By Holly Kline
The Indiana Rubik’s Cube Open took place at the Fishers library on Aug. 23 and featured participants of all ages who competed in various speed-based, puzzle-solving competitions. Fishers resident Mike Hughey is a past national champion and he runs this annual event which, for 2014, was the second-largest official Rubik’s cube competition in the U.S.
According to Hughey, 121 competitors from five different countries attended this year’s Indiana event.
“We had five of the current United States national champions attending the competition and we had two world records set,” he stated.
Jana-Wrenay and Paul Heck traveled to the Indiana Rubik’s Cube Open from Arkansas so their sons Walker, 11, and Jackson, 13, could compete.
“I just practice to learn to do it so fast,” shared Walker while working on solving a cube. “I’m not looking at what I’m doing right now; I’m looking at what I’m going to do.”
Paul Heck went on to explain that his kids get instructions for solving the cubes from YouTube videos. “Some of the guys they’ve watched on YouTube are here competing, and that’s exciting for them.”
The Indiana Open event featured many different events with several types of cubes. Competitors do use the familiar 3×3 cubes that look like the ones on toy store shelves, but there are also 2×2 and 4×4 cubes, as well as an astounding 6×6 option and the uniquely-shaped Pyraminx. Events included solving the different models of cubes in the fastest times, in the fewest amounts of moves and solving them blindfolded.
Mike Hughey has been competing since 2007 and has held several national titles for the blindfolded events. He went on to explain how he became involved in the competitions.
“I originally started with the Rubik’s cube in the early ‘80s and figured out how to solve it. In 2006 I got interested again and decided it would be fun to work on solving it fast. I learned to solve it blindfolded and I was hooked,” he said.
The Rubik’s Cube Indiana Open has grown so much in popularity that the event will be moved in 2015 to a larger space at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. Check the World Cube Association website at www.worldcubeassociation.org for information on upcoming competitions.
