Oregon Championship 2023

Matty Hiroto Inaba delivered an emphatic victory in the premier 3x3x3 Cube final at the Oregon Championship 2023, averaging 6.06 seconds to seal the marquee title of the weekend. That triumph anchored a relentless weekend for competitors representing the United States, who captured an overwhelming 51 podium places across 17 events at the Salem Convention Center in Salem, Oregon, USA. Across three intense days from September 1 to September 3, 2023, a packed schedule of 28 rounds tested 132 competitors in every discipline on the official calendar.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of a full American podium lockout, as Inaba edged out Asher Kim-Magierek, who took second with an average of 6.34 seconds, and Sameer Aggarwal, who took third with 6.52 seconds. Inaba added four more gold trophies to his collection across the weekend, winning the 4x4x4 Cube with a 22.68 average, the 5x5x5 Cube in 48.15 seconds, the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:25.94, and 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 11.08 average. His versatility across both standard and complex hardware set the competitive standard throughout the entire gathering.

The Oregon Championship 2023 was far from a one-person showcase, however, with multiple solvers sharing in the gold medal haul. Sameer Aggarwal claimed titles in three separate disciplines, taking first place in Pyraminx with a 2.97 average, Square-1 with a 5.36 average, and the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:36.37 average. Michael Lee earned the 2x2x2 Cube title in 2.66 seconds, while Ash Black took the Skewb crown with a 2.60 average. Ethan Davis proved unbeatable in non-standard challenges, capturing Megaminx in 37.73 seconds and the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with an average of 30.00 moves.

In other technical disciplines at the Oregon Championship 2023, Bo Ahn-Lewandowski won Clock with an average of 6.94 seconds, holding off a competitive field of 47 entrants. Memory and spatial awareness came to the forefront during the blindfolded rounds, where Timothy Castle secured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded win with a best single of 20.93 seconds and later topped the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event by solving 20 out of 25 cubes in 53:03. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Jason White secured first place with an average of 6:12.37, while the demanding 5x5x5 Blindfolded event ended with no solver completing a successful attempt.

Behind the top steps of the podium, the Salem floor saw deep progress from competitors tackling expanded programs. Josh Lo delivered significant personal bests across the weekend, cutting his Pyraminx single down to 6.74 seconds, an improvement of 48.2 percent, while dropping his Clock single by 35.2 percent to 27.27 seconds, in addition to making his first career attempt at Square-1 with a time of 48.23. Echo Kelber took on 14 separate events, earning a 12th place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 55-move effort alongside first-ever attempts in Square-1 at 24.62 seconds and 6x6x6 Cube at 4:48.43.

That drive was shared by solvers broadening their competition repertoire across Salem. Arnav Arora entered 9 events, claiming 12th place in 2x2x2 Cube while logging his first attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:00.64, Megaminx in 2:29.25, and One-Handed in 36.55 seconds. Noah Porter tackled 11 events and placed 11th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 54 moves, also recording initial attempts in Clock at 26.15 seconds and One-Handed at 35.96 seconds. Elliott Gardner completed first official attempts in Pyraminx at 7.80 seconds, Clock at 16.48 seconds, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:26.84 across 7 events.

Broadening the weekend tally, Andrew Martin contested 9 disciplines and secured a 13th place finish in Fewest Moves while logging maiden attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:19.40, 5x5x5 Cube at 2:48.04, and Skewb at 15.04 seconds. Benjamin Ollivant took on 7 events, establishing first-ever marks in 2x2x2 Cube at 7.08 seconds, Skewb at 16.52 seconds, and Clock at 30.93 seconds. Ari Cummins recorded initial attempts in Clock at 16.07 seconds, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:41.58, and Megaminx at 3:35.92 across 10 events, capturing the true breadth of community participation.

As this WCA competition wrapped up, the final statistics underlined a triumphant weekend of speed cubing at the Salem Convention Center. With classic Rubik's Cube formats standing shoulder to shoulder with complex multi-stage puzzles, the Oregon Championship 2023 offered a complete showcase of precision and technique. The 51 podium finishes by domestic competitors highlighted the immense regional depth on display, leaving the Pacific Northwest speedcubing community with plenty of momentum heading into the upcoming tournament calendar.