OKC Holiday Cube-Off 2024

Inside the bustling Wiley Event Center, the unmistakable clatter of twisting plastic echoed across the hall as timers flickered to life. Forty competitors gathered on November 30 for the OKC Holiday Cube-Off 2024, creating an electric atmosphere in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. With the late-autumn calendar winding down toward the end of the year, this single-day speedcubing gathering served as a vital late-season stop for solvers aiming to leave their mark on the 2024 rankings across 7 events and 14 total rounds.

As the schedule unfolded, Ryan Pilat produced one of the most dominant runs of the regional calendar. Pilat claimed first place in six separate events, demonstrating staggering versatility across varied puzzle formats. In the classic Rubik's Cube, the premier test of speed cubing excellence, Pilat captured the title with a winning 3x3x3 Cube average of 7.53 seconds along with a sharp single of 6.79. Jake Maddox followed closely in second place with an 8.50 average, while Jose Ortiz Jr. locked down third on the podium at 8.84, delivering thrilling final 3x3 results.

Pilat maintained his relentless pace on the smaller twisty puzzles, securing gold in the 2x2x2 Cube final with a 2.29 winning average. In that same event, Peter Aho took the silver medal with a mark of 2.85, edging Jake Maddox, who claimed bronze with a 3.03. Pilat also earned a top-step finish in Skewb by recording an average of 4.71 to narrowly surpass Maddox at 4.86 and Kaden Christopher Dockins at 5.48. In Square-1, Pilat stood well clear of the field, winning with a 6.27 average over Michael S. Lander at 10.44 and Daniel Polichetti at 14.15.

The big cubes told a similar story of excellence at the OKC Holiday Cube-Off 2024. Pilat took victory in the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 51.70, heading off Jose Ortiz Jr. at 55.39 and Lydia Workman at 59.89. In the demanding single-round 7x7x7 Cube contest, Pilat secured another top finish with a mark of 2:42.93, while Workman earned second place at 2:49.97 and Ortiz Jr. picked up third in 2:55.23. The only event to elude Pilat was Megaminx, where Ortiz Jr. delivered a masterful performance, taking first place with a 39.24 average to lead Pilat at 42.66 and Josiah Edmond at 47.48.

Beneath the top podium spots, the undercard of the cubing competition provided plenty of remarkable breakthroughs for rising competitors. Theo Wilcox tackled three events and achieved an enormous 49.5 percent improvement on his 3x3x3 Cube personal best with a time of 31.56, while also logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 2:57.45 and a first 2x2x2 Cube solve of 11.28. Gabriel Norton took on six events, securing a 36.8 percent personal best in Skewb with a 7.03 along with a first Megaminx attempt of 2:52.69. Cale Massie notched a 37.8 percent personal best of 7.17 on 2x2x2 Cube and tried Skewb for the first time with a 12.75, while Weston Smoliak achieved 11th place in 7x7x7 Cube, a first Square-1 attempt of 1:13.76, and a 36.8 percent personal best in 2x2x2 Cube at 3.31.

The surge of personal progress continued throughout the afternoon across all divisions. Brantley Taylor set a 33.3 percent personal best in 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 3.21 and posted a first Skewb attempt of 7.41. Zebediah Yongo engaged in a marathon schedule across all seven events, capturing 13th place in 7x7x7 Cube alongside a major 43.9 percent personal best in Square-1 at 20.24. Griffin Zielke registered a pair of tournament debuts with a first 2x2x2 Cube single of 3.37 and a first Skewb solve of 12.03. Colin Edge impressed by lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 42.5 percent down to 3.64 and dropping his Skewb mark by 23.5 percent to 11.96.

Every single one of the 21 podium places awarded at the OKC Holiday Cube-Off 2024 went to competitors from the USA, reflecting deep regional strength across all categories. The single-day schedule ran briskly across 14 packed rounds, balancing the technical precision of side events like Square-1 and Megaminx with the blistering pace of the 2x2x2 and 3x3x3 brackets. From experienced solvers refining their tournament habits to fresh faces discovering official competition, each entrant contributed to the lively pace of the day.

As the final timers were packed away at the Wiley Event Center, the OKC Holiday Cube-Off 2024 provided a fitting conclusion to a memorable day of action. With Pilat bagging six titles and solvers across the board claiming hard-earned milestones, the tournament stood as a premier showcase of competitive focus. The achievements logged in Oklahoma City offer positive momentum for every participant looking ahead to what the upcoming calendar will bring.