Grand Forks 2024

Nathan Rahn delivered an astonishing masterclass on September 14, 2024, sweeping five distinct events to define the late-summer speedcubing calendar. As the season progresses into autumn, competitors gathered at the University of North Dakota-Memorial Union for a packed schedule of high-stakes solving. Grand Forks 2024 proved to be an ideal stage for top-tier talent, bringing together 56 competitors across seven puzzles and fourteen total rounds of intense action in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA.

The centerpiece of the day was the classic Rubik's Cube, where the field battled through two rigorous rounds. Rahn seized top honours in the main event with an 8.39 winning average, highlighted by a sharp 7.03 single solve. Daniel Mullen finished in second place with an 8.67 average, while Brody Meschke secured third on the podium with an 8.78 mark. These decisive 3x3 results set the tone for an extraordinary campaign across multiple disciplines throughout the cubing competition.

Rahn expanded his dominance far beyond the standard puzzle, establishing a presence across every format he entered. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Rahn took first place with a blistering 1.71 average, finishing ahead of Canada's Raphael Fast at 2.10 and Mullen at 2.53. Rahn also captured the Skewb crown with a 4.43 average, edging out Boyd Mayfield's 5.07 and Mullen's 5.13, demonstrating phenomenal consistency in the short-format puzzles during this late-season test.

The versatility continued in Pyraminx and Square-1, where Rahn collected two more victories to push his gold medal tally to five. In Pyraminx, his 3.53 average earned the top spot over Mullen, who posted a 4.07, and Chris Van Der Brink, who took third in 4.27. In Square-1, Rahn paced the field by a wide margin, recording an 8.11 winning average ahead of Yusuf Ragab's 15.52 and Mullen's 16.13, underlining his complete control of the weekend schedule.

Only two puzzles escaped Rahn's grasp throughout the day. In Clock, Volodymyr Kapustianskyi of Ukraine delivered a standout performance across three rounds, claiming victory with a 2.39 average and an event-best single of 2.24. Rahn finished second in Clock with a 4.56 average, while Mullen grabbed third at 5.33. Meanwhile, the Megaminx title went to James Ekins, whose 49.16 winning average was enough to best Mullen's 53.39 and Marco Yang's 57.14 in the single-round showdown.

Beyond the title races, Grand Forks 2024 gave several competitors opportunities to make significant personal strides in their careers. Jack Granger took on seven events and earned a fourth-place finish in Square-1, logging a personal best average of 12.84 that was 80.3% faster than his previous mark of 1:05.16, alongside an initial Clock mark of 11.89. Alex Chavez achieved three major personal bests across six events, improving his Pyraminx average by 42.8% to 6.15, his Clock to 16.33, and his Skewb to 5.57. Myles Tremaine recorded a 4.70 in Pyraminx for a 39.4% improvement, while also lowering his 2x2x2 Cube average to 2.65.

The depth of progress across the roster was evident in every bracket. Matias Grandouiller entered seven events and achieved a career-best fourth place in Clock with a 6.18 average, while cutting his Megaminx personal best by 32.9% to 1:41.19. Balam Thomas Perez trimmed his Square-1 best by 45.2% down to 35.41. William Edwards made his first official Square-1 attempt with a 55.54 single and improved his Skewb mark to 9.40. Fresh faces also made their marks, with Connor Kessler completing his first WCA competition across six events, including an initial 9.98 single in 2x2x2 Cube, while Eric Hanson also debuted, tackling four events and recording a 16.61 single on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The international spread was highlighted on the podiums, where the United States collected 18 top-three placements, Canada earned two, and Ukraine claimed one. The gathering served as a brilliant showcase of speed cubing excellence in the region, testing participants on technical accuracy and speed alike. Grand Forks 2024 successfully concluded a vibrant day of solving, leaving the field with substantial personal milestones and setting a high benchmark as the speedcubing season advances toward its final months.