Ski Valley Solving 2023

The tables were aligned and the timers ready inside the Bataan Event Hall as the late summer calendar reached early September. For the speedcubing community gathering in Taos, New Mexico, USA, the single-day gathering on September 2, 2023, offered a crucial late-season benchmark. Across the hall, competitors calibrated hardware and completed final warm-ups, eager to test their progress against the clock in an intense schedule featuring eight official events and sixteen total rounds of competition.

Raymos Castillo turned the gathering into an extraordinary personal showcase, capturing victories across six separate disciplines. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, Castillo led the field of 41 competitors through three rounds to secure the championship with an 8.99 winning average and a round-best single of 7.73. Stone Amsbaugh claimed the second step on the podium with an 11.36 average, while Estevan Lujan followed closely in third with an 11.44 mark, concluding an impressive display in the traditional Rubik's Cube category.

The contest in the 2x2x2 Cube provided the narrowest margin of victory all day. Castillo clinched top honours with a 2.82 average, edging out William Mitchell by a mere hundredth of a second as Mitchell took second place at 2.83. Kian Cline rounded out the top three with an average of 3.12. The three-round battle tested rapid execution from the outset, highlighting the sharp reflexes required at the shortest end of the event lineup.

Castillo expanded his winning tally across larger mechanisms and specialised events. In the 4x4x4 Cube final, Castillo posted a 36.25 average to win over Lujan, who finished in 42.99, and Amsbaugh, who registered 45.62. Moving to the 7x7x7 Cube, Castillo completed the longest puzzle on the schedule with a winning average of 3:05.82, ahead of Elizabeth Cutting at 3:46.85 and Lujan at 3:47.90. In Megaminx, Castillo topped the standings with a 58.03 average, besting Amsbaugh at 1:07.86 and Lujan at 1:09.50. Castillo added another gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 18.28 average, leading Anthony J. Telford and Amsbaugh.

The remaining two events distributed titles to other standout performers. In the Pyraminx final, William Mitchell secured the championship with an average of 4.09, outpacing Castillo, who took second with 4.25, and Junior Solis in third at 4.49. In Skewb, Estevan Lujan claimed top honours by averaging 4.56, finishing ahead of Castillo at 5.77 and Cline at 6.67. All 24 podium positions across the tournament went to competitors representing the United States, reflecting a dominant collective showing at this regional speed cubing meeting.

Beyond the championship finals, the floor saw substantial individual breakthroughs that reshaped personal career marks. Joseph Nakajima entered five events and delivered massive progress, trimming his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 67.4 percent down to 5.18 and improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 67.3 percent to 14.46, alongside taking on a first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:23.24 single. Maxine Miller registered an all-around surge, dropping her Skewb personal record by 63.1 percent to 4.45, lowering her 2x2x2 Cube best by 58.1 percent to 2.08, and trimming her 3x3x3 Cube benchmark by 25.8 percent to 11.09.

Other competitors took on fresh challenges and celebrated dramatic gains across the scoresheet. Jake Gutierrez cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 56.3 percent to 2.86, while Kepler Smith logged a 45.2 percent improvement in Pyraminx to reach 6.32 while tackling a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 35.52. Alden Pocus improved his 2x2x2 Cube time by 43.9 percent to 5.18, and Marc Herrera carved 36.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to hit 2.53. New puzzle debuts were plentiful, as Jase Hughes completed a first ever attempt in Skewb at 10.33, and Timothy Fountain recorded an 8.76 in his first ever attempt at Skewb.

Four competitors marked their official debut in competitive solving during the weekend. Kellen Demorest stepped onto the floor for the first time across four events, posting opening marks including 28.09 in the 3x3x3 Cube and 4.93 in the 2x2x2 Cube. Bruce Pfeiffer took on four events, achieving 12th place in Pyraminx with a 7.24 debut single. Anuun Peterson logged first attempts in three disciplines including a 29.65 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Dominic Montano established initial official marks across three events, including a 16.18 in the 2x2x2 Cube.

As the final timers were packed away, Ski Valley Solving 2023 delivered both high-end dominance and widespread personal milestones. The 43 competitors left Taos with official marks in the books, having navigated an intense one-day schedule that tested stamina across big cubes, side events, and classic formats. With the late-season fixture completed, the community looks forward to building on these achievements as the competitive circuit heads toward the next cycle.