Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts to compete for bragging rights

Hundreds of quick-fingered Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts are set to compete for those all-important bragging rights on who can solve the colourful puzzle the fastest at the upcoming Speedcubing Competition in Morayfield.

This will be the first time Speedcubing Australia has hosted a competition in the Moreton Bay Region, which will be held over two big days on July 23 and 24 at the Morayfield Sport and Event Centre.

According to Speedcubing Australia President Kerrie Jarman, the sport has been extremely popular in Australia for more than a decade.

“Speedcubing Australia has been around for 12 years now, and we are coming up on our 200^th competition in Australia,” Kerrie said.

“It’s one of those things that once you discover it is there, you realise there is an entire underground world just waiting to be explored.

“We hold competitions all over the country, bringing in thousands of competitors from across the country, and even the world.

“We are very excited to be coming to Morayfield in July because this event will be big. We are almost at 200 competitors already, and I’m expecting it to reach that 300 mark.”

The competition is open for people of all ages and is more focused on each individual recording the best time.

“One of the great things about Speedcubing competitions is the fact that it is open to everyone,” Kerrie said.

“We don’t have any age categories, and you can still participate even if you’re not the most competitive person.

“We have kids from as young as five right up to people aged 50 and over. Sometimes we have people competing who are in their 70s or 80s.

“Everyone competes on an equal playing field, because really, you’re there to compete against yourself, and set your fastest time.

“If you make it into the top 50 people, you will then go onto the next round, and so forth.

“Every person’s time is recorded and put into the data base, so you can go to any competition in the world and your times are recognised.”

The event will feature 17 different Rubik’s Cube categories, including 2x2 cubes, 3x3 cubes, 4x4 cubes, 5x5 cubes, a mega mix, which is a dodecahedron (a 13-sided puzzle), as well as solving the cube blindfolded, and competing with one hand.

So, who’s the fastest?

By the time you finish reading this sentence, the person who holds the world record for finishing a Rubik’s Cube would have already finished.

Speaking from Melbourne, Kerrie said the world record is held by a teenage boy from China, with an impressive time of just 3.47 seconds.

His name is Yusheng Gu.

“That is the bar that everyone is now working towards, and they are getting closer and closer,” Kerrie said.

“Prior to that, the world record was held by an Australian named Feliks Zemdegs.

“I would say he is probably the best Speedcuber of all time, and he lives right here in Melbourne.

“He currently doesn’t hold any world records, but he dominated them for many years.

“Feliks has inspired a lot of cubers, which is probably why Speedcubing is so popular here in Melbourne.”

How to register

People wishing to enter the competition can register by clicking on the World Cube Association website.

Kerrie would like to encourage as many people as possible to enter.

“I get a lot of people emailing me saying their kids are interested, so I tell them to trust me because they will absolutely love it,” she said.

“Some kids, and I say kids because a lot of our competitors are kids, they might be the fastest person in their family or their school, but if there is no one else interested, it can be a little isolating for them.

“If they come down to compete, they will meet lots of friendly and supportive people who have the same interest as them.

“They can even stay all day and play with other people.

“We will hopefully have some tables set up where they can get together in groups.”