Never Stop Turning AZ 2023

Ninety-four competitors gathered at Sunnyslope Highschool on May 13, 2023, turning Phoenix, Arizona, USA into a premier hub for competitive solving. The one-day cubing competition featured 10 rounds across 6 distinct events, drawing both seasoned champions and emerging enthusiasts. While one-handed solving traditionally tests fingertip dexterity and economy of motion, the pure speedcubing talent on display across every category at Never Stop Turning AZ 2023 demanded absolute mechanical control. Competitors pushed their recognition speeds and turning flow to the absolute limit throughout an intense day of action.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 94 entrants across three intense rounds of competition. Max Park of the USA captured first place with an extraordinary winning average of 5.42 seconds, bolstered by a best single time of 4.43 seconds. Fellow American Dan Tran secured the runner-up spot on the podium with an average of 8.25 seconds, narrowly edging out Jesse Gonzales of the USA who claimed third with an 8.26 average. The 3x3 results underlined the exceptional depth of talent present at the tables in Phoenix.

Max Park continued his relentless sweep through the larger puzzles, demonstrating the same fluid discipline that defines top-tier Rubik's Cube mastery. In the 4x4x4 Cube, contested across two rounds with 67 competitors, Park claimed victory with a 20.74 average and an event-best single of 19.53. Shane Grogan took second place for the USA with a 32.51 average, while Dan Tran rounded out the podium positions in third with a 32.83 mark. Park's command of transition efficiency across layers set an unattainable benchmark for the rest of the field.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Park secured another gold medal with an average of 41.94 seconds and a single of 40.10 against 37 competitors in a direct final. Dan Tran took second place with a 54.24 average, while Shane Grogan finished third at 1:08.05. Park then capped his big-cube showcase in the 7x7x7 Cube, defeating a field of 17 solvers with a winning average of 1:48.00 and a best single of 1:40.03. Dan Tran claimed second place with a 2:38.40 average, and Shane Grogan took third at 3:24.79.

Away from the main podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones in Phoenix. Clark Davis took on four events and posted a personal best of 14.59 in Square-1, which was 68.6 percent faster than his previous best of 46.53, alongside a sixth-place overall finish and his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 48.16. Emily Greenwood delivered a massive 49.19 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube, marking a 65.4 percent improvement over her prior 2:22.13, while logging her first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube at 1:31.33 and placing seventh in 7x7x7 Cube. Samuel Phillips dropped his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 42.6 percent to 57.54, also making his first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube in 5:12.52. Malachi Chavez notched a 33.7 percent improvement in Square-1 with a 21.70 personal best and recorded his first ever attempt at Skewb in 4.79.

The progression continued through the ranks as Bryce Lund reduced his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 52.35, an improvement of 26.5 percent, while completing his first ever attempt at Square-1 in 30.80. Cole Anthony Reid improved his 4x4x4 Cube best by 25.7 percent to 1:32.18 and registered his first ever attempt at Skewb at 12.50. Jeffrey S. Gonzales took on four events, setting a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 2:13.93 to cut 20.5 percent off his previous time, alongside his first ever attempt at Skewb in 10.56. First-time WCA competition entrant Joseph McClellan tackled five events, recording his first ever attempt at Square-1 in 38.12 and earning a 20th place finish.

The side events provided thrilling variety, beginning with the dynamic Skewb competition. Dan Tran secured the top step of the podium among 65 competitors across two rounds, registering a winning average of 5.61 seconds and a best single of 4.06 seconds. Leo Golove of the USA finished second with a 6.51 average, while Rishit Agarwal of India claimed third place with a 7.19 mark. This marked India's lone podium finish of the weekend alongside 17 podium places captured by United States competitors.

In the Square-1 event, Ivan Vanek delivered an outstanding performance to win the single-round contest featuring 30 competitors. Vanek posted a winning average of 8.26 seconds and the best single time of 7.64 seconds to secure gold. Maxwell Jensen took second place for the USA with a 14.30 average, while Dan Tran earned his fourth podium appearance of the event by finishing third with an average of 15.56 seconds. The intricate geometry of the puzzle provided a fitting tactical contrast to the rotational speed of traditional cubes.

The event concluded with immense success for both established names and rising speed cubing talent across the American Southwest. Never Stop Turning AZ 2023 proved how vibrant local tournaments continue to be, offering high-level competition, widespread personal breakthroughs, and unforgettable head-to-head racing. As the official WCA competition circuit moves forward into the season, the remarkable times set at Sunnyslope Highschool will stand as high-water marks for competitors across the region.