Ryan Yasinko, 13, to compete at U.S. speedcubing nationals
Tricia Lo | CBC News | Posted: July 27, 2016 7:33 PM | Last Updated: July 27, 2016
Calgary teen spends 4 hours a day practicing and memorizing algorithms
It's a mad blur of twisting colours, click-clacking and flying fingers, but you can be sure there's a method to what 13-year-old Ryan Yasinko is doing.
The competitive "speedcuber" is set to compete internationally for the first time at the U.S. Nationals 2016 Speedcubing Competition July 29 to 31 in Portland, Oregon.
Nearly 600 others, including world record holders from various countries, will join him there.
In preparation, Yasinko who has just finished Grade 7, has been practicing on average four hours a day and memorizing algorithms to solve different cases.
"I make sure that my cubing doesn't overtake my school," he assured CBC's The Homestretch.
He's signed up for 10 events, including his favourite: the 3x3 speedsolve, which offers a $1,500 grand prize.
Blindfolded and one-handed twists
Different variations on traditional Rubik's Cube solving include one-handed challenges, blindfolded competitions and ones where contestants use only their feet to solve the puzzle.
In the blindfolded instance, competitors are given an "inspection" period to study the cube's construction and map out their moves in their minds.
The current world record, including the inspection and solving time, was set at 21.05 seconds in 2015 by China's Kaijun Lin.
"I would like some day to get maybe a world record," said Yasinko, who's only began cubing roughly 18 months ago.
The 3x3 record stands at 4.90 seconds.
It took Yasinko 11.7 seconds to solve a puzzle at the CBC studios.
With files from The Homestretch