Redding Fall 2024

Thirty-one competitors gathered inside Redding City Hall on September 28, 2024, setting the stage for a day of fierce regional speedcubing clashes. Speedcubers from across California and visiting delegations met to contest seven official World Cube Association disciplines across thirteen packed rounds. From the opening turns, rivalries between seasoned tournament campaigners animated the floor, with every podium spot hotly contested as entrants pushed to outpace familiar West Coast contenders in Redding, California, USA.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest delivered the most anticipated duel of the weekend, drawing thirty entrants through three distinct stages of cuts. Paul Mahvi emerged victorious, capturing the title with a winning average of 7.67 seconds while putting up a best single of 6.93 seconds. Regional rival Kenji Gipson-Nahman kept the pressure high to claim second place with an 8.16 average, while Sebastian Stone secured third with an 8.89 average to round out the 3x3 results on the podium.

Mahvi extended his regional dominance into the larger puzzles, turning the multi-layered categories into a personal showcase. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Mahvi took the top spot with a 27.36 average and a best single of 26.84 seconds, holding off Jason Ostdiek who finished second at 39.41, with Gipson-Nahman taking third at 39.68 seconds. Mahvi completed his big-cube double by taking first in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing with an average of 54.19 and an outstanding best single of 43.12 seconds, again clear of Ostdiek in second and Gipson-Nahman in third.

The one-handed event produced another dramatic chapter in the battle between the tournament's top seeds. Jason Ostdiek claimed first place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an impressive 12.76 winning average and a best single of 11.46 seconds across two rounds of play. Mahvi took the second step on the podium with a 16.23 average, while Lucas Aubin secured third place with a 17.25 mark, underscoring the deep talent pool present at Redding Fall 2024.

Side events offered no shortage of parity across the board, giving specialty solvers an arena to shine. In Pyraminx, Sebastian Stone captured first place with a 3.20 winning average and a 2.73 single, edging Lucas Aubin with 4.86 and Ostdiek with 4.87. Ezra Severson took the 2x2x2 Cube crown with an explosive 1.58 average and 1.13 single over Stone and Gipson-Nahman. In Skewb, Taj Bressert earned the title with a 2.78 average, leading Severson and Sid Shivnath in a rapid final round.

Beyond the fight for trophies, the cubing competition saw tremendous personal milestones away from the spotlight. David Linde made massive strides in his events, slicing his Skewb mark to a personal best of 8.96 seconds, which was 56.1 percent faster than his prior record, alongside a 20.27 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Australian visitor Levi Foy tackled five events, achieving a Skewb personal best of 7.24 seconds that improved his previous best by 53.2 percent, while cutting his Pyraminx time by 11.7 percent to 9.28 seconds. Elysee Severson improved their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.3 percent down to 11.72 seconds, while logging a first official Skewb attempt of 24.24 seconds.

Several other competitors marked new territory across the tournament board. Malachi Severson took on five events and made a first official attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 50.37 seconds, while dropping their standard Rubik's Cube personal best by 14.8 percent to 15.29 seconds. Silas Garrett posted a first attempt at Skewb of 18.45 seconds and lowered their Pyraminx mark by 20 percent to 10.26 seconds. Ezekiel Edwards James Erickson also made a first Skewb appearance with 14.47 seconds and improved his Pyraminx best by 25.3 percent to 9.71 seconds. Eli Triggs achieved a 14th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube and lowered his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 16.2 percent to 5.01 seconds, while Elijah Perez achieved a 5th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a personal best of 1:26.62.

The event also served as a welcoming proving ground for new talent making their speed cubing debut. Vincent Hackett entered his first WCA competition across four disciplines, registering a best finish of 17th in 4x4x4 Cube along with first official times of 10.77 seconds in Pyraminx and 6.47 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube. Cameron Shumate also made an opening appearance on the circuit, producing a 7.65-second Pyraminx single and an 18.54 in 3x3x3 Cube, showing the continuous vitality of local events.

With twenty-one podium placements claimed by United States representatives, Redding Fall 2024 delivered an exceptional day of competitive drama across all disciplines. As the final scrambles cleared from Redding City Hall, competitors packed away their timers and puzzles with new milestones achieved and regional standings updated for the ongoing 2024 season.