Viña Cubing Fest II 2023

Fifty-nine competitors gathered under intense championship stakes as the action unfolded across 13 rounds of high-pressure solving. The one-day gathering proved that every fraction of a second mattered when titles were on the line. Held on May 14, Viña Cubing Fest II 2023 brought top-tier speedcubing talent to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, transforming Colegio Viña de Jesus into a proving ground for the nation's fastest hands in this 2023 season.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 57 entrants across three grueling rounds of competition. When the dust settled, Rodrigo Paz Vaca captured the championship victory with a decisive winning average of 7.82 seconds, highlighted by a blistering single solve of 6.24. The 3x3 results confirmed Paz Vaca at the top of the podium, holding off Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto, who secured second place with an 8.72 average, while Ignacio Mita Cabezas rounded out the podium in third at 9.88.

Paz Vaca continued his dominant run in the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a field of 36 competitors to claim his second major title of the weekend. Delivering a rapid 2.92 winning average alongside a tournament-best single solve of 1.77 seconds, Paz Vaca outpaced Ignacio Mita Cabezas, who took second with a 3.37 average. Jhoan Jhunior Alvarado Balderrama claimed third place with a 3.66 mark, contributing to a clean sweep of podium spots by Bolivian solvers.

The big cube categories belonged entirely to Josias Milan Sirpa Pinto, who delivered masterclasses in both 4x4x4 Cube and 5x5x5 Cube. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Sirpa Pinto claimed first place among 19 competitors with a winning average of 33.54 seconds and a best single of 26.63. Rodrigo Paz Vaca followed in second at 36.38, while Jhoan Jhunior Alvarado Balderrama earned third at 37.05. Sirpa Pinto doubled his gold medal haul in the 5x5x5 Cube, winning with an average of 1:02.28 over Paz Vaca at 1:08.16 and Mita Cabezas at 1:10.19.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube shapes, the side events tested technical adaptability under championship pressure. Antonio Adorno Suarez conquered the Pyraminx field of 21 entrants, locking in the championship with a winning average of 4.25 seconds and a best single of 2.66, besting Alvarado Balderrama's 5.83 and Samuel Maija Temo's 5.94. In the complex Megaminx puzzle, Adrian Ismael Sirpa Pinto secured the family's third title of the day, averaging 49.26 seconds to triumph over Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas at 59.48 and Ignacio Mita Cabezas at 1:04.10.

While the title contenders battled for medals, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs away from the podium spotlight. Benjamín Dávila Arrázola posted a dramatic Pyraminx personal best of 9.27 seconds, an improvement of 78.3 percent, alongside a 42.71 single in the 3x3x3 Cube. Kimberly Gutierrez took on five distinct events, making a first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:54.06 while shaving 67 percent off her 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 5.90. Ian Alejandro Serrudo chopped 53.5 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube mark to finish at 30.22, while Nicolas Armella Laime improved his 3x3x3 mark by 47.4 percent to 36.90 and logged an 8.57 in his first Pyraminx attempt.

The depth of progression was evident across the roster at this cubing competition. Juan Carlos Ortiz Velásquez contested three events, recording a first attempt of 7.23 in the 2x2x2 Cube, a 15.68 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube that was 41.3 percent faster, and a 2:11.51 in the 4x4x4 Cube. Alejandro Landivar Nostas debuted in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.46 solve and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 15.73. Entering their first WCA competition, Anthonella Orosco Lima tackled four events with debuts of 6.68 on the 2x2x2 Cube, 13.79 on Pyraminx, and 4:38.13 on Megaminx, while Milán Jesus Ugarte Quispe launched his career across three events with times of 24.98 on 3x3x3 Cube, 7.53 on 2x2x2 Cube, and 3:07.64 on 5x5x5 Cube.

Across six events and thirteen intense rounds, Viña Cubing Fest II 2023 demonstrated the strength of the speed cubing community in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. With Bolivian solvers claiming all 18 podium positions across every discipline, the event set a high competitive standard for the rest of the 2023 calendar year. From elite sub-eight-second averages to monumental individual milestones, the tournament provided a memorable chapter in regional cubing history.