PBs in Palisades 2023

A total of 153 competitors assembled at Palisades Center for PBs in Palisades 2023 on April 15, 2023, creating an intensely contested environment where advancing through each stage was an accomplishment in itself. Staged in West Nyack, New York, USA, the one-day meeting packed 12 rounds across five distinct puzzles, requiring entrants to maintain sharp precision through high-pressure eliminations. With hundreds of solves logged over the course of the day, securing a spot in any final round proved to be a formidable test of consistency across a remarkably deep roster of talent.

The flagship 3x3x3 Cube contest stood as the clearest illustration of that competitive depth, featuring an expansive lineup of 151 solvers battling through four demanding rounds. Poland standout Tymon Kolasiński commanded the event from start to finish, ultimately taking top honours with a winning average of 5.27 seconds alongside the day best single of 4.95 seconds. In a fiercely contested final where fractions of a second decided the remaining podium spots, Patrick Ponce of the United States secured the runner-up position with an average of 6.66 seconds, edging out fellow American Carson Widjaja who finished third at 6.69 seconds in the final 3x3 results.

Beyond the classic Rubik's Cube, Kolasiński demonstrated his versatility across big cubes and short-format events alike, capturing four total victories during the meet. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which drew 95 competitors across two rounds, Kolasiński earned first place with a 23.08-second average and a 20.87-second single. Ponce captured second place with an average of 26.84 seconds, followed closely by Kevin Costello III in third at 27.53 seconds, highlighting the immense standard required to reach the top tier of American big-cube solving.

The 5x5x5 Cube followed a similar script as 64 entrants took to the tables across two rounds. Kolasiński set the benchmark with a winning average of 40.48 seconds and a single of 35.46 seconds. Ponce once again secured second place with a mark of 46.55 seconds, while Costello rounded out the podium in third with an average of 57.41 seconds. Across both big-cube categories, the progression margins remained narrow as entrants fought through crowded first rounds simply to earn a seat in the finals.

Sprint events brought equally intense drama, beginning with the 2x2x2 Cube where 128 solvers went head-to-head. Kolasiński claimed the victory with a 1.71-second average and a single of 1.32 seconds, barely holding off American competitor Parker Trager who claimed second place with a 1.83-second mark. Kye Carretero of the United States took third place with an average of 1.91 seconds. Trager quickly turned the tables in the 109-player Pyraminx event, taking the title with an average of 1.98 seconds and a best single of 1.49 seconds, while Kolasiński finished second at 2.02 seconds and Kyle Meade took third at 2.46 seconds.

Away from the top of the podium, the event served as a major proving ground for developing competitors chasing breakthroughs. Julian Austrian tackled five events on the schedule, putting up a personal best of 6.53 seconds in Pyraminx to shave 67.6 percent off their previous mark while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:27.57 and 5x5x5 Cube in 3:08.25. Evan Zhao took on four events, recording a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 8.50 single, alongside initial official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 8.27 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:23.75. Giles Godson dropped their Pyraminx mark by 63.1 percent to 4.27 seconds, improved their 3x3x3 Cube best by 22 percent to 13.20 seconds, and registered a 1:48.56 in their first 4x4x4 Cube effort. Hudson Hassan also entered five events, cutting 33 percent from their Pyraminx best to hit 7.79 seconds while recording first-time efforts in 2x2x2 Cube at 3.82 seconds and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:17.60.

That momentum continued throughout the lower brackets as other competitors capitalized on the electric atmosphere. Gabriel Kim trimmed 60 percent off their previous Pyraminx standard down to 4.91 seconds, dropped 26.3 percent on 2x2x2 Cube to 5.87 seconds, and improved their 3x3x3 Cube time by 13.6 percent to 25.31 seconds across three events. Nevin Stephens cut 41.8 percent from their 2x2x2 Cube personal record to post a 6.38-second solve and recorded a first Pyraminx attempt of 14.49 seconds. Logan Montroy took on four categories, achieving a 7.31-second Pyraminx mark that was 35 percent faster than before, while posting initial attempts of 11.53 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube and 1:47.45 in 4x4x4 Cube. Christian Viviano reduced their 3x3x3 Cube standard by 30.4 percent to 29.55 seconds while booking debut times of 6.61 seconds on 2x2x2 Cube and 3:43.34 on 4x4x4 Cube.

Overall, this WCA competition distributed hardware across two nations, with competitors representing the United States securing 10 podium positions and Poland collecting five. Whether battling through quadruple rounds of 3x3x3 Cube or testing skills on larger mechanisms, the gathering underlined the remarkable standard of modern speedcubing in the region. The high level of execution demonstrated at PBs in Palisades 2023 set a formidable benchmark for the 2023 calendar as speed cubing participants continue to push the boundaries of mechanical dexterity and strategic problem solving in every cubing competition.