KCKC 4 Big and Awkward 2024

Inside the halls of the KC First Church of the Nazarene, the morning air settled into a quiet hum of turning plastic and ticking timers. Stacks of oversized hardware lined the solving stations as competitors warmed up their hands, preparing for long stretches of turning that demand intense concentration. The one-day gathering on January 13, 2024 brought a dedicated field together in Kansas City, Missouri, USA for an itinerary tilted heavily toward complex mechanisms and long-distance solves.

A total of 40 competitors took part in the action, working through 13 rounds across seven distinct disciplines. With larger puzzles dominating the schedule, stamina became the defining challenge of the day. Unlike a standard sprint round, navigating layers upon layers of intricate pieces requires continuous physical pacing and sustained focus, making KCKC 4 Big and Awkward 2024 an exacting test of endurance for every participant in the room.

The 7x7x7 Cube presented the ultimate test of durability, featuring 18 solvers across two intense rounds. Lydia Workman delivered a commanding display, securing the victory with a winning average of 2:33.75 and posting the day's best single of 2:26.27. Zachary Walden followed in second place with an average of 3:12.94, while Patrick Le took third place on the podium with an average of 3:44.73.

Workman extended her dominance to the 6x6x6 Cube, claiming another title with a winning average of 1:44.66 and the fastest single at 1:37.94 in a single-round contest of 21 entrants. Zachary Walden earned another runner-up spot with an average of 1:54.66, and Patrick Le captured third with a mark of 2:13.72. Earlier in the 5x5x5 Cube, which drew 36 competitors, Walden captured the top step of the podium with a winning average of 1:01.57 and a best single of 57.03, narrowly edging Workman at 1:02.63 and Le at 1:10.84.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants produced remarkable personal milestones across demanding events. William James dropped his Megaminx personal record by 48.6 percent down to 1:58.22 while taking on his first ever official attempts in Square-1 and the 5x5x5 Cube. Jackson Scott Hill cut his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 34.6 percent to 1:02.24 and recorded his first official marks in Square-1 and Clock. Elisha Stark improved their 5x5x5 Cube mark by 32.9 percent to 2:03.48 and posted a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 57.79. Shawn Doyle shaved 26.4 percent off their 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 1:21.63 and logged initial marks in 5x5x5 Cube and Square-1.

The progress continued as Luke Perkins dropped his Megaminx personal record by 20.2 percent to 1:40.70 while registering his first 5x5x5 Cube solve at 2:39.93. Isabel Loney improved her 7x7x7 Cube mark by 15.8 percent down to 7:46.99 and took on all seven disciplines on the schedule. Addy K. Vacca also completed a full seven-event slate at KCKC 4 Big and Awkward 2024, cutting her Megaminx best by 10.8 percent to 2:03.55 and attempting the 6x6x6 Cube for the first time. First-time participant William Higgins made his debut across three events, logging a 39.17 in Clock and 1:59.39 in the 4x4x4 Cube.

The 4x4x4 Cube contest featured 33 solvers across two rounds, where Aaron Huynh secured first place with an average of 34.76 and a best single of 29.47. Walden claimed second place with an average of 36.86, while Le secured third at 41.19. The event generated significant action on the scorecards, including preliminary round marks by Walden with a 32.72 single and 34.52 average, alongside Huynh registering a 34.87 single and 35.70 average.

Side events offered a change of pace from layered twisty puzzles. Trenton Cuzick triumphed in Clock with an average of 5.96 and a round-best 4.69 single over 25 competitors, finishing ahead of Isaac Lindsey at 8.71 and Kayden Yang at 10.00. In Square-1, Elijah Von Mook captured first place with an average of 13.12 and a single of 10.87, outperforming Yang at 17.47 and Workman at 18.83. Alexander Gager mastered the 12-sided Megaminx, winning with an average of 45.78 and a 42.01 single, followed by Lindsey at 54.81 and Connor Lyons at 1:04.28.

While fans often seek out standard 3x3 results and classic Rubik's Cube races, this WCA competition put the full physical and mental demands of large-scale speed cubing on center stage. All 21 podium positions at KCKC 4 Big and Awkward 2024 were captured by United States competitors, wrapping up a demanding day of speedcubing in the Midwest as solvers look ahead to the next challenge on the calendar.