Super Duper San Diego 2024

Inside the competition venue at UC San Diego, the weekend atmosphere carried a distinctive energy before any timers began to run. Rows of tables were arranged across the hall, staging equipment stood ready for inspection, and scorecards were systematically distributed among the stations. Across September 28 to September 29, 2024, a total of 181 competitors gathered in San Diego, California, USA for an intense slate of solving. While speedcubing typically brings the percussive clatter of plastic and the sudden thump of stopmats, standard speed events contrast sharply with the quiet, deliberate pace of pen-and-paper strategy formats like Fewest Moves, highlighting the full intellectual range required in modern cubing competition circuits.

The 2024 calendar featured an expansive roster across 10 official events and 23 total rounds, testing every dimension of turning speed, lookahead, and mechanical control. Super Duper San Diego 2024 offered an extensive program ranging from the rapid rotations of the classic Rubik's Cube to the extended physical demands of larger NxN hardware. Across the two days of competition, solvers navigated both the frantic intensity of sprint events and the steady composure demanded by multi-phase solving. Each round brought new pairings, tighter qualifying cutoffs, and rising benchmarks as the field narrowed toward the ultimate podium deciders.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 179 competitors across four intense stages of elimination. Max Park delivered the standout performance of the weekend, capturing first place with a winning average of 5.90 seconds and posting the best single of the event at 4.73 seconds. Kyeongmin Choi took the runner-up spot on the podium with a 7.12 average, while Benjamin Wei claimed third place with a mark of 7.52. These top 3x3 results capped a high-caliber final round that showcased top-tier fingertricks and efficient cross-to-F2L transitions under tournament pressure.

Beyond the flagship puzzle, Max Park put together a dominant run across the heavier hardware events. He captured the 4x4x4 Cube title with a 20.91 average and a 19.86 single, leading Kate Grahame in second at 29.63 and Benjamin Wei in third at 29.83. Park continued his sweep into the 5x5x5 Cube, winning with a 37.65 average ahead of Grahame at 47.79 and Wei at 52.41. The large cube mastery extended into the single-round showdowns, where Park topped the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:06.42 average and took the 7x7x7 Cube with a 1:50.56 mark, leaving Wei and Grahame to battle for the remaining podium places in both events.

One-handed solving provided another test of mechanical dexterity, where Max Park took his sixth victory of the weekend in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 9.15 seconds and a single of 8.45. Henry Helmuth secured second place with a 10.29 average, while Kyeongmin Choi earned third on the podium with a 12.25 average. The side events also featured fierce competition, as Daxton Westlake won the Pyraminx title with a 3.25 average, and Jusun Choi earned the Skewb crown with an average of 3.74 seconds across three competitive rounds.

The weekend also highlighted strong performances from international contenders in the shorter and dodecahedral events. Kyeongmin Choi took first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a winning average of 1.87 seconds, leading Eli Krongold at 2.12 and Joel Kim at 2.58. Choi then doubled his victory count by winning Megaminx with a 31.55 average, followed by Michael Muething with 36.26 and Jusun Choi with 51.64. Over the course of the tournament, United States competitors accumulated 23 podium placements, while competitors from Korea earned 7 podium spots across the disciplines at Super Duper San Diego 2024.

Beyond the podium battles, Super Duper San Diego 2024 served as a platform for immense individual milestones across the broader field. Oliver Heie delivered a remarkable breakthrough in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a personal best of 3.01 seconds to cut his previous mark of 13.90 by 78.3 percent, alongside a first attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube of 33.79 seconds. AJ Pajevski shaved 54.8 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube standard with a 3.87 personal best, improving from 8.56, while also logging a 7.76 personal best in Pyraminx. Ronit Dingankar dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 52.4 percent down to 2.63 seconds from 5.53 and logged a first ever 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 48.28 seconds. Asher Chin trimmed 46 percent from his 2x2x2 Cube mark with a 2.36 personal best, while making a first attempt at Skewb in 5.78 seconds.

Other competitors took on massive schedules and expanded their repertoires with brand new disciplines throughout the weekend. Jacob Ramirez entered 10 separate events, achieving a best finish of 35th in the 7x7x7 Cube and recording first ever attempts in Megaminx at 1:46.32, Skewb at 5.68, and the 5x5x5 Cube at 1:51.84. Aayush Sahu also tackled 10 events, earning an 18th-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube, an improved 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 19.70 seconds that was 38.2 percent faster than his prior 31.88, and a first ever Pyraminx attempt of 4.36 seconds. Preston Park improved his 5x5x5 Cube best by 39.8 percent with a 2:22.24 result and recorded a first Skewb attempt of 11.33 seconds, while Silas Dowers improved his 2x2x2 Cube best by 44.5 percent to 3.89 seconds and made a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:42.10.

As the final scores were entered and verified, the two days of speed cubing concluded having delivered world-class times, diverse puzzle formats, and countless individual bests. From the intricate problem solving required in strategic formats to the blistering turns of the speed finals, the gathering at UC San Diego highlighted the ongoing growth and vitality of the community. With 181 participants testing themselves across 10 disciplines, Super Duper San Diego 2024 left a distinct mark on the season, setting high standards for competitors looking ahead to their next WCA competition.

The comprehensive display of talent across both sprints and endurance puzzles affirmed the deep competitive standard present in Southern California. Solvers packed away their hardware with fresh personal benchmarks logged, multiple event debuts completed, and new milestones reached across every division. The balance of veteran dominance and emerging skill defined the gathering from the opening solves through the final awards, marking another successful chapter for speedcubers navigating the rigorous demands of multi-event tournament play.