Reno Blind & Side Spring 2024

Graham Siggins delivered an extraordinary blindfolded exhibition by resolving 60 of 64 cubes in 59 minutes and 41 seconds during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Held on March 10, 2024, at the University of Nevada, Reno, Reno Blind & Side Spring 2024 gathered 20 competitors for a focused single-day schedule. Dedicated to side events and memory disciplines, the gathering gave solvers in Reno, Nevada, USA, a rare venue to focus on specialized formats. The shared concentration created an intimate community atmosphere where participants judged, scrambled, and supported one another across eight rounds of play.

Side events brought diverse puzzle disciplines to the competition floor, highlighting variants beyond the standard Rubik's Cube. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Anto Kam of Hong Kong captured top honours across two rounds with an impressive winning average of 10.57 seconds, backed by a best single of 9.10 seconds. United States competitors Jason Ostdiek and Mason Langenderfer took second and third on the podium with averages of 13.91 and 13.96 seconds respectively. The one-handed speedcubing contest featured 18 solvers, drawing the largest turnout among all brackets scheduled throughout the day.

The big cube challenges tested stamina alongside mechanical control during the afternoon sessions. In the 6x6x6 Cube event, Paul Mahvi claimed victory with a winning average of 1:41.96, setting the fastest single time of the event at 1:35.47 among 14 participants. Mason Langenderfer secured the runner-up spot with an average of 2:16.62, narrowly edging Graham Siggins who finished third at 2:16.67. The close results on larger layers illustrated the depth of endurance required when solving without standard face-turn shortcuts across longer timeframes.

Square-1 delivered rapid mechanical interplay across two fast rounds featuring 16 entrants. Calvin Nielson won the event with a dominant winning average of 7.94 seconds, securing the competition's quickest mark on the puzzle with a single of 5.35 seconds. Michael Larsen claimed the silver step with an average of 15.54 seconds, while Mason Langenderfer placed third with 18.25 seconds. Solvers spent the intermissions exchanging adjustment techniques, comparing hardware setups, and reviewing slicing variations before the final rounds commenced at the staging tables.

Beyond the podiums, individual breakthroughs highlighted the deep engagement across the field. Brayden Scott achieved a major personal benchmark in 3x3x3 One-Handed, logging a personal best single of 35.01 seconds to improve upon a previous best of 42.92 by 18.4 percent, while also securing 14th place in 6x6x6 Cube across 3 events entered. Jacob Vincent Vicente Mangosing entered 3 events and delivered an 18.57 single personal best in 3x3x3 One-Handed alongside a 13th-place result on the 6x6x6 Cube. Chris Martin took on 3 events and lowered his 6x6x6 Cube personal best to 3:48.32, marking a 4.1 percent improvement over his earlier 3:58.10 mark on his way to 11th place.

Other seasoned participants found strong placements across demanding formats throughout the weekend. Timothy Elnitiarta focused on a single discipline and earned 4th place in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Ruby Lu (卢红) took on 3 events and reached 6th place in the 3x3x3 One-Handed bracket. Meanwhile, Eric Ostdiek entered 2 events and secured a 6th-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. These steady personal performances reflected the rewarding nature of side-puzzle disciplines that traditional tables often overlook.

Blindfolded events anchored the remainder of the schedule, demanding sustained focus and quiet attention inside the venue. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Graham Siggins led the field of 10 competitors with a winning single of 1:35.21, while Mason Langenderfer finished second in 2:32.62 and Rowe Hessler took third in 2:42.60. Siggins also prevailed in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, recording a winning single of 3:34.83, as Rowe Hessler secured second place with 4:22.63 amid an event where seven other entrants registered non-finishes.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind contest concluded the day with remarkable accuracy across large cube arrays. Siggins posted 60 out of 64 solved cubes in 59:41, while Rowe Hessler finished second with an exceptional 52 of 64 cubes in 59:54. Jeremy Benik earned third place by solving 13 of 15 cubes in 57:33. While the 3x3 results table did not feature standard two-handed rounds, this dedicated WCA competition reinforced how speed cubing communities thrive on specialized formats. Reno Blind & Side Spring 2024 showed that focused side events offer rich competitive depth for dedicated solvers.

As tables cleared and stopwatches reset, solvers packed their gear with shared milestones and fresh benchmarks across every bracket. With USA participants taking 22 podium positions and Hong Kong securing two, the day highlighted elite execution in memory and side disciplines. The spirit of collaboration, mutual assistance, and focused dedication set a welcoming tone as the community looks forward to the next season of competitive cubing.