Honolulu Hippocampus 2024

A mere 0.83 seconds separated second and third place in the Square-1 showdown, setting the tone for a sharply contested single-day gathering. On September 22, 2024, nine competitors arrived at the Manoa Public Library in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, ready to test their limits across eight distinct disciplines. The intimate field delivered drama throughout every round, proving that even a small cubing competition can produce razor-thin margins. Jack Okazaki seized the Square-1 victory with an average of 17.66 seconds, but the battle immediately behind him saw Jaden Matsunaka log a 28.47 average to narrowly edge Enzo Xuan at 29.30 seconds.

The gathering was an official WCA competition where precision across diverse puzzles took center stage. In addition to standard twisty challenges, enthusiasts of speedcubing tackled everything from the massive 7x7x7 Cube down to blindfolded execution. Alex Lehman proved to be the standout performer of the day, securing four event victories. Lehman opened his account on the larger puzzles by capturing the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:13.21 and a best single of 1:09.45, staying well clear of Enzo Xuan in second place at 1:27.33 and Anthony Carrillo in third at 1:29.63.

Lehman continued his dominant run in the remaining big puzzle categories at Honolulu Hippocampus 2024. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Lehman produced a winning average of 2:14.76, backed by a quick single of 2:12.01. Jaden Matsunaka claimed second place with a 2:44.01 average, while Carrillo took third at 3:18.23. Moving up to the 7x7x7 Cube, Lehman once again set the standard, recording an average of 3:42.46 with a fastest solve of 3:35.09. Matsunaka collected another runner-up finish at 4:29.16, and Xuan rounded out the top three with an average of 4:50.59.

Strategy and efficiency were also put to the test in the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest, an intellectual spin on classic Rubik's Cube solving. Rather than racing a stopwatch, eight contenders spent their attempts crafting the shortest possible solution sequences. Lehman took top honours once again, completing his solve in just 42 moves. Xuan secured second place with a solution of 48 moves, and Carrillo placed third after delivering a 51-move solution. The event showed a different side of speed cubing, where deliberate planning outranked raw turning pace.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several participants made substantial individual progress throughout the day. Theo Masahiro Hirano entered four events and achieved a 26.6 percent drop in Megaminx with a personal best of 1:48.92 down from 2:28.39, dropped his Square-1 best by 18.9 percent to 37.62, completed his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:02.17, and took fifth place in Fewest Moves. Kealoha Morimoto tackled four disciplines, slicing 11.3 percent off their 5x5x5 Cube mark to hit a 2:11.62 personal best while finishing fifth in Fewest Moves. Chris Martin entered six events, earning a fourth-place finish in Fewest Moves.

Twelve-sided puzzles brought another exciting duel to Honolulu Hippocampus 2024, where Enzo Xuan earned his own gold medal. Competing in Megaminx, Xuan posted a decisive winning average of 1:03.15, featuring a fastest single of 58.67 seconds to lead the pack. Lehman followed in second place with an average of 1:17.36, while Carrillo placed third with 1:29.10. Xuan's performance capped an impressive schedule where he factored into podium placements across multiple puzzle formats throughout the day.

Memory-based disciplines required absolute concentration in the library setting, highlighting some of the most specialized solves of the event. David Akamine led the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, recording a winning single of 1:11.95 in a field of three competitors. Lehman secured second place with a single of 2:02.81, and Matsunaka placed third at 6:30.13. Akamine's success carried directly into the multi-blind challenge, where solvers memorise and execute multiple puzzles consecutively while sightless.

In the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Akamine secured first place with an impressive tally of 16 solved cubes out of 20 attempts in a time of 56:45. Lehman took second place after successfully solving 4 out of 4 cubes in 34:08. Enthusiasts following overall 3x3 results found plenty to admire in the blindfolded disciplines, which capped an intensive schedule of specialized solving. The full day at Honolulu Hippocampus 2024 highlighted the depth of local talent across every category on offer.

All twenty-three podium positions across the eight events were claimed by United States competitors, wrapping up a productive meet in Honolulu. The single-day tournament demonstrated the balance between high-speed mechanical solving and deep cognitive disciplines like blindfolded and fewest moves solving. As the 2024 season progresses, the performances registered at Honolulu Hippocampus 2024 stand as a testament to the versatility of Hawaii's dedicated solving community.