Ibarra Open 2024

Thirty-six competitors gathered on September 21, 2024, at Unidad Educativa San Francisco for a compact day of high-tempo solving. While classic disciplines like 3x3x3 Fewest Moves demand quiet deliberation with pen and paper where solvers methodically write out every rotation, the schedule at Ibarra Open 2024 took an entirely different path. The event roster leaned entirely into outright speed, testing fast reflexes across 7 events and 10 rounds of non-stop action in Ibarra, Ecuador.

Anthony Gerard Álvarez Ludeña established himself as the dominant force of the cubing competition, capturing four individual titles across the single-day program. In the main Rubik's Cube event, Álvarez Ludeña secured the gold across three rounds, posting a winning average of 9.50 seconds along with the best single of the day at 7.07 seconds. Farid Brazales Flores followed in second place with an average of 10.95, while Emilio Andre Garzón Labre rounded out the podium in 12.78 to cap the 3x3 results.

The 2x2x2 Cube final provided another showcase for Álvarez Ludeña, who registered a winning average of 2.07 seconds and a best single of 1.71 across two rounds. Raúl Gómez claimed the silver position with an average of 2.38, while Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon achieved third place with a 3.90 average. Álvarez Ludeña added two more victories in larger and specialty puzzles, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 33.39 average and taking the 3x3x3 One-Handed event in 17.30 seconds.

Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas delivered exceptional performances in alternative categories during the Ibarra Open 2024 schedule. Aldás Cuestas took top honors in Skewb with a 6.70 winning average, edging out Brazales Flores who recorded a 6.90 average and David Miranda who secured third at 7.04. Aldás Cuestas also captured the Clock title with an average of 8.06 seconds, finishing ahead of Jean Carlos Echeverría Jácome at 11.27 and Lady Mikaela Tapie Meneses at 14.42.

Pyraminx brought a field of 19 competitors and concluded with a decisive victory for Juan Andrés Reyes Espinoza. Reyes Espinoza took gold with a 5.05 average and a best single of 3.83 seconds. Germán Daniel Beltrán Jarrín placed second with a 5.93 average, and Alejandro Velasquez Torres completed the podium positions with an average of 6.41, ensuring all 21 podium places across the weekend were claimed by competitors representing Ecuador.

Beyond the championship trophies, this WCA competition revealed major personal breakthroughs across the score sheets. Inti Kenai Landázuri Tobón cut their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 6.94 seconds, an improvement of 41.8 percent, alongside a 16.2 percent drop in 3x3x3 Cube to 20.64. Anthony Sebastián Carpio Mayancha chopped 33.7 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube mark to reach 22.68. Marcelo Gabriel Torres Garrido entered 5 events, shaving 30.4 percent off their Pyraminx best to hit 7.51 seconds and finishing 4th in Clock with a new personal best of 14.36, while Santiago Lanchango logged an official debut in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 22.14 on the way to a 4th-place finish.

The day also welcomed several new speedcubing milestones from ambitious competitors testing fresh puzzles. Anthony David Ponce Valencia reduced their Skewb best by 22.7 percent to 12.50 seconds and attempted Pyraminx for the first time, logging a 16.15. Mayki Santiago Ramos Cevallos took on 4 events, finishing 8th in Skewb with a 13.40 debut, trying Pyraminx for the first time at 8.37, and lowering their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 15.1 percent to 16.28. Ricardo Francisco Frey Villacís tackled their first official tournament by entering three events with debuts of 46.97 in 3x3x3 Cube, 13.57 in Pyraminx, and a 10th-place 1:05.24 in Skewb, while Martín Nicolás Valencia Bolaños debuted at 39.93 in 3x3x3 Cube and secured 15th in Pyraminx with an 8.20 mark.

The depth of talent and rapid progression seen at Ibarra Open 2024 underlined the healthy development of regional speed cubing in northern Ecuador. From rapid 2x2x2 rotations to complex single-handed solves, the tournament packed a full slate of challenging formats into a single memorable day at Unidad Educativa San Francisco. The successful conclusion of Ibarra Open 2024 sets an encouraging benchmark for all 36 competitors looking ahead to future tests on the national calendar.