Guayaco Cubing 2023

The distinctive riverfront setting of Malecón del Salado provided a vibrant backdrop for high-level speed cubing action as Guayaco Cubing 2023 got underway on October 14, 2023. Inside the competition hall, the rhythmic clicking of puzzle mechanisms and the soft clatter of timers dropping against mats set an energetic pace throughout the day. Competitors, judges, and supporters filled the bustling space in Guayaquil, Ecuador, creating a focused and dynamic environment where thirty-nine puzzle enthusiasts gathered to test their skills across seven official events and ten full rounds.

The premier event of the cubing competition saw thirty-seven entrants battling through three rigorous stages of the classic Rubik's Cube. By the final round, Dereck Estrada emerged on top of the 3x3 results with a winning average of 8.73 seconds and an event-leading single of 7.51 seconds. Caleb Salcedo Rivera captured the second spot on the podium with a 10.62 average, closely edging out Anthony Gavilanes Coello, who finished in third place with a 10.63 average in one of the tightest podium finishes of the entire tournament.

Estrada maintained his commanding presence in the larger and more complex puzzles, adding two more gold finishes to his collection. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which featured thirteen competitors, Estrada claimed first place with an average of 37.94 seconds and a single solve of 33.51 seconds, finishing just ahead of Salcedo Rivera at 38.52 and Gavilanes Coello at 42.97. Estrada also took victory in the Megaminx, recording an average of 51.40 seconds and a fast single of 44.02 seconds, once again outperforming Salcedo Rivera, who logged a 58.98 average for second, while Geovanny Arias took third with 1:29.18.

Salcedo Rivera had his own moments at the top step of the podium across two distinct disciplines. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed contest, Salcedo Rivera took the title among thirteen competitors with an average of 16.68 seconds and a single mark of 13.39 seconds, holding off Estrada, who finished second with 17.77, and Mateo Baruc Mero Benavides in third with 21.24. Salcedo Rivera repeated his winning form in the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a field of twenty-one participants with a 3.45 winning average, as Fernando Zevallos secured silver with 3.71 and Estrada took bronze with 3.80.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers seized the opportunity to make notable strides and log milestones in Guayaquil. Héctor Darío Muentes Muentes logged a massive 64.6 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 3.57 seconds, down from 10.09, and also reduced his 3x3x3 Cube best to 31.31 seconds. Sonner Cortez Ojeda cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 45 percent down to 29.93 seconds while taking eleventh place. Santiago Matias Guarnizo Alvarez delivered a 39.2 percent cut on his 3x3x3 Cube best, dropping to 9.23 seconds, and took on his first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.39 mark. Josue Mora Sornoza competed across six events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 31.2 percent down to 2.07 seconds.

Other competitors took on brand new disciplines or made their first appearances at an official WCA competition. Fabrizcio Gabriele Schiepatti Cedeño tackled five events, finishing fifth in Megaminx with a first ever attempt of 1:44.17, while also logging his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt at 4.70 seconds. César Saúl Tenelanda Véliz entered five events, claiming seventh in Skewb while delivering his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 30.20 solve. Martín Sebastián Chanalata Escobar made his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:51.66 single, while Emmanuel Rovayo Moreno completed his first official tournament by entering four events, finishing eighth in Skewb with a 24.02 single and logging his first attempts in 2x2x2 and 3x3x3.

Specialty puzzle disciplines rounded out the competitive schedule with exciting single-round showdowns. Leonardo Miguel Viteri Cardenas led the Pyraminx division, besting a field of fourteen competitors with an average of 5.25 seconds and a single of 4.32 seconds, followed by Mero Benavides in second at 5.57 and Alejandro Francisco Jaramillo Fernandez in third at 5.97. In Skewb, Moisés Ignacio Villena Mejía secured the win with a 4.75 average and a 3.85 single, finishing ahead of José Eduardo Figueroa from the Dominican Republic at 5.94 and Mateo Keneth Toala Rios at 11.39.

When the final timers reset at Malecón del Salado, the single-day showcase concluded with twenty podium spots going to Ecuadorian competitors and one going to the Dominican Republic. Guayaco Cubing 2023 offered an intense slate of speedcubing across seven distinct formats, rewarding steady hands and deep preparation throughout the 2023 calendar.