Eau Claire 2024

The practice tables at South Middle School buzzed with shared algorithms, laughter, and the steady rhythm of turning puzzles before the first official calls began. Competitors, families, and organizers gathered together in the gymnasium, comparing color schemes and trading solving tips while waiting for their turn to scramble or judge. The atmosphere between rounds carried the distinct energy of a regional cubing competition, where long-distance friendships picked up right where they left off and newcomers found immediate welcoming guidance from seasoned peers.

Held on April 27, 2024, Eau Claire 2024 brought 82 competitors to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA for a full day of speed cubing action spanning six distinct events across 12 fast-moving rounds. Beyond the official timers and scorecards, the hall stayed lively with casual side-event racing and friendly practice battles. It was an environment built equally around personal milestones and high-stakes bracket runs, capturing the welcoming spirit that defines the broader speedcubing world during a busy weekend on the circuit.

When attention turned to the main stage, the classic Rubik's Cube brought 79 competitors to the tables through three intense rounds of solving. The final 3x3 results crowned Mihir Narayan of India as champion after posting a decisive 6.98 winning average and a best single solve of 6.18. Nathan Phillips of the United States secured the runner-up position on the podium with an average of 7.47, while American solver Carter Kucala took third place with a 7.65 mark, concluding a thrilling sequence of final solves.

Across the specialized events, versatile solvers showcased their mastery across mechanical layouts of every variety. Nathan Phillips produced an outstanding performance across the large cubes, claiming victory in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 53.93 average ahead of Carter Kucala at 54.12 and Tyler Johnson at 59.41. Phillips followed up with a commanding triumph in the 7x7x7 Cube, recording a winning average of 2:26.63 to top Tyler Johnson's 2:36.01 and Simon Kellum's 3:15.06, cementing a dominant presence on the upper podium steps.

Simon Kellum enjoyed a standout showing across the unconventional puzzles, capturing top honors in both Pyraminx and Skewb. Kellum took the Pyraminx title with an average of 2.38 and an event-best single of 1.10, besting Carl Overbye's 2.64 and Tyler Johnson's 3.15. In Skewb, Kellum struck gold again with a 2.58 average to hold off Carter Kucala's 2.73 and Nathan Rahn's 4.16. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Kapustianskyi of Ukraine delivered a clinical display in Clock, winning with a 3.60 average ahead of Joseph Ong at 4.86 and Trenton Cuzick at 5.74.

Away from the top tiers of the podium, the deeper narrative of this WCA competition was written by solvers making massive individual breakthroughs and embracing unfamiliar disciplines. Johnathan Satter took on four events and delivered a huge Skewb personal best of 6.28, cutting 47.5% off his previous record while also notching a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:02.99 and Pyraminx in 21.05. Max Molitor showed comparable progress in Skewb, shaving 41.9% to reach 9.80, while William Klouda improved his Skewb mark by 40.4% down to 11.00 alongside a first Clock attempt.

The spirit of trying new formats continued across the lineup with Cameron Hart tackling five events, logging a 38.6% Skewb improvement to 5.39 alongside debut runs in Clock and 5x5x5 Cube. Nevan Le similarly reduced their Skewb personal best by 36.9% to 4.82 and logged first official marks in two events. Tony Pupp lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 20.2% to 11.94, while Brady Wosick stepped up for a first official tournament, entering five events and claiming 19th place in 7x7x7 Cube with an 8:22.00 debut. Zachary Kornbluth also enjoyed a first tournament, trying three events including a 22.29 solve on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The United States accounted for 16 podium places on the day, with India and Ukraine each claiming one top-three spot in an entertaining, unified gathering of talent. As puzzles were lubricated, tensioned, and packed back into bags at the conclusion of Eau Claire 2024, the shared memories and camaraderie among solvers remained the true highlight of an exceptional day of competition in Wisconsin.