Kailua Liʻi Pōʻakolu 2024

Anthony Carrillo produced a blistering 2.07 single on the 2x2x2 Cube on his way to a dominant 3.13 winning average, setting the competitive tone for an intense single day of action in the islands. Across the Pacific, competitors made the journey to gather at Le Jardin Academy for Kailua Liʻi Pōʻakolu 2024, convening on August 14, 2024, in Kailua, Hawaii, USA. The mid-August fixture brought together 13 competitors eager to test their solving speed across four rounds and three core disciplines.

The journey to any island cubing competition requires dedication, with solvers crossing distances to reach the Windward side of Oahu. Kailua provided an intimate backdrop for the gathering, where every turn of the puzzle mattered across the condensed schedule. With 13 contenders lined up across the tables, the room maintained high intensity through each solve, offering a focused stage for both seasoned campaigners and local newcomers chasing personal milestones in 2024.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 13 entrants into battle across two rounds of play. Enzo Xuan delivered the weekend highlight in the final, securing first place with a stellar 11.70 winning average and registering the fastest single of the category at 9.83. Anthony Carrillo followed closely behind to claim the second step on the podium with a 13.02 average, while David Lee (이지현) rounded out the top three by finishing third with a mark of 13.15 in a competitive set of 3x3 results.

Anthony Carrillo turned in a masterclass across the remaining categories, capturing gold in both the 2x2x2 Cube and the 4x4x4 Cube. In the 2x2x2 event, Carrillo topped the 11-competitor field with his 3.13 average, finishing ahead of Kealoha Morimoto in second place at 4.67 and Enzo Xuan in third at 5.23. The 4x4x4 Cube brought another victory for Carrillo, who posted a 46.39 winning average and a 39.13 best single to outpace Enzo Xuan at 54.59 and David Lee (이지현) at 59.19 in the seven-person lineup.

Away from the top of the podium, the heartbeat of the tournament lived in the massive personal gains and courageous debuts that defined the afternoon. Sean Endo took on three separate events, securing a 6th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube while registering a 23.81 personal best that shaved 27.3 percent off his previous standard, alongside a first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube that yielded a 5.90. Jacob Endo also entered three events and placed 6th in the 4x4x4 Cube with a first-time mark of 2:57.07, adding a 32.30 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube that improved his prior mark by 19.2 percent. Owen Magana dropped his Rubik's Cube standard to a 38.19 personal best, an improvement of 3.8 percent, while Sebastian Luu-Missios recorded a 27.41 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube and finished 7th in the 2x2x2 Cube.

The gathering also served as an open door for several competitors taking on their first WCA competition. Nico Nakama completed three events in their debut, earning a 5th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube with a first attempt of 19.64, alongside first-ever competition marks of 7.62 on the 2x2x2 and 2:23.36 on the 4x4x4. Tristan Reddy entered two events, placing 6th on the 2x2x2 Cube with a 7.00 first attempt and posting a 28.96 on the 3x3x3 Cube. Krishna Reddy logged first attempts of 9.80 on the 2x2x2 Cube to finish 9th and 30.67 on the 3x3x3 Cube, while Luke Nainoa Dumaran completed his debut with first attempts of 25.10 on the 2x2x2 Cube for 11th place and 1:19.06 on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The range of events gave every participant a full test of spatial recognition and mechanical execution, shifting from the rapid algorithms of the 2x2x2 Cube to the layer management of the larger 4x4x4 Cube. Enthusiasts of speedcubing appreciate the versatility required to switch between quick, burst-speed turning and extended piece pairing in such a short schedule. The United States contingent locked down all nine available podium positions across the three featured disciplines.

The successful running of Kailua Liʻi Pōʻakolu 2024 demonstrated how vibrant the local speed cubing community remains in Hawaii. The shared experience between debutants clocking their first official marks and frontrunners chasing sub-10 solves gave the venue a memorable energy from start to finish. As another chapter of island competition concludes, competitors carry their new personal records and hard-fought experience forward into the next season of play.