No Peeking Calgary 2024

Twenty competitors gathered at the Community Wise Resource Center for a focused day of blindfolded precision. Held on March 16, 2024, No Peeking Calgary 2024 brought specialists together in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to tackle memory events across five rounds of intense play. With four distinct disciplines on the schedule, the tournament tested memory recall, nerve, and raw solving speed. Established names delivered top-tier form from the outset, proving that seasoned preparation remains the decisive factor when vision is entirely removed from the equation.

Jake Klassen produced the standout display in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, claiming victory in the final round with a winning average of 22.92 seconds and a tournament-best single of 18.28. The event, which drew a full field of 20 competitors across two rounds, saw Klassen dictate terms through exceptional memorisation and execution. Bernabe Kondrak secured second place with an average of 28.91, while Brandon Wong completed the podium in 40.00 seconds. Klassen also logged notable marks of 19.01 for a single and a 19.51 average earlier in the bracket, setting the benchmark for the discipline.

The 3x3 results in the blindfolded category underscored the depth of skill on display, as several competitors achieved successful averages in an unforgiving format. Beyond the classic Rubik's Cube size, the challenge extended to multi-cube complexity. Bernabe Kondrak captured first place in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 17 out of 21 cubes in a time of 55:56. Danny Buschert mounted a strong pursuit, finishing second with a flawless 13 out of 13 cubes in 57:55, while Jake Klassen took third place with 16 out of 21 cubes in 56:00.

Kondrak doubled his title count in 4x4x4 Blindfolded, leading a field of 11 competitors with a winning single time of 8:53.25. The big-cube blindfolded events require extended memorisation phases and careful execution to avoid parity errors. Azaro Gorloo pushed close behind to secure the runner-up spot in 9:02.82, while Danny Buschert stepped onto another podium with a third-place finish of 9:07.75. The tight times at the top reflected the high degree of focus maintained throughout the single round of attempts.

In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, Azaro Gorloo claimed the championship with a winning time of 25:27.00 in a challenging five-person field. Danny Buschert took second place with a successful solve of 27:25.00, completing an impressive multi-podium campaign across the gathering. Ethan Basanov, Bernabe Kondrak, and Jake Klassen shared third place on the podium after registering DNF results. Canadian competitors earned all 14 podium placements awarded across the four events, demonstrating formidable national strength in memory solving.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants delivered exceptional breakthroughs that defined the character of the cubing competition. Cooper Kurata registered a major advance in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a personal best of 1:50.08, which was 52.8 percent faster than their previous mark of 3:53.02, while also taking on their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to post 3 out of 3 in 18:22. Daniel Welsh similarly made notable strides, lowering their 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 15.8 percent to 1:48.04 and reaching a best finish of 5th in 4x4x4 Blindfolded across two entered events. Rex Kotovich achieved a 15.8 percent personal best improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a time of 3:23.90, securing a 10th-place finish.

Fresh milestones continued across the roster as Sam Edwards completed a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 7:16.38 while entering three events and finishing 5th in 4x4x4 Blindfolded. Jung-Hwan Park made their official WCA competition debut at this meet, taking on 3x3x3 Blindfolded for the first time to record a mark of 3:05.49 and finish 8th. Anthony Finnigan tackled two events and recorded a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 2 out of 3 in 20:42. James Deibert notched a 3x3x3 Multi-Blind personal best of 4 out of 4 in 30:05 across three events, and Niels Nijstad secured a best finish of 10th in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind over two disciplines.

The single-day meet highlighted the exactness required at the highest tiers of speedcubing, where memory recall and fingertip dexterity must operate in absolute harmony. The veteran presence shaped the standard throughout the brackets, establishing rapid times while offering an inspiring environment for newer blindfolded solvers. As the 2024 season progresses, the technical foundation displayed in Calgary serves as a strong marker for speed cubing excellence in Western Canada.

No Peeking Calgary 2024 concluded with memorable performances across all four disciplines, confirming the strength and focus of the local memory solving community. With dominant showings from Klassen, Kondrak, and Gorloo alongside deep personal improvements across the roster, the event demonstrated the rewards of preparation and consistency under competition pressure. The achievements in Calgary set a formidable precedent for the next series of blindfolded challenges.