Hundreds flock to OKC for Cubing USA Southern Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) — Hundreds of Rubik’s Cube competitors, also known as cubers, flocked to the Oklahoma City Convention Center for the Cubing USA Southern Championship.

While many arrived to solve puzzles, most of them are there for the community.

“It’s nothing like what you’d expect,” said Cy Hamilton, a competitor celebrating his 18th birthday at the championships. “It’s very addicting.”

Cubers of all ages were in one room at the convention center, participating in the Cubing USA Southern Championship.

“I think the youngest today is seven and we get people all the way up to 60s and 70s,” said Michael Conard, the Southern United States Region Leader of the World Cube Association.

Competitors bring their own puzzles and give it to a scrambler to mix it up.

“We have computer generated scrambles, so everyone competing in that same heat will get the same exact puzzle state,” said Conard. “They’re all doing the same thing.”

Then, they get 15 seconds to look over the cube before solving it. The best time wins, usually within seconds.

“My best at home is a five, but my best competition is an eight,” said Hamilton.

There are several events, with cubes of all shapes, sizes, some competing blindfolded.

Austin Sanchez, 14, said his favorite puzzle is the Skewb.

“I am currently fifth in Texas for Skewb. Average with a 3.9 [seconds] for average,” said Sanchez.

Contestants come from all over. News 4 talked to some from Nevada, Texas, Louisiana, and even Hawaii. Many were influenced by social media.

“Cubing YouTubers have blown up online,” said Sanchez.

One influencer, Matty Inaba, also known as “The Cubing Ninja” competed in the event Friday. He’s known as the sixth best in the world by the 3×3.

“Third in the U.S. for the 3×3 cube,” said Inaba. “I just wanted to get faster. And here I am.”

While most of the competitors aim for the fastest score, most of them formed friendships that seemed to snap into the right place.

“Heck, you don’t even spend most of the day competing. Well, you spend most of the day chilling at a table with all your friends racing each other,” said Sanchez. “At my second ever competition, I only had like one or two friends, but now I have like 12.”

Friendship is something Inaba said is key to making the community thrive.

“I go around all over the world and I always know somebody there because I made an effort early on to, like, talk to everybody,” said Inaba.

The competition is happening all weekend long from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. If you want to walk in and compete, organizers say you will be welcomed.

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