Rubik's Cube Fans

Meeting of the nimble fingers was a complete success

The boys are united by their passion for the Rubik’s Cube. Girls are also welcome—as long as they meet the time requirements.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Eleven “speedcubers” gathered on Friday to solve Rubik’s Cubes at lightning speed. Some of the participants already have experience competing internationally, but anyone who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under 30 seconds is welcome to join. The meetups are now scheduled to take place every two months. 

It took Ernő Rubik one month in 1974 to solve his Rubik’s Cube for the first time. Even today, the toy is far from a “child’s play”: It takes a lot of practice, talent, and motivation to solve the “Rubik’s Cube” as quickly as possible. That is exactly what the “speedcubers” have set as their goal.

To bring this community together, Susanne Peruzzi organized a gathering of these nimble-fingered enthusiasts on Friday evening at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. “My son Markus discovered the Rubik’s Cube a year and a half ago. His current record is 14 seconds,” said the proud mother.

“It’s easy once you get the hang of it”
How did it all start? “My friend Johannes is really good at it and used to do it all the time at school. So I thought to myself, I want to be able to do that too,” explains the 13-year-old from Linz, before solving the cube during a “Krone” on-site visit as if it were the easiest thing in the world. “The algorithms and recognizing the positions are the hard parts,” explains Johannes Yang (13). “But once you get it, it’s really easy!”

Maxi Leibetseder (13) from Puchenau was captivated by a YouTube video three years ago. His current best time is around ten seconds, and like Markus Peruzzi, he’s already gained experience competing internationally.

Meetings Every Two Months
“Yesterday’s meet was a complete success. Eleven boys signed up and competed against each other in a friendly competition. They got to know one another and had a lot of fun,” says organizer Peruzzi happily. “We now want to hold these meets every two months. Anyone who can achieve a best time under 30 seconds is welcome. We’d also be very happy to have girls join us!” By the way: The best time was set on Friday by Felizian Baumgartner (14) from Linz—he needed exactly ten seconds to “solve” the cube.