Scarborough Skewb-Off 2023

A mere quarter of a second separated the top two positions on the podium in a thrilling Skewb final at Scarborough Skewb-Off 2023. Jonathan Charlesworth captured the title with a 4.49-second average, narrowly edging Regan Roberts, who posted a 4.74-second mark, while Tyler Williams took third at 4.97 seconds. The entire podium was contained within half a second, providing the tightest finish of the entire weekend. That intense contest set the tone for a dynamic single-day gathering of speedcubing talent in Western Australia.

Held on August 20, 2023, the event brought 47 competitors to the Stirling Leisure Centres - Scarborough in Scarborough, Western Australia, Australia. Across four distinct disciplines and eight total rounds, solvers pushed their limits in a premier speed cubing atmosphere. The fast-paced program tested everything from lightning-quick mechanical execution on specialized puzzles to the extreme memory and focus required for multi-puzzle blindfolded solving, ensuring drama across the entire schedule.

Jonathan Charlesworth backed up his dramatic triumph on the diagonal axis with a dominant showing in the classic Rubik's Cube. In the final round of the 3x3x3 Cube, Charlesworth took first place with an average of 8.23 seconds and delivered the round's best single of 7.15 seconds. Jay Calter kept the pressure on by securing second place with an 8.57 average, while Zak Kenny rounded out the podium in third with an average of 9.69 seconds.

The 3x3 results across the competition featured exceptional depth, with multiple competitors posting impressive numbers throughout the preliminary and final rounds. Charlesworth logged an earlier average of 8.78 seconds alongside a single of 8.04 seconds, while Williams recorded an 8.81 single and a 9.59 average. Zak Kenny added an 8.66 single and 9.75 average to his tally, and Jaxon Foster reached a 10.21 average with an 8.73 single during the two rounds of main event action.

In the Clock event, Jay Calter took top honours by assembling a winning average of 6.07 seconds, punctuated by a best single of 4.57 seconds across two rounds of play. Tyler Williams claimed second place with a 6.76-second average, followed closely by Amy Smith in third at 6.79 seconds. The 26-competitor field saw rapid dial manipulation from start to finish, further highlighting the diversity of skill sets on display in Western Australia.

The spotlight also shone brightly on competitors executing major breakthroughs throughout the schedule. Thomas Bland tackled three events, making a first ever attempt at Clock with a 19.62 single and dropping their Skewb personal best to 8.70 seconds, which was 46.8% faster than their previous mark. Sam Pulham logged their first ever attempt at Skewb with a 26.30 single and improved their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 47.1% down to 26.62 seconds. Jay Wadia entered four events and made significant progress, taking fifth place in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind while setting a Clock personal best of 13.63, a massive 66.2% improvement over their previous 40.28, along with a Skewb personal best of 10.02 that was 41.8% faster. Evan Dumergue logged their first attempt at Clock with a 31.95 and cut their Skewb best by 35.6% down to 8.31 seconds.

The depth of progress continued across the venue as Sein Kwon shaved 42.4% off their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to hit 21.95 seconds and brought their Skewb mark down to 6.04 seconds, an improvement of 28.9%. Sophia Dumergue recorded a first ever attempt at Clock with a 20.43 single and posted a 3x3x3 personal best of 27.59 seconds. Alexander Maloney earned eighth place in Clock with a new personal best of 7.86 seconds, which was 33.5% faster than their previous best, and improved their Skewb mark by 28.8% to 4.69 seconds. First-time WCA competition participant Jackson Kingwell tackled four events, claiming fifth place in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind and establishing debut marks of 20.04 in Skewb, 45.52 in Clock, and 38.13 in 3x3x3 Cube.

The gruelling 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event brought a dramatic test of endurance and memory to the Scarborough venue. Amy Smith earned victory in the single-round contest by successfully resolving 11 out of 13 cubes in a time of 59:43. Chris Sambrooks secured second place with a flawless 7 out of 7 cubes solved in 56:32, while Jaxon Foster completed a clean sweep of 6 out of 6 cubes in 32:49 to claim the third spot on the podium.

Every single one of the 12 podium positions at the cubing competition was captured by competitors representing Australia, highlighting the strength of the home contingent. As the final solved puzzles hit the timing mats, Scarborough Skewb-Off 2023 concluded as a memorable showcase of nerve and technical mastery. The competitors will look ahead to carrying this competitive momentum forward into the next season of Western Australian speedcubing.

From the nerve-shredding tenths of a second in the Skewb final to the hour-long concentration of the multi-blind arena, Scarborough Skewb-Off 2023 delivered intense drama at every station. The Stirling Leisure Centres venue provided the perfect backdrop for personal bests and championship performances alike, leaving the local cubing community energized by a day of relentless precision.