Competitions · United States

North Star Cubing Challenge 2018

Plymouth, Minnesota · 27 January 2018 · 6 events · 91 competitors · 105 personal bests

Patrick Ponce won three of the six events (3×3, 5×5, Square-1) and the closest final was the Square-1, won by Patrick Ponce by 0.49 seconds. 91 competitors produced 105 personal bests, 23 of which still stand today, and 15 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

The day's biggest improvement

Carter Bitz took a Square-1 single of 39.16 down to 15.76, 60 percent better in one day.

Three wins

Patrick Ponce — 3×3, 5×5, Square-1

0.49s

closest final — Square-1, Patrick Ponce over Carter Kucala

105

personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

Event	Winner	Single	Average
3×3	Patrick Ponce	6.45	8.33
5×5	Patrick Ponce	49.61	53.19
3×3 blindfolded	Cale Schoon	34.20	38.90
Clock	Stanley Chapel	6.47	7.52
Skewb	Cale Schoon	2.56	3.37
Square-1	Patrick Ponce	10.05	11.42

The PB harvest

105 set · 23 still standing

Anders Skarphol — Skewb single 3.59: into the top 8.3% of the event's history.
David Golisch — Square-1 single 20.33: into the top 28.7% of the event's history.
Holden Peterson — 3×3 single 16.29: into the top 28.7% of the event's history.
Anders Skarphol — Square-1 single 21.05: into the top 30.3% of the event's history.
Bodie Zwank — Skewb single 7.22: into the top 35.4% of the event's history.
Cole Hanson — Square-1 single 24.44: into the top 37.9% of the event's history.
Bjorn D. Lucas — 3×3 single 21.05: into the top 42.9% of the event's history.
Matt Koltes — 3×3 single 22.01: into the top 45.5% of the event's history.

First-timers

15 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 26,076 people who made their debut in 2018. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

No national, continental or world records were set at this competition. That is true of most competitions.

The field

91 competitors · 378 results · 6 events.

Solve this final yourself

how this works →

The 3×3 final here ran on one scramble group, so these five sequences are exactly what the finalists faced. Patrick Ponce won it with a 8.33 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

1F2 U F2 U F2 U' B D R2 U R U2 L F2 L2 D' R F
2L' F D B R' F' D' R' F' R2 U' R L' U2 L2 F2 L U2 B2
3R L2 F' R' D B' D2 R' B' L F2 U2 B2 D2 B' U2 B' L2 B
4R' D' L2 U2 F2 R' D' F2 D' F U R2 F2 U L2 U' L2 B2 D2 R2
5B2 R' F2 R2 F2 D2 F2 D2 L B L2 D' B2 D' B F U B' F2 U'

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

91 competitors

Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a final is a competition's last round; its order decides the podium · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · every solve starts from a computer-generated scramble, the same for every competitor in a round.