Sin Fronteras Ecuador 2023

The tables at Universidad Politecnica Estatal del Carchi were arranged neatly across the hall as competitors unpacked their timers and lubricated their puzzles. Across two packed days from December 2 to December 3, the venue hosted Sin Fronteras Ecuador 2023 in Tulcan, Carchi, Ecuador. The atmosphere was defined by high-intensity turning and focused concentration as forty-four solvers gathered for a full slate of fourteen events and twenty-two rounds. When the final tallies were settled, competitors representing the host nation secured twenty-two podium spots, while Colombian entrants captured twenty.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew the largest field of the weekend with forty-three competitors taking part across three rounds. In the final round of 3x3x3 Cube, Jordan Javier Revelo Cuastumal took the title for Ecuador with a decisive winning average of 11.20 seconds, anchored by a best single of 10.58 seconds. Fellow countryman Ethan Damien Tarco finished second with an average of 11.55 seconds, while José David Castiblanco Marin of Colombia completed the podium in third with an average of 12.66 seconds. The 3x3 results capped a fierce contest at the top of the main event.

Jordan Javier Revelo Cuastumal added a second victory in the 4x4x4 Cube, leading sixteen competitors over two rounds. Revelo Cuastumal secured the win with a 42.63-second average and a best single of 39.54 seconds. José David Castiblanco Marin earned the second spot on the podium with an average of 48.98 seconds, followed by Ecuador's Josué Ordóñez in third with a 53.92-second average. That performance marked the start of a busy and successful campaign across the big cubes for multiple finalists.

Colombia's Diego Alejandro Casas Jimenez delivered a prolific weekend, winning five separate disciplines. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Casas Jimenez took top honors with an average of 19.77 seconds ahead of fourteen rivals. He followed with another victory in Skewb, posting a 7.75-second winning average, and topped the Clock podium with a mark of 9.59 seconds, where Jhonatan Caicedo took second in 14.17 seconds and Josué Ordóñez took third in 16.05 seconds. In 7x7x7 Cube, Casas Jimenez won with an average of 3:45.90. His mastery extended to blind solving, winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a single of 2:40.05 and taking 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by solving 2 out of 2 cubes in 9:23.

Josué Ordóñez mirrored that multi-event excellence for Ecuador, securing victories across three distinct platforms. Ordóñez claimed the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:27.35, besting Casas Jimenez, who averaged 1:31.28, and Castiblanco Marin, who posted 1:31.80. In Megaminx, Ordóñez stood on the top step with a winning mark of 1:16.78, again leading Casas Jimenez at 1:19.61 and Castiblanco Marin at 1:43.16. Ordóñez then completed his sweep of the heavy hardware by winning the 6x6x6 Cube in an average of 2:29.12, ahead of Casas Jimenez at 2:48.85 and Castiblanco Marin at 3:36.19.

Away from the top steps, several competitors marked significant personal milestones on the official stage. Andrew Sanchez entered six events, delivering a personal best of 7.52 seconds in Pyraminx to finish 47.6 percent faster than his prior 14.35 mark, while also recording his first ever attempts at Skewb in 18.19 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:47.42. Matías Sebastián Manzano Suan cut 42.8 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best, lowering it from 6.38 to 3.65 seconds across two entered events. Alejandro David Montesdeoca Yépez took on three disciplines, logging a first Pyraminx attempt of 6.43 seconds and improving his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 30 percent to 16.06 seconds. Eduardo Gael Alvarez Arévalo achieved a best finish of fourth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube best by 34.3 percent to 4.72 seconds.

The progress continued across all experience levels throughout the speed cubing tournament. Itatí Fernanda Sosa competed across six disciplines, earning a best finish of tenth in Clock, recording a first Clock attempt of 23.53 seconds, and improving her 4x4x4 Cube best by 23 percent to 1:04.60. Gabriel Sebastián Bucheli Torres placed twelfth in 2x2x2 Cube while trimming his personal best by 22.7 percent down to 3.34 seconds. In their first WCA competition, Samuel Alejandro Santacruz Realpe tackled four events with first attempts of 11.71 seconds in Pyraminx, 37.35 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube, and 42.96 seconds in Skewb, while fellow debutant Camilo Pinzon Solarte logged first official times of 13.15 in Pyraminx, 8.36 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 37.31 in Skewb.

Short-format events rounded out the schedule with fast turnarounds. The 2x2x2 Cube saw Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon take the victory with a 4.23-second final average, leading José David Castiblanco Marin at 4.42 seconds and Josué Ordóñez at 4.46 seconds. Adrián Leandro Pazmiño Aldás earned the Pyraminx title in an average of 4.72 seconds, with Ordóñez placing second in 6.10 seconds and Jhonatan Caicedo taking third in 6.72 seconds. David Alejandro Ibarra Marin captured the Square-1 event with an average of 22.69 seconds.

By the close of Sin Fronteras Ecuador 2023, the cubing competition in Tulcan highlighted the deep regional talent across South American speedcubing in 2023. From Revelo Cuastumal's 3x3 triumph to the relentless podium appearances by Casas Jimenez and Ordóñez, the event showcased mastery across simple puzzles and complex big cubes alike. The forty-four competitors concluded a productive weekend of head-to-head racing, setting a strong standard as players look ahead to the next season of competitive solving.