Thankful for Cubing RPV 2023

The morning atmosphere inside the Rolling Hills Methodist Church carried the rhythmic clicking of plastic mechanisms and the steady chime of timers as competitors settled in. With ninety-one participants gathering in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA on November 18, the venue became a central hub for Southern California enthusiasts. The single-day schedule demanded precision, as twelve distinct rounds across five disciplines forced every entrant to manage strict qualifying marks.

Across the schedule, round formats played a decisive role in shaping the final standings. Multi-stage brackets in the classic Rubik's Cube and Skewb gave solvers opportunities to adjust their pace through three successive rounds, while events like the 4x4x4 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, and Square-1 ran with two-round cutoffs that left no margin for early errors. Navigating those thresholds proved essential for anyone hoping to secure a spot in the late-afternoon finals at Thankful for Cubing RPV 2023.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew ninety competitors into its three-round bracket, placing a premium on endurance and consistency. Max Park controlled the field from the outset, eventually securing the title with a winning average of 5.33 seconds and a best single solve of 5.00 seconds. Brendyn Dunagan claimed the runner-up position with an average of 6.29 seconds, while Kyeongmin Choi from Korea finished third with a 7.16 average. The 3x3 results highlighted how the progressive format rewarded solvers who maintained their pace through high-pressure stages.

Big cubes demanded immediate accuracy under two-round tournament constraints. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Max Park led sixty-six competitors to take first place with a 22.11 winning average and a 19.71 single, followed by Brendyn Dunagan at 28.15 and Dan Tran at 30.75. The 6x6x6 Cube saw thirty-five solvers tackle extended solve times, where Max Park again took top honors with an average of 1:11.33 and a single of 1:09.78. Kate Grahame earned second place with a 1:30.08 average, narrowly edging Dunagan who recorded a 1:30.56.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants delivered standout personal milestones across the full program. Roy Huang tackled five events, recording a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 1:24.00, an initial Square-1 mark of 1:59.57, and an 8.25 Skewb personal best that was 46 percent faster than his prior mark. Caden Pascual also entered five disciplines, registering a best finish of 11th in 4x4x4 Cube, first attempts in Square-1 at 22.98 and 6x6x6 Cube at 2:11.76, alongside a Skewb personal best of 3.87 that was 44.3 percent faster. Karl Prodigalidad posted a first Skewb attempt of 6.93, a first Square-1 solve of 46.16, and improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 1:23.10, a 13.1 percent jump.

The progress continued as Owen Curtis Wong logged a 47.14 in his first Square-1 attempt, while improving his Skewb personal best to 9.45 by 30.7 percent and lowering his 3x3x3 personal best by 10.7 percent to 18.96. Santino Signorile notched an initial Square-1 time of 1:39.42 and improved his Skewb personal best by 33.5 percent to 5.36. Weston Gardner marked his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt with a 1:15.46 and first Skewb solve at 8.01. Abraham Ramírez produced a first Skewb attempt of 4.04, a first 6x6x6 Cube time of 4:05.14, and cut his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 29.2 percent down to 53.30. Oliver Kelly entered his first WCA competition, taking on four events with opening marks of 15.72 in Skewb, 2:08.10 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 46.43 in Square-1.

Non-traditional puzzles rounded out the day with intense short-format battles. The Skewb tournament gathered sixty-two participants over three rounds, where Jack Flynn Stewart took victory with a winning average of 3.22 seconds and a 2.40 single. Brendyn Dunagan followed closely in second with 3.39, while Kyeongmin Choi finished third at 4.70. In Square-1, thirty-six competitors faced a two-round ladder that concluded with Dunagan taking the title via an 8.03 average and a 5.48 single, ahead of Choi at 9.47 and Ethan Yeh at 11.70.

The overall medal distribution reflected a strong showing across international and domestic rosters, with twelve podium places going to the United States and three to Korea. Every round format tested strategic preparation, from sprint rounds in side events to extended solving blocks on large cubes. The energy throughout Thankful for Cubing RPV 2023 demonstrated the depth of the local speed cubing community as the 2023 speedcubing calendar moves closer to the end of the competitive year.