Red Bull Rubik's Cube World Championships

[One Wheel]

no inspection is pointless

Not at all. No inspection increases the importance of recognition and actual puzzle solving relative to the importance of dexterity. Inspection is the reason that 2x2 is a silly event: once you figure out how to one-look a solve you can learn how to more efficiently one-look the solve, but the only part that really counts (at least for reasonably fast solvers) is a straight-up dexterity contest.

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Well the WCA benefitted from 22 years (1981-2003) of Rubik's original product, Rubik's original world championship and the other competitions it spawned and the community that they created... While I'm not a big fan of the Rubik company, that's the truth.

I've seen this type of thing happen in other sports. In the end it doesn't matter if you 'like' something or not. The people with more money, and the better eye for media & sponsorship always win in the end, if they execute well. Newcomers to an established scene rarely win, but it does happen. A similar example could be said of a video game community that was dominated by Nintendo and Sega. Until the giants (Sony and Microsoft) came in and destroyed the old community and created a new one with the Playstation and Xbox. And before that the game community itself was created by Atari, until Nintendo and Sega came in.

Cubing was all but dead until early 2000s.
The WCA brought it back.

 

[pjk]

I'm going to break from the crowd a little bit and say that I actually like, and welcome, most of the things Rubik's and Red Bull are doing here. I welcome the idea of larger competitions that feature spectator-friendly events and bigger payoffs.

I'd also agree with this. More competitions, more organization, more ideas, and a bigger community is only better. It isn't bypassing the WCA as far as I see. I think having Red Bull sponsoring competitions is a massive step for the community, and something we should be super excited about.

@cmhardw (Chris Hardwick) posted this on FB about an hour ago which is worth reading:

This is my personal and open letter to the WCA community.

Many of you have heard that the Rubik's Cube Speedsolving Association (RCSA) has made public their plan to host a cubing World Championship in 2018 in partnership with Red Bull.

I'm here to reassure the cubing community worldwide that everything is going to be fine.

If you are a young cuber, I would encourage you to invite your parents to read this message.

For any parents of a cuber who are reading this, I am a sitting member of the Board of Directors of the WCA and have been a cuber for 19 years and a WCA Delegate for 11 years.

The first thing we should do is call this what it is. I can say that the chance is very high that the cubing community will join the likes of chess and darts in that we are now a fractured community with multiple sanctioning organizations. The sooner we work to process and accept this fact, the easier and more likely it will be that our community can move on.

The WCA was created by Ron van Bruchem and Tyson Mao as a way to bring together people all over the world who enjoy the fun and quirky hobby of solving the Rubik's cube. All of the WCA Officials and staff are people who volunteer their time, unpaid, to the WCA because of their love for this hobby.

At Worlds 2017 in Paris this July the WCA Directors met with head members of RCSA and Rubik's Brand Limited (RBL) to negotiate a potential partnership with them.

For confidentiality reasons I do not wish to disclose specific things said in that meeting. However, the overwhelming impression that I walked away with from that meeting was that RCSA exists for two core reasons: 1) To help Professor Ernő Rubik spread his legacy of this wonderful invention he has created that has inspired millions all over the world, and 2) To help Rubik's Brand Limited in their aim to be a successful and profitable company in their sales of the Rubik's cube.

I can assure all members of the WCA community that if you enjoy solving the Rubik's cube, then you are a welcome friend to the WCA.

That's why the WCA was created, to bring all of us cubers together.

For any cubers who are curious or interested to attend or even help staff at a RCSA cubing event, this in no way affects your standing as a member of the WCA. If you've ever competed in a WCA event, then you are and will always be a welcome member of the WCA.

On a personal note it is exciting to see what vision Ernő Rubik has for spreading his wonderful invention around the world through the RCSA organization.

It is my personal opinion that elite and highly talented Rubik's cube solvers will easily and comfortably find a place in both organizations, and in attending tournaments for both organizations.

