What a cool forum topic! I love this!
I'm Stevish, a web programmer by trade, and I started cubing (with a 3x3) in January, 2023 at the age of 40. As an avid puzzle solver, I never took on the Rubik's cube because I couldn't figure it out by myself, and I always considered memorizing someone else's solution to a puzzle to be cheating. A silly quibble, but there you have it.
Around Christmas of last year, my kids go into cubing and I tried helping them get to where they could solve a cube without instructions. That got me researching different methods and getting more into cubes. Finally, after playing with the kids' puzzles, I got my own in February and started timing myself.
I began with the beginner's method (seemed like a good idea). After about a week, I was turning in times between 1:30 and 2:30, with my best ao5 being 1:40. I felt like I was ready to learn something else.
I discovered F2L and for the first time, felt like I was actually teaching myself something instead of memorizing someone else's methods (though I did watch a video from jperm about it... I love that guy). I loved that it was mostly intuitive and that I actually understood what was happening on the cube as I made the turns. Also, I hated the algorithm I'd learned to get the 2nd layer pieces in place by themselves.
Shortly after starting f2l, I watched badmephisto's videos on 2-look OLL and PLL, and started using those as well
After making the switch to f2l with 2-look OLL/PLL, my times immediately doubled and I was recording 3 and 4 minute times, and going as high as 5 minutes, with plenty of DNF's. But over the next 2 months, I slowly worked that down and down and down until April 16th when I recorded my first Sub-1:00 time, on a solve where I didn't get to skip any steps. I was SO PUMPED!!!
That's when I started looking at competitions. Currently I'm waiting for a comp in Central Florida to sign up for. I may enter my kids as well if they want to, they go back and forth. I'm excited to get a bit more into it, and am looking to plug into the cubing community. So maybe I'll meet some of you in person one day!
As for goals, my goal right now is to compete at a competition and not be last place. After that, I'd like to get to where I can make it to the second round of a competition.
I'm Stevish, a web programmer by trade, and I started cubing (with a 3x3) in January, 2023 at the age of 40. As an avid puzzle solver, I never took on the Rubik's cube because I couldn't figure it out by myself, and I always considered memorizing someone else's solution to a puzzle to be cheating. A silly quibble, but there you have it.
Around Christmas of last year, my kids go into cubing and I tried helping them get to where they could solve a cube without instructions. That got me researching different methods and getting more into cubes. Finally, after playing with the kids' puzzles, I got my own in February and started timing myself.
I began with the beginner's method (seemed like a good idea). After about a week, I was turning in times between 1:30 and 2:30, with my best ao5 being 1:40. I felt like I was ready to learn something else.
I discovered F2L and for the first time, felt like I was actually teaching myself something instead of memorizing someone else's methods (though I did watch a video from jperm about it... I love that guy). I loved that it was mostly intuitive and that I actually understood what was happening on the cube as I made the turns. Also, I hated the algorithm I'd learned to get the 2nd layer pieces in place by themselves.
Shortly after starting f2l, I watched badmephisto's videos on 2-look OLL and PLL, and started using those as well
After making the switch to f2l with 2-look OLL/PLL, my times immediately doubled and I was recording 3 and 4 minute times, and going as high as 5 minutes, with plenty of DNF's. But over the next 2 months, I slowly worked that down and down and down until April 16th when I recorded my first Sub-1:00 time, on a solve where I didn't get to skip any steps. I was SO PUMPED!!!
That's when I started looking at competitions. Currently I'm waiting for a comp in Central Florida to sign up for. I may enter my kids as well if they want to, they go back and forth. I'm excited to get a bit more into it, and am looking to plug into the cubing community. So maybe I'll meet some of you in person one day!
As for goals, my goal right now is to compete at a competition and not be last place. After that, I'd like to get to where I can make it to the second round of a competition.
