The Art of the Cube Colorado 2023

Eighty-nine competitors filled the roster at The Art of the Cube Colorado 2023, turning every qualification phase into a relentless test of precision. Held on October 14, 2023, at the Lanny & Sharon Martin Building in Denver, Colorado, USA, the single-day gathering spanned five events and ten total rounds. With large turnouts across the board, navigating past the opening heats required absolute focus. Solving the classic Rubik's Cube under tournament conditions is demanding enough on its own, but reaching the podium in such an active regional field demanded consistency from the initial scramble to the last solve.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 88 solvers through three tough rounds. Navigating the cutoffs required sharp execution, making the final table exceptionally difficult to attain. Ellery Dillon of the USA captured first place with an impressive winning average of 7.90 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.37. Abhi Chawla earned second place with an average of 8.58, while Kaemon Vita claimed the third podium position with a 10.06 average. These standout 3x3 results capped a long day of intense head-to-head racing among the region's elite speedcubing talents.

Ellery Dillon carried that momentum straight into the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a crowded lineup of 85 competitors across three rounds. Dillon won the event with a 2.73 average and posted a brisk 1.31 single. In the earlier rounds, Dillon also recorded an average of 2.19 and a single of 1.44. Raymos Castillo secured the runner-up spot with an average of 3.98, narrowly edging Evan Wilson, who rounded out the podium in 4.06. Several other competitors posted notable times during the event, including Kaemon Vita with a 3.18 average and Eashan Tilaye with a 3.19 average.

The 4x4x4 Cube challenged 54 competitors across two rounds of play, where puzzle size increased the physical and mental demands. Raymos Castillo delivered a commanding performance to take victory, logging a winning average of 34.08 seconds and the day's best single of 30.10. Abhi Chawla secured second place with an average of 39.84, while Olivia Schroeder completed the top three with a mark of 42.37. Castillo's performance underlined the composure needed to excel at the bigger cubes against a deeply talented field.

Square-1 action saw 33 entrants take to the tables for a single high-stakes round. Gavin Chartier seized the title with a swift 10.01 winning average and an event-best single of 8.59. Reid James Sungy took second place with a 12.43 average, and Jaden Thompson finished third in 15.19. Meanwhile, the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline featured 19 competitors solving purely from memory. Stone Amsbaugh took top honors with an average of 1:17.85 and a top single of 1:00.97. Elizabeth Cutting followed in second at 1:27.06, with Raymos Castillo taking third at 1:39.95.

Beyond the championship finals, the heart of any cubing competition lies in the personal milestones achieved across the venue. Silas Pax DelGrasso tackled three events and achieved a massive personal best of 20.70 in the 3x3x3 Cube, cutting his previous mark of 42.75 by 51.6 percent, while also logging his first ever attempts in both 4x4x4 Cube at 1:40.87 and 2x2x2 Cube at 6.69. Braedyn Davis took on five events and placed fifth in 4x4x4 Cube, posting a personal best of 40.17 that was 48.9 percent faster than his previous best, alongside maiden attempts in Square-1 at 38.45 and 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 6:14.73.

That drive was evident throughout the day as competitors tested their limits across multiple categories. Josiah David Kushnerick logged a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.75, improving by 46.7 percent, while trying Square-1 and 4x4x4 Cube for the first time. Isaak Pitts lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best by 37.6 percent down to 13.75 and made first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube and 2x2x2 Cube. Rafael Hernandez dropped his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 79.6 percent to 14.59. Max Ashley improved his Square-1 time by 45.5 percent to 27.73. First-time WCA competition attendees Brendan Flynn and Giovanni Damelio made strong impressions, with Flynn taking on five events and Damelio securing an 11th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

The Art of the Cube Colorado 2023 demonstrated the continuing growth and depth of regional speed cubing. With all 15 podium positions earned by representatives of the USA, the event showcased tremendous local talent across five varied formats. From newcomers stepping up for their very first attempts to seasoned finalists delivering sub-eight averages, the day celebrated the full spectrum of competitive puzzle solving in Denver.