UBC Side Events 2023

Inside room 261 of the Irving K Barber Learning Centre on the University of British Columbia campus, the atmosphere was defined by the focused rhythm of specialists at work. On February 5, 2023, the venue filled with competitors managing large multi-layered puzzles, aligning intricate clock dials, and preparing mental routes behind opaque blindfolds. Rather than the standard rotation of main events, UBC Side Events 2023 gathered 37 competitors in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for a dedicated showcase of non-standard disciplines spanning six events and ten intense rounds of play.

Veteran competitors quickly found their stride on the tables, demonstrating the precision and composure built across years of high-level tournament experience. American standout Max Siauw turned the one-day WCA competition into a masterclass across varied puzzle types, capturing victories across five distinct categories. His seasoned technique on big cubes set an unreachable standard, delivering a 6x6x6 Cube winning average of 1:28.36 alongside the fastest single solve of 1:24.55. In that event, fellow American Sameer Aggarwal followed in second with 1:38.66, while Timothy Castle secured third place in 1:51.84.

The 7x7x7 Cube contest followed a similar script, showing how experienced solvers manage fatigue and maintain consistency through lengthy turns. Max Siauw once again controlled the bracket, posting a 2:25.12 winning average and a single of 2:17.06. Timothy Castle took the runner-up spot with an average of 2:36.24, and Jack Anderson rounded out an all-American podium in third with a 2:51.14 mark. The demanding discipline highlighted the physical stamina and tactical pacing that distinguish experienced speed cubing competitors at the highest levels of the sport.

Across the shorter disciplines, the pace accelerated sharply. Max Siauw captured the Skewb title with an average of 3.92 and a round-leading single of 3.48, holding off Timothy Castle at 4.52 and Canada's Lukas Hörbach at 4.99. In Square-1, Siauw delivered a 6.21 winning average, besting Sameer Aggarwal at 6.60 and Castle at 9.93. Siauw also sealed a first-place finish in Clock with a 6.81 average, edging out Canadian contenders Kye Riddell at 7.01 and Brian Kan at 8.66, reinforcing his broad mastery across the tournament schedule.

The only gold medal to slip past Siauw came in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where memorisation and flawless tactile execution take center stage. Canadian veteran Kevin Matthews executed brilliantly under pressure, logging a winning average of 34.75 and a top single of 31.56 to take top honours. Timothy Castle secured second place with an average of 32.89, while Siauw took third in 33.13. The blindfolded category saw numerous single marks recorded across the preliminary round, including single times of 58.67 by Sameer Aggarwal, 1:41.35 by Ethan Rusnak, and 2:05.79 by Vianne Chang.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several dedicated participants achieved remarkable milestones across new events and established personal records. Nathan Durand-Brousseau entered five events, claiming a 7th place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best of 2:12.52 that improved his previous best by 32.4 percent, in addition to lowering his Square-1 mark by 14.3 percent to 33.48 and making his first 6x6x6 Cube attempt at 5:11.65. John Yassa also tackled five events, setting a Skewb personal best of 6.00 which was 41.6 percent faster than his prior mark, while recording initial official times of 27.02 in Clock and 6:27.10 in 6x6x6 Cube. Leo Hougaard placed 10th in Square-1, improved his Skewb best by 30.3 percent to 6.78, and logged initial career times of 4:22.84 in 6x6x6 Cube and 9:38.19 in 7x7x7 Cube. Ryan Xiao trimmed 27.4 percent off his Skewb personal best down to 9.37 while registering his first Clock mark at 16.62 and his first 6x6x6 Cube time at 4:23.28.

The depth of the field was equally evident in those tackling unfamiliar disciplines for the first time. Daniel Ahokas placed 6th in Clock with a debut result of 8.80, while cutting his 6x6x6 Cube best by 6.6 percent to 3:10.41 and his Square-1 time by 6.1 percent to 10.09. Luke Zhang took on four disciplines, including first-time attempts in Clock at 25.13, Square-1 at 33.64, and 6x6x6 Cube at 9:03.86. Raymond Zou contested 3x3x3 Blindfolded, earning 6th place with an initial official time of 1:53.10. Feng Chen made their debut cubing competition appearance, recording initial marks of 17.05 in Clock, 13.54 in Skewb, and 50.91 in Square-1 to cap an eventful day of tournament milestones.

The single-day meet proved that dedicated non-standard events offer as much drama and athletic challenge as any traditional Rubik's Cube gathering. While fans often look for classic 3x3 results in regional reporting, UBC Side Events 2023 placed the technical diversity of speedcubing directly in the spotlight. With 14 podium finishes captured by American competitors and four by Canadian solvers, the competition delivered an intense, rewarding chapter of competition on the British Columbia circuit.