Loon Cubikon 2024

A total of 110 competitors assembled at the SNHU Dining Center Banquet Hall on November 24, 2024, creating an energetic community gathering in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. Over the course of 11 rounds across six distinct events, speedcubing enthusiasts shared tables, swapped advice between heats, and cheered each other on. The single-day WCA competition showcased the vibrant social fabric of New England cubing, pairing elite performances with the welcoming camaraderie that defines modern speed cubing.

The flagship Rubik's Cube event stood as the central attraction of the weekend, drawing 108 competitors through three intense stages. Krish Shah-Nathwani captured victory in the main 3x3 results with an impressive winning average of 7.51 seconds, complemented by a sharp best single of 6.10 seconds. William Greninger secured the second spot on the podium with an 8.35 average, while Sam Cooperman rounded out the top three with an average of 8.46 seconds. The shared focus at the solving stations highlighted both competitive drive and mutual respect.

William Greninger delivered a commanding double victory across two complex events, underscoring his versatile skill set. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Greninger topped a field of 68 entrants with a 30.10 winning average and a single of 26.32 seconds, finishing ahead of Jeffrey Li at 32.28 and Krish Shah-Nathwani at 35.84. Greninger returned to the center stage in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming first place among 62 competitors with a 13.11 average and an 11.80 single, holding off Li at 15.23 and Ethan Zhuang at 15.52.

Ethan Zhuang left an indelible mark on the podium roster with titles in two separate disciplines. Zhuang won the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.56 average and a 1.03 single across two rounds, leading Krish Shah-Nathwani at 1.76 and Jeffrey Li at 2.42. Later in Square-1, Zhuang captured gold by the narrowest of margins, posting a 12.45 average to edge Brazil's Thiago Han at 12.46 and Li at 12.94. In the Clock division, Jacob Carubia earned top honors with a 5.96 average, followed closely by Brendan Lee at 6.07 and Ethan Benson at 6.58.

Beyond the podium battles, Loon Cubikon 2024 provided a stage for remarkable individual progress. Silas Saab showed immense development across three events, lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best to 57.02 seconds, a 68.3 percent improvement, alongside cuts of 41 percent in 2x2x2 Cube to 7.31 and 25.2 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to 24.46. Jasper Paley entered six events, securing 17th in Square-1 with a personal best of 21.53 seconds, improving by 52.3 percent, while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best to 10.03. Ayren Acevedo cut 57 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark to reach 3.19 and reduced his 3x3x3 Cube time by 33.3 percent to 20.77, while also logging a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 2:21.83. Lucas Euell completed his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt in 6.67 seconds and reduced his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 51.2 percent to 30.81.

Fresh challenges defined the day for several other dedicated solvers. Tina Luo entered four events, posting her first official attempts in 4x4x4 Cube with 55.73 seconds and 3x3x3 One-Handed with 30.08, while trimming her 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 44.1 percent to 3.96. Connor Meehan improved his Clock best by 46.9 percent down to 15.05 seconds, lowered his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 30.3 percent to 1:03.07, and registered a first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 23.55. Samarth Prabhu recorded maiden efforts of 29.30 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 1:36.45 in 4x4x4 Cube while improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 29.2 percent to 12.17. Oliver Nemirovsky registered initial official attempts in three events, recording 2:36.65 in 4x4x4 Cube, 6.98 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 1:11.41 in Square-1.

Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app, participated across five events at the Manchester gathering, earning four new personal bests. Kim secured 19th place in Clock with an 11.67 average and a personal best single of 9.02 seconds. In Square-1, he placed 24th with a personal best single of 41.19. He added a 35th-place result in 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 1:13.98 and a personal best single of 1:01.95, took 45th in 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.65 average, and finished 51st in 3x3x3 Cube with an 18.00 average alongside a personal best single of 13.33.

As the final solves concluded and tables cleared at Loon Cubikon 2024, the spirit of community remained the standout theme of the tournament. From newcomers logging their first official times to experienced competitors sharing technique tips between heats, the gathering reflected the camaraderie at the heart of the regional scene. Solvers departed the banquet hall with new benchmarks achieved and connections deepened, looking ahead to meeting again on the tournament floor in the upcoming cubing competition season.