Solved Central Alberta 2023

The Cenovus Common at Red Deer Polytechnic buzzed with activity on May 27, 2023, as 106 competitors gathered for a full day of puzzle solving. Timers flashed across multiple stations, judges raised scorecards, and the distinct clatter of turning plastic filled the hall. The one-day gathering in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada brought together speedcubing talents from across the region to tackle eight rounds across six official disciplines.

Progress was the defining theme of Solved Central Alberta 2023, with competitors delivering dramatic drops in their official solve times throughout the day. In every event from the standard Rubik's Cube to specialized formats, participants pushed past their previous marks, turning months of dedicated practice into tangible results on the official WCA competition stage.

Kyle Santucci delivered a standout campaign across multiple formats, finishing on the top step in three separate events. In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, Santucci led a field of 104 competitors over three rounds, posting an unmatched winning average of 6.38 seconds and the tournament's best single of 5.71. Lucas Kuczaj secured second place with an average of 8.60, while Leif Anvik rounded out the top three with 9.23, concluding an exceptional showcase of 3x3 results.

Santucci continued his impressive run in the 2x2x2 Cube, taking first place among 99 participants with a swift 1.84 winning average alongside a 1.50 best single. James Deibert followed in second place with an average of 3.17, while Kamal Kandpal took third at 3.25. Santucci added his third gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming the title with a 13.64 average and a best single of 10.72, ahead of Theodore Chow at 16.03 and Lucas Kuczaj at 16.34.

The broader story of the gathering emerged through massive individual breakthroughs from participants throughout the field. Jacob Taylor delivered one of the weekend's largest jumps, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 66.3 percent down to 5.69 seconds, while also trimming his 3x3x3 mark to 44.08 and completing his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 4:59.69. Alexander Metzger registered a 58.5 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 1.90 seconds, lowered his 3x3x3 One-Handed best to 38.84, and placed seventh in Pyraminx with a personal best of 4.92. Nicolas Huitron Flores took on three events, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 49.7 percent to 17.32 seconds and reducing his 2x2x2 time to 3.99 seconds.

Fresh milestones continued across every bracket as solvers tackled new challenges. Quinn DeWolfe improved his 2x2x2 time by 42.2 percent to 5.48 seconds, took 32nd in Pyraminx with a personal best 7.49, and logged a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 53.38. Toby Johnson achieved a 42.8 percent reduction on 2x2x2 with a 4.19 personal best and logged first attempts in Pyraminx at 9.28 and one-handed at 38.60. Torin Halliday posted a personal best 4.00 in Pyraminx to finish sixth, improved his 4x4x4 mark to 1:04.26, and tried one-handed for the first time at 33.31. Andrew James Woode took on five events, earning 18th in Pyraminx with a first attempt of 7.46 alongside first attempts of 5.95 on 2x2x2 and 1:57.12 on 4x4x4. Evan Wong-Petrovicz logged first attempts of 6.45 in Pyraminx, 1:14.93 on 4x4x4, and 33.46 in one-handed, finishing 16th in Pyraminx.

Beyond the three-event sweep by Santucci, other champions made their mark in Red Deer. Lucas Kuczaj captured the 4x4x4 Cube victory with a winning average of 32.78 seconds and a single of 28.44 across 66 competitors, edging out Kamal Kandpal at 35.37 and Kyle Santucci at 37.38. In the Pyraminx event, Kabir Johal topped a roster of 88 entrants with a 4.09 winning average and a single of 2.87, leading Sam Edwards at 4.67 and Dylan Vaskevicius at 5.22.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest challenged 19 competitors to navigate the cube entirely from memory. Azaro Gorloo earned first place with a single solve of 1:45.32, leading Alex Mutch at 2:26.95 and Dylan Vaskevicius at 2:36.51. Across all six events, Canadian competitors claimed all 18 available podium positions, capping off a remarkable day of speed cubing excellence and measurable personal growth.

As the tables were cleared and timers packed away, the participants at Solved Central Alberta 2023 departed with an impressive haul of personal records. With 106 solvers testing their limits across eight hard-fought rounds, the cubing competition proved to be a resounding celebration of progress and precision that sets a high benchmark for the region's competitive scene.