Vintage Cubing La Paz 2024

The lively grounds of Parque de las Culturas welcomed dozens of puzzle enthusiasts as tables filled with timers, mats, and rotating twists of plastic. Hands hovered over surfaces while judges watched closely for the signal to inspect. Vintage Cubing La Paz 2024 brought together a packed room of 65 competitors in La Paz, Bolivia, on July 20, 2024. For many in attendance, the one-day gathering served as their first direct immersion into a bustling cubing competition, setting a vibrant stage for 11 rounds across five distinct events.

A major storyline throughout the weekend was the remarkable wave of new participants joining the official circuit for the first time. First-timers stepped up alongside established talent, taking their initial official solves across various shapes and formats. The atmosphere inside the venue highlighted how speedcubing continues to draw new challengers eager to test their practice under strict tournament standards. While veteran solvers chased podium positions, newcomers seized their opening moments to write their earliest official personal marks on the score sheets.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew the full field of 65 participants across three competitive rounds. Xavier Antonio Balderrama captured the title with a winning average of 9.88 seconds, alongside a best single solve of 8.41 seconds. Matias Franco Echeverria Ramos secured the runner-up spot on the podium with a 10.80 average, while Cristhian Alcon Chipana finished third with an average of 12.18. In the 3x3 results, Balderrama led the charge with a single of 8.78 and an average of 10.30 during earlier stages of the bracket.

Jhersson Cabezas Luizaga delivered a dominant display across multiple formats at Vintage Cubing La Paz 2024, securing two separate event victories during the meet. Cabezas Luizaga took top honours in Pyraminx with a winning average of 4.50 seconds and a sharp single of 3.03, holding off Jose Mauricio Colque Mamani who averaged 4.61 for second place. Arturo Diego Arratia Poma rounded out the Pyraminx podium in third with a 6.02 average after three intense rounds of play.

Cabezas Luizaga returned to the winner circle in Clock, claiming first place with a winning average of 9.63 seconds and a best single of 6.04 across the single-round contest. Matias Raúl Angulo Gutierrez pushed the pace closely, taking second with a 9.70 average, while Samuel Antonio Cruz Coareti finished third at 10.73. The tight margins in the dial-turning event proved that every fractional second counted under official timing at this WCA competition.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several solvers produced massive performance jumps that stood out on the day. Leonel Alejandro Averanga Limachi entered three events, cutting their Pyraminx personal best down to 6.17 seconds, which was 59.2 percent faster than their previous best of 15.11, while also logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 3:05.04. Matias Bilbao La Vieja Maldonado tackled four events, recording an 8th place finish in Megaminx, their first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 5.04 seconds, and a 34 percent personal best drop on the Rubik's Cube with a 17.59. Franco Gonzalez Valverde lowered their 3x3x3 mark to 12.82 seconds, a huge 50.6 percent improvement over their earlier 25.93 baseline, while Gustavo Aguilar Caballero dropped their standard to 15.36 seconds, advancing 41.6 percent faster than their prior 26.32 record.

Other competitors marked significant milestones by tackling unfamiliar hardware or stepping onto the competitive floor for the first time. Johan Mamani Pari took on five events, earning a 4th place finish in 3x3x3 Cube while registering their first ever attempt at Clock in 22.94 and Square-1 in 43.97. Pedro Josue Chambi Ventura recorded a Pyraminx personal best of 6.34 seconds, 55 percent faster than before, alongside a first Megaminx attempt of 2:12.70. Debutant Alejandro Silva Choque entered four events at their first tournament, recording an 11th place finish in Megaminx, a first 3x3x3 time of 12.65, and an initial Pyraminx solve of 8.55. Fellow debutant Cesar Mateo Laredo Miranda entered three events, claiming 12th in Megaminx with an opening time of 2:30.20 alongside an 11.30 Pyraminx debut.

In Megaminx, Favio Tapia showed remarkable poise across the twelve-sided puzzle, securing first place with a winning average of 50.40 seconds and a best single of 45.84. Matias Raúl Angulo Gutierrez earned silver with a 54.91 average, and Arturo Adrian Quisbert Marin took third at 1:26.78. Meanwhile, Square-1 concluded with Samuel Antonio Cruz Coareti taking the title in a swift 9.96 average and a best single of 8.97, followed by Elias Mamani Tumiri at 13.55 and Angulo Gutierrez at 17.62.

The day concluded with all 15 podium places earned by competitors representing Bolivia, capping an energetic showcase of speed cubing in the region. Vintage Cubing La Paz 2024 provided a stage where first-time entrants gained valuable tournament experience alongside seasoned competitors setting swift standards. As solvers packed away their gear at Parque de las Culturas, the mix of debuts and personal bests highlighted a vibrant community ready for the next round of competition.