Sunday 6 September 2026 Rebuilt nightly from the WCA's official results · export of 6 September 2026 · About
The Middle Three
Competitions → United States → Ski Valley Solving 2023

Competitions · United States

Ski Valley Solving 2023

Taos, New Mexico · 2 September 2023 · 8 events · 43 competitors · 62 personal bests

Raymos Castillo won six of the eight events (3×3, 2×2, 4×4) and the closest final was the 2×2, won by Raymos Castillo by 0.01 seconds. 43 competitors produced 62 personal bests, 17 of which still stand today, and 13 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

The day's biggest improvement

Joseph Nakajima took a 2×2 single of 15.87 down to 5.18, 67 percent better in one day.

Six wins
Raymos Castillo — 3×3, 2×2, 4×4, 7×7, 3×3 one-handed, Megaminx
0.01s
closest final — 2×2, Raymos Castillo over William Mitchell
62
personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

EventWinnerSingleAverage
3×3Raymos Castillo7.738.99
2×2Raymos Castillo1.992.82
4×4Raymos Castillo31.7336.25
7×7Raymos Castillo2:52.573:05.82
3×3 one-handedRaymos Castillo15.9018.28
MegaminxRaymos Castillo51.3258.03
PyraminxWilliam Mitchell2.964.09
SkewbEstevan Lujan3.174.56

The PB harvest

62 set · 17 still standing
  • Junior Solis — 2×2 single 1.25: into the top 1.2% of the event's history.
  • Maxine Miller — 2×2 single 2.08: into the top 5.3% of the event's history.
  • Marc Herrera — Skewb single 3.18: into the top 5.9% of the event's history.
  • Marc Herrera — 2×2 single 2.53: into the top 9.2% of the event's history.
  • Jake Gutierrez — 2×2 single 2.86: into the top 12.7% of the event's history.
  • Maxine Miller — Skewb single 4.45: into the top 14.1% of the event's history.
  • Brayden Lee Jones — 3×3 single 13.12: into the top 17.8% of the event's history.
  • Kepler Smith — Pyraminx single 6.32: into the top 22.4% of the event's history.

First-timers

13 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 37,591 people who made their debut in 2023. 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

43 competitors · 330 results · 8 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. Raymos Castillo won it with a 8.99 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

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

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

43 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.