Speedcubing event highlights skills and community

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – 50 athletes competed in a speedcubing competition in Wichita on Saturday.

The event, hosted by Southern Heartland Cubing, put people’s skills and dexterity to the test. This is an official competition and the records set are recognized by the association and the Genius Book of World Records.

World Cubing Association/Southern Heartland Cubing delegate Dan Smith said: “It’s a friendly but competitive environment. We’re getting together. As you can see, there are a lot of Commodores there. We encourage each other when we do well, and we encourage each other when things aren’t going well.”

Speedcubing is open to everyone: children, parents, grandparents compete with each other, having different abilities and skills. Smith said it’s also a way to get kids to take a break from screens and use their brains.

People participated in 17 different disciplines and activities using blocks of different sizes and shapes. There’s even a blindfolded problem solving activity.

Competitor Ben Ervin started his career when he was 11 years old and has been competing for almost 10 years.

“I come here for my friends,” Erwin said. “I don’t come here to compete as often because I don’t have time to dedicate to it anymore, but I used to train every day and try to get better. Maybe I’m just getting older, but right now I just want to have fun.”

The social aspect of the activity is part of the interest of friends Brayden Ottint and Dylan Buie, who have each been doing it for about two years. Brayden said he was grateful to Dylan for getting him into it, saying Dylan started a month before him and saw Dylan solve the problem in less than a minute.

Ottint said: “It’s not so much about competing with everyone else to try and be the best, which is what I thought before I went to my first competition. The community around cubing has really grown in a big way. Let’s talk to other cubers about skills and other puzzles you’ve solved.”

Bui said: “It’s more of a competition with myself than anything else. Trying to overcome a barrier that you haven’t done before, such as trying to score less than ten points in a three-on-three game. I just officially broke this barrier two competitions ago and it was such a joyful experience.”

They said one of their favorite things to do is be a role model for younger children who are trying it out.

One of the participants in Saturday’s competition is third in the world in speedcubing, having solved the cube in three and a half seconds.