Vermont Cubikon 2023

Six different events and eleven rounds of high-speed solving brought 65 competitors together under one roof on November 18, 2023. Hosted at the Moose Family Center in Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA, Vermont Cubikon 2023 tested solving ability across a broad range of twisting puzzles. From standard speedcubing cubes to dodecahedrons and tetrahedrons, the schedule offered a complete test of versatility for both experienced solvers and newcomers looking to test their skills at an official WCA competition.

The traditional Rubik's Cube drew a field of 63 competitors across three rounds, serving as the main event of the day. Jacob Schwartz secured the top spot in the final with a winning average of 7.60 seconds, complemented by a tournament best single of 5.31 seconds. Cameron Soulagnet claimed second place with an average of 8.17 seconds, while Derek White took third step on the podium averaging 8.29. The final 3x3 results capped a competitive contest that tested speed, lookahead, and consistency.

Cameron Soulagnet also showcased his skill on bigger hardware, taking victory in the 5x5x5 Cube across two rounds with a winning average of 53.96 seconds and a best single of 51.29 seconds. Viktor Pearl followed in second place with an average of 1:07.91, and Braden Richards secured third place with 1:09.02 among the 36 entrants. Soulagnet managed to balance speed across both small and large layers throughout the competition.

Non-cubic challenges provided plenty of excitement, led by the twelve-sided Megaminx. Chris Yeager captured the Megaminx title across two rounds with an average of 51.58 seconds, setting the fastest single mark at 48.20 seconds against 31 competitors. Braden Richards earned second place averaging 57.30 seconds, while Saisabari Ramesh finished third with 59.58 seconds. The event required intricate turning and spatial awareness across its multifaceted layout.

Short-format puzzles ran at a blistering pace, starting with the Pyraminx where Marcus Kamen claimed the victory in a single round. Kamen put together a winning average of 2.31 seconds and a single of 1.89 seconds to lead a 55-person field. Viktor Pearl placed second with an average of 3.13 seconds, just ahead of Quinn Maloney at 3.18. Mason Langenderfer then dominated the Skewb event over two rounds, winning with a 4.29 average over Ethan Zhuang at 4.33 and Saisabari Ramesh at 4.38.

Mason Langenderfer completed an impressive double by capturing first place in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, which required solving without sight after an initial memorisation phase. Langenderfer posted a winning average of 34.91 seconds and the round best single of 28.98 seconds. Braden Richards finished runner-up with an average of 1:33.77, and Ryan Durette placed third with 2:02.67 in a demanding single-round battle of 18 competitors.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their chosen events. Lucy LaRock cut her Skewb personal best down to 10.51 seconds, an improvement of 63.9 percent over her previous mark. Cassidy Côté entered all six disciplines on the schedule, securing a 10th-place finish in blindfolded solving, logging a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:52.90, and lowering their Skewb best by 61 percent to 6.55 seconds. James Salyers cut his 3x3x3 Cube time by 37 percent to 19.71 seconds and dropped his Pyraminx mark by 21.2 percent to 8.04 seconds. Jack Hogan entered three events, logging a first Pyraminx result of 9.17 seconds alongside a 36.8 percent Skewb personal best of 6.09 seconds.

Other dedicated solvers also expanded their repertoire in Bellows Falls. Julian Riggs entered six disciplines and achieved personal bests in Pyraminx at 4.22 seconds, 5x5x5 Cube at 2:04.68, and Megaminx at 1:27.40. Samuel Hicking shaved 25.3 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube record to clock 2:09.10 across his five events. Kevin Veronneau logged official first attempts in Pyraminx with 10.00 seconds, Skewb with 8.62 seconds, and 5x5x5 Cube with 2:21.15. Ana Oprea completed her first speed cubing tournament by recording initial times across four different events, including 17.78 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube, 26.14 seconds in Skewb, and 4:16.54 in 5x5x5 Cube.

Across eleven hard-fought rounds, Vermont Cubikon 2023 demonstrated the depth and range of the regional cubing community. United States competitors swept all 18 podium positions across the six featured events. With personal bests broken and multiple puzzle types explored, the cubing competition delivered a balanced day of action in southern Vermont as solvers now turn their focus to the challenges of the next season.