I strongly encourage everyone reading this to keep in mind how each organization will prioritize and serve the community of Rubik's cube solvers worldwide.

For as long as I am a part of the WCA, I will work hard to make sure that all cubers find a place here where they feel welcome.

It is for you that we exist.

Chris Hardwick

Also worth reading this if you missed it:
https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/...g-association-a-message-from-ernő-rubik.63311

 

[Rubix Cubix]

I also think the no inspection makes sense as well. If you say to a non Cuber I can solve this in 10 seconds, then you look at it for 15 seconds before you make a turn, to them it would still be considered "solving" it.

Also didn't 3x3 no inspection used to be an official event?

 

[pglewis]

So many things suddenly make a lot more sense to me.

 

[Tabe]

I also think the no inspection makes sense as well. If you say to a non Cuber I can solve this in 10 seconds, then you look at it for 15 seconds before you make a turn, to them it would still be considered "solving" it.

Thank you. I was trying to think of a good way to say this exact same point, but couldn't find the right words, so I left it out of my post entirely

 

[theawesomecuber]

I think I have a couple original thoughts to throw in.

First, the cubing community should distance itself as far as possible from the Rubik's company. The cubing community has done perfectly well without them for over 10 years, and ever since they've shown interest in speedcubing there has been controversy after controversy.

Second, the WCA should absolutely retaliate. Obviously cubing shouldn't become a full-on spectator sport, but I think that there needs to be more video from competitions around the world posted onto YouTube, perhaps an official WCA channel. I'm sure there are more ways to appeal to a more general public, maybe we could get big competitions on TV at some point! haha maybe that's asking a bit too much.

I really hope that we as a community respond more than just expressing anger. Please, everyone, cooperate together so we can actually make a difference. Thanks.

 

[Ghost Cuber]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I really don't care about this at all as long as it doesn't try to interfere with the WCA.

 

[kbrune]

This is all about MONEY. I call BS on the legacy crap.

I could care less about Rubiks adding, changing, or removing events. I actually like that part considering there are some aspects of the current rules I've always thought needed refining.

I completely agree with @Tabe about the inspection process. Here's how I always saw it. 2 solvers both get 15 second averages. Yet one of them only uses 5 seconds of inspection on average, the other uses 14. It's obvious what this means. I always thought the 15 seconds was too much and not quite the best way to keep a even starting point.

But that is unimportant compared to what RCSA is doing. It's sad that they're starting they're own sanctioning body. Swooping in and stealing all of the work the WCA has done to grow the cubing scene.

Anyone who buys the "Erno is noble and wants to ensure his legacy" argument is naive. If this was true. For one, Rubik would have jumped into making viable speedcubes as soon as third party companies started producing cubes that were infinitely better at a fraction of the cost. But no they didnt. Which brings up the number 2. They were still making their money on shitty design because not enough ppl new there were better options.
Now that a larger part of the world is wising up to the world of hardware. I'm willing to bet my life that Rubik saw the writing on the wall. Sales will, or are already dropping because there are more and more companies producing quality cubes.

And so the RCSA is born.

The sad part is it'll work. Money talks. Sponsored events where prize money is way bigger. Is going to steal all the top cubers. And they will take over as the main cubing body in the future. All while stepping over the WCA and all the work they've done out of love for their hobby. Not PROFITS.

I think it's great that cubing will gain popularity. I just think it's sad that it's because of money..

 

[Underwatercuber]

Fixed description but couldn't fix it enough for them to cancel it :/

 

[turtwig]

Cubing isn't a spectator sport in the slightest. if it was, this would've happened a long time ago, and nobody would've cared. Cubing is for cubers, not spectators. The whole idea of 1v1 is completely stupid. I would quit speedcubing if all events ended up turning into this cesspool.

I have to say I disagree with this idea that cubing is only for cubers. Of course it's nice to have our own in-group kind of thing, but I don't think it's bad if 'outsiders' can enjoy it as well, even if it's not what we think of as cubing.

