Side N Blind Narre Warren 2023

Inside the Foundation Learning Centre, the atmosphere carried a sharp focus distinct from standard tournament halls. Blindfolds, memorisation timers, and complex twisty puzzles filled the tables as competitors prepared for a demanding schedule dedicated to non-traditional events. Running across June 3 to June 4, the gathering drew 47 competitors to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for a focused display of technique and concentration. Fans following modern speedcubing and broader Rubik's Cube disciplines were treated to 13 rounds across nine specialized events over the two-day meet.

Michael Tripodi authored the most commanding performance of the weekend, sweeping the two most grueling memory challenges on the schedule. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Tripodi secured victory with a single of 1:36.29, leading a podium that featured Charlie Eggins in second at 2:25.29 and Lennon Hughes in third at 4:34.36 across a 14-person field. Tripodi then doubled his gold medal haul in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, capturing first place with a single of 3:22.74, well clear of runner-up Chenhao Sun at 13:23.00 and Hughes at 15:09.00.

Tripodi also stepped up in the standard blindfolded event, finishing third in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a best single of 32.24. However, that final belonged to Charlie Eggins, who produced an outstanding display across three rounds. Eggins won the title with a single of 15.50, edging Tam Quan who registered 19.00 for second place. Eggins also made regional history during the competition, setting an Oceanian record average in 3x3x3 Blindfolded of 15.51 alongside a standout single of 14.66.

Beyond single blindfolded events, Tam Quan proved unmatched in endurance solving by winning the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind competition. Quan successfully navigated 23 out of 28 cubes within 57:57 to top a 22-competitor field. In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, Jayden McNeill controlled the event from start to finish, recording a winning average of 21.00 moves and a best single solve of 20. McNeill was joined on the podium by Quan, who took second with a 32.67 average, and David Roche in third at 33.67.

Side N Blind Narre Warren 2023 offered substantial variety across classic side events as well. Darcy Way claimed the top spot in Megaminx with a winning average of 47.47 and a best single of 42.37, finishing ahead of Timothy Yang at 51.82 and Eggins at 52.44. In Clock, Zayd Chaudhry earned first place with a 5.09 average, beating Junqi Feng at 6.12 and Jacob Joshi at 7.36 across two rounds. David Epstein topped the Square-1 event with a 6.25 average over Phoenix Patterson at 10.10 and Chaudhry at 10.93.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the weekend. Jai Hobbs entered six events, securing a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, a first attempt at 7x7x7 Cube in 7:29.28, a Clock personal best of 8.54 that was 74.1% faster than before, and a Megaminx best of 1:19.71, improved by 31.6%. Joshua Utley competed in seven events, logging first attempts in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 63 and 7x7x7 Cube in 6:51.14, while cutting his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 34.5% to 3:20.96. Ryan Cairns took on four events, finishing 5th in Multi-Blind with an 8/10 solve in 44:40 on debut, while also registering debut attempts in Clock at 16.20 and Fewest Moves at 51. Ethan Yiap took on three events, posting initial competition marks of 20.83 in Clock and 3:02.07 in Megaminx.

Progress continued throughout the roster as McEwan Barton-Johnson contested six events, posting a 7th place finish in Fewest Moves with a personal best of 37 that was 9.8% faster, along with a 10.69 Clock mark that improved by 28.9% and a 1:20.85 Megaminx solve improved by 11%. Joshua Isaac McAliece took part in their first WCA competition, logging debut times of 8:18.57 on 7x7x7 Cube and 2:41.73 on Megaminx. Kimi Licheng Ye also made their official tournament debut, logging a first Megaminx time of 3:18.31. Benjamin Kao tackled four events, recording first attempts in Megaminx at 2:51.55, Clock at 15.11, and Fewest Moves with 40 to finish 9th.

Big cube specialists found their stage in the 7x7x7 Cube contest, where Wong Chong Wen won with a 2:38.14 average and a 2:35.25 single. Carmen Teo Bin Jie followed closely in second with a 2:39.40 average, while Ray Zhang took third with 2:46.72. The event provided an exciting finish to the speed cubing programme, complementing the diverse array of side challenges.

With 22 podium positions claimed by Australian athletes, two by Singapore, two by China, and one by the United States, the 2023 meeting reflected deep competitive engagement across non-standard formats. From blindfolded feats to the analytical 3x3 results in Fewest Moves, Side N Blind Narre Warren 2023 delivered a complete showcase of technique. The weekend concluded leaving the Melbourne cubing community with memorable records and numerous new competition benchmarks.