More Photos
Aug/09
12:360
Photos from Day 3 are up here.
Also, you can view Lars Vandenbergh’s great photos here.
3x3x3 Podium
Scrambles
Aug/09
11:570
All the scrambles from US Nationals 2009 (except multi BLD #2) can be downloaded as a 2.3MB zip file here.
It’s Over
Aug/09
18:272
Nationals 2009 has concluded, and we’re packing up.
1st, 3×3x3) Rowe Hessler
2nd, 3×3x3) Mitchell Stern
3rd, 3×3x3) Ravi Fernando
Results can still be viewed here.
US Nationals Organization Team
Really Fast Stuff
Aug/09
12:510
Dan Cohen set a 6×6x6 WR average of 2:32.00 in the 6×6x6 Finals.
Also, Andy Tsao got very close to the 4×4x4 WR, with a single solve of 39.36 seconds (NAR).
Andy Tsao with his cube after his 39.36 solve
Mystery Puzzles: Day 3
Aug/09
12:280
10:00 AM – Mystery Puzzle #11 – 6×6x6 Scrambling
Eric Johnson, Miles Casanas
1st) Eric Johnson, DNF
1st) Miles Casanas, DNF
12:00 PM – Mystery Puzzle #12 – Lars Poker
10 competitors played a betting game using serial numbers on $2 bills.
1st) Nick Young
12:35 PM – Mystery Puzzle #13 – Chopsticks/Fork & Spoon Solving
Asian cubers were given a fork & spoon, and others were given chopsticks, and had to solve a cube using only those utensils.
1st) Justin Adsuara, 2:3x (Fork and Spoon)
2nd?) Andrew Nelson, 6:18.03 (Chopsticks)
1:05 PM – Mystery Puzzle #14 – Trick Round Scrambles
Tyson Mao and Chris Krueger had to scramble an entire round of cubes (5 scrambles). They were given 5 cubes and told that the cubes must match the images on the scramble sheets.
Tyson’s scramble sheet, however, had an identity algorithm written instead of the correct algorithm.
1st) Chris Krueger, 1:00.22
2nd) Tyson Mao, DNF
2:20 PM – Mystery Puzzle #15 – Unfolded Cube Sudoku
Competitors were given a new, difficult puzzle based on Sudoku.
1st) Ravi Fernando, 5:20.56
2:35 PM – Mystery Puzzle #16 – Ring Puzzle
Shotaro Makisumi and Emerson Hermann were shown the two pieces of a linking puzzles, apart and together to form a ring. They had to figure out how to assemble them.
1st) Shotaro Makisumi, 16.50
3:00 PM – Mystery Puzzle #17 – Triangle Assembly
Competitors were given 14 identical (right isosceles triangular) plastic pieces and were asked to assemble them into a single solid shape.
1st) Kristina Hays, 3:38.81
3:10 PM – Mystery Puzzle #18 – Bob Burton Event
7 questions about Bob Burton, a quiz.
1st) Tim Reynolds
2nd) Andrew Nelson
3rd) Ian Winokur
4:00 PM – Mystery Puzzle #19 – Stefan Pochmann Event
5 questions about Stefan, a quiz.
1st) Bob Burton
2nd) Lucas Garron
3rd) Lars Vandenbergh
4:10 PM – Mystery Puzzle #20 – TouchCube
International competitors were given TouchCubes to solve, in dramatic dark lighting.
1s) Stefan Pochmann
Sub-10
Aug/09
17:460
In Round 1 of US Nationals, the number of official sub-10 solves ever done in California was tripled (from 1 to 3). The two sub-10s were:
- Darren Kwong (9.65)
- Andy Tsao (9.81, on tape)
(Philip Espinoza has done 9.73. Lucas Garron has also done a 10.00.)
Andy Tsao with his 9.81 cube
FMC Scrambles
Aug/09
17:140
FMC had two rounds. Here are the scrambles:
Round 1 (PDF of the sheet given to competitors)
(You can view the 27-move winning solution, found both by Michael Young and David Woner, posted here by David.)
You can view the full results here.
We’re in the Newspaper!
Aug/09
16:570
Local journalist Diana Samuels came yesterday, and wrote a nice article that was published in a few papers. You can read it at http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13101952 .
Mystery Puzzles: Day 2
Aug/09
14:040
If anyone has recorded more detailed results, please tell us!
11:30 PM – Mystery Puzzle #4 – Rubik’s Icon
1st) Jameson O’Connor
2:00 PM – Mystery Puzzle #5 – Shed a Tear
Competitors had to shed a tear onto a scorecard.
1st) Devin Corr-Robinett, 5:31
4:00 PM – Mystery Puzzle #6 – 3D Glasses Solving
Solving a regular cube while wearing 3D glasses.
1st) Cameron Brown, 27.xx
Round 2: Icon Cube with 3D glasses.
1st) Cameron Brown, 1:21.40
Round 3: Dan Dzoan, Solo Competitor, 3D Glasses TouchCube
5:20 PM – Mystery Puzzle #7 – 7-finger Solve
Youtuber Pestvic raced Emerson Hermann using 5 fingers of one hand and only 2 of the other.
1st) Emerson Hermann
5:25 PM – Mystery Puzzle #8 – Rubik’s Icon Match the Scramble
Arthur Adams and Josh Nagel were given a solved and a scrambled Icon, and told to match the solved one to the scramble on the other.
5:30 PM – Mystery Puzzle #9 – Rubik’s Icon BLD
Joey Gouly vs. Alex Yu.
5:35 PM – Mystery Puzzle #10 – Lightning Extreme Reaction
Competitors each held onto a handle for a device that tests their reaction by flashing a light. The slowest person gets shocked.