Give Back RPV 2023

Ninety competitors converged on the Rolling Hills Methodist Church as Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA hosted a packed day of speedcubing on April 29, 2023. Across 12 rounds in five disciplines, local standout Benjamin Wei delivered a memorable performance on home soil. Entering the final round of the classic Rubik's Cube with 88 competitors vying for the title, Wei matched South Korea's Kyeongmin Choi with an identical 7.96 winning average across five solves, taking the top step on the podium through a decisive 6.79 best single.

The 3x3 results capped a gripping three-round contest in the weekend's marquee category. While Benjamin Wei secured the victory for the host nation, Kyeongmin Choi earned second place with that same 7.96 average, and Mulun Yin of China finished third with an 8.19 average. The tight margins at the summit showcased world-class precision under pressure, delivering a standout showcase for fans following the competitive speed cubing circuit in Southern California.

Beyond his main-event victory, Benjamin Wei factored heavily across multiple disciplines at Give Back RPV 2023. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Wei secured second place with an average of 31.79, trailing only Mulun Yin, who took the crown in 29.12 seconds and registered the round's top single of 25.88. China's Weixing Zhang rounded out the 4x4x4 Cube podium in third at 32.79. Wei also reached the Megaminx podium, earning third place with a 56.80 average behind runner-up Terrence Cao at 50.69.

Kyeongmin Choi produced a phenomenal multi-event haul throughout the cubing competition, capturing two event titles and four podium finishes in total. In the 12-sided Megaminx event, Choi took the victory with a 33.37 winning average and a 31.26 single across two rounds of play. Choi followed that dominance in the 2x2x2 Cube, blazing through three rounds among 77 competitors to win with a blistering 1.67 average and a 1.19 single, finishing ahead of China's Yuyang Zhen at 2.31 and Christopher Lai at 2.36.

The Skewb tournament provided another thrilling finish in Rancho Palos Verdes. Jack Flynn Stewart captured first place with a 3.94 average, highlighted by a tournament-best 1.91 single. Elijah Brown chased Stewart closely to claim second place at 3.97, while Kyeongmin Choi secured yet another medal by taking third place with a 4.27 average. In total, United States competitors collected seven podium spots on the day, while delegations from China and South Korea earned four podiums apiece.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made huge strides and expanded their repertoires across the five events. Carter Lau lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.89, an improvement of 47.2 percent over his previous 5.47 mark, while also logging a first ever attempt in Skewb at 7.21 and in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:51.43. Tejas Salmani carved 44.3 percent off his previous best in Skewb with a new mark of 8.05 and recorded a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 3:04.73. Kalino Matsumoto cut 39.1 percent from both 2x2x2 Cube at 3.65 and 3x3x3 Cube at 16.36.

Personal milestones continued to accumulate down the order. Jaxon Hone improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 38.9 percent to 3.10 and completed a first ever attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube in 1:58.99. Quinlan Schubert dropped 32.3 percent in 2x2x2 Cube to 2.91 while trying the 4x4x4 Cube and Megaminx for the first time. Caden Pascual notched a 29.3 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube at 8.43 on the way to a 14th-place finish. In addition, Hunter Wang placed eighth in Megaminx with a first attempt of 1:09.98, while Jeremy T. Nagatani tackled four events in his first WCA competition, including a 13.24 single on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The single-day event delivered high drama across all five puzzles, blending fierce international podium battles with personal breakthroughs for local competitors. From Benjamin Wei holding his ground on home turf to deep talent fields across every division, the tournament highlighted the vibrancy of the regional scene in 2023. Competitors now carry their newly minted personal bests into the upcoming season, building momentum from a memorable day in Southern California.