Try Cubing Burnie 2024

The Upper Burnie Memorial Hall was filled with focused intensity on March 10, 2024, as competitors settled behind their timers with mats aligned and inspection clocks ready. Tables across the floor saw hands poised to turn puzzles at blistering speed across six packed rounds of play. The coastal venue provided a lively setting for this dynamic WCA competition, bringing together local enthusiasts and seasoned solvers from across the region to test their preparation across three distinct disciplines.

A total of 29 competitors assembled in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia for Try Cubing Burnie 2024, marking an action-packed day of speedcubing. Solvers faced a demanding program featuring the standard Rubik's Cube alongside the 2x2x2 Cube and the triangular Pyraminx. With a tightly scheduled one-day format, each competitor had to find their rhythm quickly, managing the transition between the mechanical demands of each puzzle type while progressing through preliminary rounds into decisive finals.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest stood as the centerpiece of the program, drawing 28 participants into a competitive two-round showdown. Delivering clean solutions and rapid execution in the final round, Arisandra Soo of Australia captured the overall victory with an impressive winning average of 7.74 seconds. Soo also posted the best single solve of the event at 6.72 seconds. Jode Brewster took second place with an 8.11 average, while Veer Liu Dogra rounded out the podium in third place with an average of 11.82 seconds in the 3x3 results.

Jode Brewster delivered a dominant campaign in the shorter events, taking top honours in the 2x2x2 Cube final over a field of 21 entrants. Brewster secured the title with an exceptional 1.95 winning average and a best single solve of 1.59 seconds in the final round. Brewster also produced blistering times earlier in the day, including a single mark of 0.80 seconds and an average of 1.67 seconds. Australia claimed eight of the nine podium spots across the competition, while Switzerland earned one.

Veer Liu Dogra secured the runner-up spot in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 3.88 seconds, alongside earlier marks of 2.46 for a single and 3.66 for an average. Thomas Pierroz of Switzerland captured third place on the podium with a 4.89 average, having logged a single of 2.10 and an average of 3.69 during the event. Arisandra Soo recorded a 3.35 single and a 4.01 average, while Eli Taylor delivered marks of 3.27 and 4.90.

Beyond the championship trophies, this speed cubing gathering featured remarkable individual progress throughout the ranks. Oliver Johnston entered three disciplines and made major personal leaps, cutting his Pyraminx personal best to 8.27 seconds, which was 45.6 percent faster than his previous mark, and taking his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 30.78 seconds, an improvement of 29.5 percent, while also completing his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 14.52 seconds. Raiden Williams entered three events, lowering his Pyraminx personal best by 39.1 percent down to 5.96 seconds and recording a 31.56 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube.

Zac Chugg tackled three events and dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 29.1 percent to 5.03 seconds and his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 15.3 percent to 23.66 seconds. Chelsea Ritch set an 18.80 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube on the way to an 11th-place finish. Several solvers stepped up for their first official tournament experience, including Connor Cruse, who completed first attempts across all three events with marks of 10.56 on Pyraminx, 13.68 on 2x2x2 Cube, and 59.85 on 3x3x3 Cube. Archie Keenan notched a 14th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube with a first attempt of 22.79, Robert Dobson earned 17th with an opening mark of 31.01, and James Farr completed first tries of 53.28 in 3x3x3 Cube and 16.23 in Pyraminx.

The Pyraminx event brought the competition to a thrilling close across two competitive rounds featuring 20 participants. Brewster secured a second gold medal of the day by winning the Pyraminx title with a 3.50 average and a best single of 2.50 seconds. Dogra earned another second-place finish with an average of 4.81 seconds, while Ari Xiang Soo took third place on the podium with an average of 5.46 seconds. Henry Midson finished just off the podium in fourth place with a strong 5.98 average.

As the equipment was packed away at Upper Burnie Memorial Hall, the final results highlighted a memorable day of racing for the Tasmanian community. From elite sub-eight averages to a wave of breakthrough personal bests, Try Cubing Burnie 2024 provided a showcase of talent across every round. The strong performances set a high standard across all three puzzle formats as competitors look ahead to the next chapter of the cubing competition circuit.