Garrett at Eastwood Cubing 2024, concluding an exceptional weekend of racing in Warren.

The overall medal count reflected strong international and domestic representation, with United States entrants taking 28 podium places, Germany earning 9, and China securing 2. Across 23 rounds of intense focus, Eastwood Cubing 2024 demonstrated the rich range of puzzles and the remarkable standard of speedcubing talent preparing for the upcoming phases of the competitive season.