Empire State Winter Whirl 2023

Livia Kleiner delivered an emphatic statement across the big cubes and side puzzles, capturing five individual event victories during a packed single-day program at the Albany Capital Center. Taking place in early February, Empire State Winter Whirl 2023 arrived at an important juncture in the 2023 season, offering thirty competitors the chance to establish their form before the spring schedule intensifies. The gathering served as an ideal showcase of multidisciplinary mastery, with 13 official World Cube Association events condensed into a rapid 14 rounds of action in upstate New York.

The competition spotlight firmly centered on the premier events, where the classic Rubik's Cube brought two rounds of sharp competition. Timothy Yang secured the main title, leading the 3x3 results with a winning average of 7.54 seconds, anchored by the event's fastest single solve of 6.43 seconds. Yang proved just as formidable in the 4x4x4 Cube, topping a field of 28 entrants with a 32.45 winning mark and a 29.17 single. Evan Liu took runner-up honors in the 4x4x4 Cube at 33.77 seconds, while Kleiner picked up the bronze in 34.00.

Kleiner was the most prolific winner of Empire State Winter Whirl 2023, building an extraordinary tally across varied formats. In the Pyraminx, Kleiner recorded a blazing 1.23 single on the way to a 2.40 winning average, finishing ahead of Elijah Rain Phelps at 3.04 and Boris McCoy at 3.71. Kleiner added gold in Skewb with a 3.88 average, then dominated the large-puzzle categories by winning the 5x5x5 Cube in 56.53, the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:44.41, and the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:30.94 average, prevailing over Liu in each big cube final.

Short-format speedcubing saw Phelps stand at the top of the podium in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a winning average of 2.44 seconds and a single of 1.80. McCoy took second place with a 2.55 average, narrowly edging Liu who claimed third at 2.58. Phelps also challenged for the top spot in Square-1, but Brandon Lin (林博浩) held the advantage, clinching victory with an average of 9.34 seconds against Phelps's 9.39, while Kleiner finished third with an 11.16 average.

In the specialized events, Carter Williams demonstrated sharp execution by winning Clock with an average of 5.06 seconds and a 3.46 single, finishing ahead of Liu at 5.30 and Angelo Terpening at 6.24. Williams went on to secure a second gold in Megaminx, navigating the twelve-sided puzzle with an average of 45.77 seconds. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Levi Gibson took first place with a 14.43 average, featuring a round-best 10.09 single. Blindfolded solving required pure memory and discipline, where Liu earned the title in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 48.01 single.

Beneath the title fights, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the podium ceremonies. Tirth Benara tackled 10 events, cutting an astounding 73 percent off their Square-1 personal best with a 16.23 solve, improving their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 30.8 percent to 2:33.11, and making their first ever attempt at Megaminx with a 2:13.33. Jason Bradley Huczko-Summerford entered 8 events, cutting 65.6 percent off a Square-1 personal best down to 7.12, dropping their 4x4x4 Cube best by 48.8 percent to 42.32, and making a first ever attempt at Clock with an 8.03 mark. Gordon R. Holey took on 9 events, recording a first ever attempt in the 6x6x6 Cube at 9:44.26, while lowering personal records by over 30 percent in both Pyraminx at 6.99 and Square-1 at 42.75. Vasilije Dragojlovic improved their 2x2x2 Cube best by 45.5 percent to 4.47, alongside first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Cube at 2:30.77 and Megaminx at 3:56.00.

The progress continued across the roster at this WCA competition. Vivaan Mathur lowered their Skewb personal best by 38.5 percent to 7.98, while also clocking lifetime bests of 11.10 in the 3x3x3 Cube and 2:20.04 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Augustus Alexander achieved a 30.9 percent improvement in Clock with an 11.16 personal best, alongside career bests of 10.58 in 3x3x3 Cube and 2:20.40 in 5x5x5 Cube. Caden Hubbell set personal records across three events, including a 29.9 percent drop in Pyraminx to 5.85, an improved 17.30 in Clock, and a first ever attempt in the 5x5x5 Cube at 2:07.15. Crosby Harris logged first ever attempts in three separate events, recording 4:59.67 in 5x5x5 Cube, 2:27.79 in Megaminx, and 1:51.21 in 4x4x4 Cube.

By the time the day concluded at the Albany Capital Center, all 39 podium awards were secured by United States competitors in an energetic display of speed cubing versatility. The February 5, 2023 gathering at Empire State Winter Whirl 2023 provided the region with a demanding, all-discipline test that established benchmarks for the months ahead. For the thirty participants who traveled to Albany, New York, USA, this cubing competition proved to be a productive mid-winter stop that set high standards for the remainder of the competitive year.