The Cashmere High School student will compete in the South Island speedcubing championship this weekend. He has won 74 gold medals at Rubik’s Cube competitions and finished second in the 3x3x3 Cube main event at the WCA Oceanic championship in Melbourne last year.
Speedcubing includes solving twisty 3D combination puzzles of different shapes and sizes in head-to-head, one-handed, individual and even blindfolded challenges.
About 60 people will compete in the South Island speedcubing competition.
Ramos said he was messing around with his friend’s Rubik’s Cube in 2019 when he saw a 2x2x2 puzzle in a shop and decided to buy it.
“It has kind of spiralled from there. I used to fidget a lot as a kid and there is something satisfying about completing a puzzle and trying to beat your personal best.
“It is therapeutic.”
Ramos said when he first got into speedcubing he would practice every day for three to four hours but because of his school work he now does a bit less.
“I am very lucky there are competitions I can enter. I am excited but nervous for the competition, just as I haven’t had much time to practice.”
He said the pressure to perform does not come from the other competitors but from himself.
“I’m still trying to figure out how to overcome the nerves. Everyone is different, and you have to figure out what works for you.”
•The South Island championship runs from Friday to Sunday, 9.30am to 6pm, at Cashmere High School
By Briar Allen