Overall, I think that this competition will be good for cubing. Of course, as a cuber, the way this is advertised looks silly and cringey, but I don't think they're harming the WCA or its competitions. It's not like the WCA is going to disappear or all the top cubers are going to sell-out and never go to WCA competitions again. This is really just like the episodes of the Chinese game show "The Brain" that Feliks and some other cubers participated in. We can't expect non-cubers to try and understand how we run our competitions, so I think having these kinds of events is a good way to 'introduce' the public to speedcubing.

EDIT: If Rubik's starts to use this competition to try to ban or destroy WCA competitions, it would be horrible, but so far from what I see, I don't think (or at least I hope) that the two types of competitions can exist together.

 

[One Wheel]

So many things suddenly make a lot more sense to me.

On the other hand, if they'd just skipped the lawsuit part and gone straight to this they could have had the opportunity to have a really great amateur-professional symbiosis with WCA. Instead they chose to create as thorough a divide as they could between the WCA and the Really Silly Attorneys.

 

[Underwatercuber]

On the other hand, if they'd just skipped the lawsuit part and gone straight to this they could have had the opportunity to have a really great amateur-professional symbiosis with WCA. Instead they chose to create as thorough a divide as they could between the WCA and the Really Silly Attorneys.

Well you do realize if they could stop making cubing stores and knock out the WCA then they would have 100% of the cube market and would make 100% of money at any competition. Makes sense why they would do it.

 

[kbrune]

Well you do realize if they could stop making cubing stores and knock out the WCA then they would have 100% of the cube market and would make 100% of money at any competition. Makes sense why they would do it.

This sums up my entire view in way fewer words! Its about money. Not cubing.

 

[AidanNoogie]

Is Rubik's trying to destroy the WCA now?

 

[Ordway Persyn]

Is Rubik's trying to destroy the WCA now?

There is no evidence at all that this is the case, and seems to be unlikely.

 

[Underwatercuber]

First video on YouTube I have seen so far where someone actually states their opinion instead of just making a video where they tell you to relax so they can get views.

 

[kbrune]

There is no evidence at all that this is the case, and seems to be unlikely.

They don't have to actively try to destroy the WCA. They just have to do what they're doing now. Create a bigger better paying system. Eventually WCA will be reduced in importance as a by product

 

[Underwatercuber]

Jacob Ambrose just laid everyone thing out perfectly

“To Summarize current news in the cubing world: RCSA is a new organization with a lot of money from the Rubik's Cube. They have threaten organizations like WCA and companies like the cubicle with ultimatums and law suits and now they intend to hold competitions sponsored by Red Bull behind the backs of WCA.

My Views:
Money is not what this is about, WCA has not made any profit from developing speedcubing in any way over the past 15 years. We have only promoted speedcubing in communities around the world in fair conditions. RCSA is now taking that and dumping large amounts of money to deter cubers from WCA events and to their own.

WCA and competing in competitions has always been about an individuals growth, sure we have ranks and podiums and records, but at the end of the day most cubers are more focused on how they did and how their improving, that's what's important and what keeps cubers into speedcubing (not everyone can be world class) RCSA is now taking head to head style to actively compete to win a competition and then qualify for the "~World Championship~". Newcomers are now unwelcome as there is a very small chance that they would be doing more than 3 solves at the competitions, middle class cubers aren't going to see any benefit in loosing to world class cubers, and world class cubers, well I hope that they put that prize money to good use.

As for me, I'll continue to support WCA and spread speedcubing with official competitions. I hope that RCSA will stop their power crazy suicide bomb.

-Jacob”

 

[Ordway Persyn]

They don't have to actively try to destroy the WCA. They just have to do what they're doing now. Create a bigger better paying system. Eventually WCA will be reduced in importance as a by product

I really doubt that will happen, as long as people want to host, delegate and compete in WCA competitions, the WCA will not die. In fact, I even think that the number of WCA competitions could drastically increase if this was successful.