On the Side South Australia 2024

Four gold medals from four finals told the central story of On the Side South Australia 2024, where one solver stood clear of the rest across the heavier disciplines on the schedule. Held on February 10, 2024, at Unley Town Hall in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, the single-day cubing competition brought together 51 competitors across eight events and nine rounds of high-pressure action. With a focus dedicated to puzzles running alongside the standard Rubik's Cube category, the weekend offered an expansive platform for both elite veterans and emerging solvers from the speedcubing community.

Feliks Zemdegs set the pace from his very first turn, sweeping every major multi-layered puzzle on the docket. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Zemdegs topped a field of 44 contenders with an average of 23.94 seconds, punctuated by a best single of 22.79 seconds. Seth Ferry took second place with a 32.72 average, while Leo Hock-Morris secured third at 37.08. Zemdegs replicated that commanding control on the Megaminx, taking victory with an average of 41.52 seconds and a single of 38.67, again finishing ahead of Ferry who claimed runner-up honours with a 53.76 average, followed by Auric Cui in third at 1:13.36.

The big cube showcase continued to belong entirely to Zemdegs as the layers stacked higher. In the 6x6x6 Cube, he took first place by delivering a winning average of 1:28.38 and an event-best single of 1:22.81, outpacing Ferry at 2:17.52 and Jeffers Chan at 2:19.20. Moving to the 7x7x7 Cube, Zemdegs locked in his fourth title of the day with a 2:06.67 average, including a 1:57.72 single. Chan secured second place on the podium with an average of 3:41.97, while Jonah Blakeley took third place at 4:03.63.

Beyond the big cube dominance, Felix Williams made an indelible mark in the blindfolded disciplines. Williams won the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event with a 32.74 single, navigating the field of 24 solvers to lead Zemdegs, who finished second at 1:08.50, and Carlo Malagar, who took third at 1:10.32. Blindfolded solving requires rapid memorisation and flawless spatial execution, qualities Williams demonstrated again in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by winning with 20 out of 25 cubes solved in 54:08. Malagar followed in second with 13 out of 16 in 1:00:06, and Yinhao Ding earned third by going a perfect 7 for 7 in 57:02.

In the remaining alternate puzzles, Jeffers Chan navigated the only multi-round contest on the schedule to capture the Square-1 crown. Chan topped 27 competitors across two rounds, locking in a decisive final average of 11.26 seconds alongside a single of 8.63. Auric Cui finished close behind in second with an 11.68 average, and Alex Butera took third at 12.52. Butera rose to the top step in Clock, posting a 6.34 winning average with a single of 4.28, narrowly finishing ahead of Cui at 6.69 and Miles Fetherston at 7.97.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones and personal breakthroughs. Peter Vu enjoyed a standout day across six events, posting a Megaminx personal best of 1:18.26 that improved on his previous mark by 53.5 percent, alongside first ever attempts at Square-1 with 14.05 and 7x7x7 Cube with 8:30.00. Aaron Mi took on all eight events, earning a 50.3 percent personal best improvement in Clock with a 9.94 single, in addition to maiden attempts in Square-1 at 34.26 and 7x7x7 Cube at 5:30.43. Sora Le Vagueresse cut their Square-1 best by 52.9 percent to 32.23 and tackled their first 3x3x3 Blindfolded attempt with 4:44.19, while Liam Boyce posted a 40.7 percent personal best drop in 6x6x6 Cube with 4:16.80.

First-time event entries provided some of the most rewarding moments of the Adelaide gathering. David Craig contested all eight events, logging inaugural attempts in Megaminx at 2:52.39, Clock at 23.85, and 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 2:38.74. Gus Friend tackled five events, recording his first official marks in Square-1 at 31.14, Clock at 11.57, and 7x7x7 Cube at 10:05.00. Ethan Baillie also took on five categories, registering first-time efforts in 6x6x6 Cube at 5:04.92, Square-1 at 27.49, and Clock at 23.96. Making their debut appearance at a WCA competition, Kathleen Jade Dela Cruz stepped onto the competition floor for the very first time, finishing 38th in Clock.

With 21 podium finishes claimed by Australian competitors and three earned by Hong Kong solvers, On the Side South Australia 2024 highlighted the incredible depth of talent in regional speed cubing. While fans often scrutinise standard 3x3 results at larger gatherings, this specialised event put alternate formats directly in the spotlight. The single-day test served as a showcase for multi-event mastery, leaving solvers across the circuit with fresh momentum as the 2024 season continues.