Spokane Summer 2023

While the cerebral world of Fewest Moves challenges competitors to write out efficient solutions using quiet pen-and-paper analysis, the atmosphere in Spokane, Washington, USA proved the exact opposite on August 26, 2023. At Spokane First Church of the Nazarene, pure velocity took over the tables across six fast-paced disciplines. Greyson James delivered the most striking performance of the entire gathering, claiming three distinct titles and securing a top-three finish in a fourth. James paced the field throughout the day, showcasing lightning turns rather than deliberate notations to capture top honors across multiple formats.

The one-day WCA competition brought together 83 competitors for 11 rounds of intense Rubik's Cube action. With no slow-paced calculation rounds on the schedule, speedcubing enthusiasts focused entirely on reaction time, mechanical execution, and rapid recognition. The packed schedule tested endurance as entrants moved swiftly between multi-layered puzzles, mechanical clocks, and standard cubes, filling the venue with the rhythmic clatter of plastic pieces rotating at top speed.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, James secured victory by logging a winning average of 8.63 seconds over three rounds of play. Facing a deep field of 80 competitors, James added a tournament-best single solve of 8.07 seconds during the elimination stages. Lucas Libed took second place on the podium with a 9.09 average, while Michael Lee earned third place with a mark of 9.23 seconds, rounding out a fiercely contested set of 3x3 results.

James continued his dominant run in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a winning average of 2.01 seconds and a best single of 1.69 seconds across two rounds. Lee captured the silver medal position with an average of 2.95, while Libed claimed bronze with an average of 3.62. In the Clock event, James notched his third gold medal of Spokane Summer 2023 by generating a winning average of 5.56 seconds and an event-best single of 4.32, holding off Eli Kirk who recorded a 6.82 average for second place and Coleman Vaughn in third at 7.44.

Beyond the top podium spots, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their individual disciplines. Lucas A. Burda produced a major breakthrough in the 2x2x2 Cube, delivering a personal best of 3.16 seconds that improved upon his previous mark of 15.45 seconds by 79.5 percent, while also taking his 3x3x3 Cube best down to 31.94 seconds. Royce Hammond also made immense strides on the 2x2x2 puzzle, dropping his career best by 70.6 percent to 6.81 seconds. Chase Cummings shaved 63.3 percent off his 2x2x2 record with a 2.70 single and finished eighth in Clock, while Becket Howard improved his 2x2x2 single by 51.5 percent to 2.82 seconds and tackled his first Megaminx attempt with a time of 2:22.60.

Other competitors took on fresh challenges and broadened their competitive range at the cubing competition. Keaton Chett Harris dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best to 12.88 seconds, a 43.8 percent improvement, while making his first career attempts in both Megaminx and 2x2x2 Cube. Judah David Allen entered six events, securing 11th place in Square-1 with a first attempt of 24.75 seconds alongside debut tries in Megaminx and Clock. Wes Hanley posted personal bests including a 2.77 in 2x2x2 Cube and made maiden attempts in Clock and Megaminx. Dallin Hammond competed across five events, dropping his Skewb best by 41.1 percent to 6.44 seconds and placing 11th in Megaminx with a debut time of 1:51.76.

The remaining events brought equally tight finishes to the venue. In Skewb, Eli Kirk topped a field of 47 competitors by recording a winning average of 4.04 seconds and a single of 2.91. Michael Lee took second place with a 5.26 average, followed by Lucas Libed in third at 5.93. The Megaminx event saw Luke Rasor prevail over 39 competitors with an average of 1:01.23, holding off Nathan Lewis who averaged 1:02.34 and Kirk who finished third with a 1:02.53 mark.

The Square-1 competition concluded with James Ellis Nale V claiming the title with an average of 14.39 seconds and a standout single solve of 10.29 seconds. Kedar Sekhar of India took second place with a 15.42 average, securing the only non-USA podium spot of the meet, while James closed his prolific day by earning third place with a 16.46 average. As another dynamic speed cubing meet drew to a close, the participants concluded an action-packed 2023 tournament defined by quick reflexes and impressive personal milestones.