What was your first competition like?

[ianini]

This is going to be a thread describing everybody's first competition experiences. This might be helpful for beginners, but mostly this is for fun.

Competition: Nisei Week Open 2009

When this competition arose on the WCA website, it was just an explanation to my father about local competitions. He eventually persuaded me to go and that was huge motivation for learning more PLL's. I was extremely nervous and sat right next to my dad, and just warmed-up. I look up at the stage and am in shock and was sort of envious of all the fast cubers. I also felt alone cubing by myself. After 15 or so solves my name was called and I walked up to the stage. I handed Shelley my old white type A and just stood back waiting for her to scramble my cube. My solves were very slow at the time and were very shaky because I was very nervous. After the first round, I felt a sense of accomplishment. During head-to-heads, I sat next to Logan Kelly and talked to him and felt like one of the fellow cubers up on stage. While we were watching other Nisei Week activities, a man from some British tv station came up and filmed a documentary about this competition. After all the solves, I packed up and had felt two emotions: motivation to get faster, and success. Then I left to practice for Caltech Fall 2009.

You could just talk about your first competition here.

-Ian

 

[cmhardw]

Competition: 2003 World Championship

I could rewrite it all here, but I already wrote quite a bit about it here.

Chris

 

[iasimp1997]

Berkeley Winter 2010:
I arrived there with my dad. I was really intimidated by all of the cubers sitting in groups all over the place. I spotted my friend "Ryanrex116" and walked over to him. Met his friends. It was really awesome. Then my name got called up for OH. "Oh s***." I said outloud. I sucked at OH. I went up. 4/5 of the solves were over 1minute. Got one sub1minute.
Anyway, that's how all of the events went.

 

[Captinev98]

At my first competition, which was less than a week ago so I remember it very clearly, was awesome. At first I was intimidated because everyone was solving it in 15 seconds and turning the cube with insane finger tricks that were super fast. I waited and practiced and before I got up I got a Yj cube. I thought about using the Yj, but I wasn't used to it yet. I got called up and someone was called before me, but never came. Right as I sat down the guy who missed his call came up, and asked if he could go before me. I was so relieved so much and let him go up. So he was done fast and it was my turn. I was doing so terrible and I kept messing up. Once I was done I hung out with other cubers and watch some solving. After a couple hours me and fundash got some Goldfish and a little bit after I got a bottle of Dasani. And after that it was cubing, talking, hanging, eating, having a great time. I definetly left with awesome memories. I can't wait until the next competition.

 

[rowehessler]

Cornell Spring 2007. I was really quiet, and i didn't talk to any other cubers until my 3rd competition or so. I was averaging about 20ish around that time.

 

[Ryanrex116]

Competition: Berkeley Fall 2008

It was the end of the summer, and I literally had nothing to do for about 3 weeks. I had been cubing for 6 months already, but I wasn't very good. One day, I decided to look at the world records, and I just decided to look at the upcoming competitions. There it was: Berkeley Fall 2008. Coming up in a few months.
I looked at the events, and all i was able to do at the moment was 3x3 and 3x3 OH (really badly.) This motivated me to finish learning parity, so I could compete in 4x4 and 5x5.
Finally, the day came. I walked into an auditorium full of cubers with my case of cubes, which wasn't that much back then. I found a seat near the front, and I started practicing while I waited to be called up for my very first solve: a 5x5 solve. Then, a big problem came up: I really had to go to the bathroom. (It still happens a lot during competitions) I waited, and my name wasn't called up. Finally, I realized that there was almost no more people doing 5x5. I asked the organizers if my card was in the stack, and we found out that it "disappeared."
They made a new card, and let me do my 5x5 solves. I only got to do two, but they were good for me. First, I beat my PB by 5 seconds. Then, I beat it by 20 seconds. This was really relieving for me, or perhaps it was the fact that I was able to go to the bathroom.
I got last place in OH, but I didn't really care, since I didn't have a very good cube back then. I did satisfactory in 4x4, and I did well in 3x3. I got a 27 second solve, which was great for a person who averaged 40 seconds. I now realize that my first solve was my best official solve until 3 competitions later!
At the end of the day, I was happy that I finally competed. But, I wanted to do more events. I sat down, and got ready for a bigger event: San Francisco Open 2009.

 

[Faz]

New Zealand Championships 2009:

It was held at Te Papa Museum in Wellington. When I walked in, I raced LukeMayn, and got a low 10 average of 5, which he calculated, and it turned out to be a new pb for me. There wasn't really much time for socialising, as I was scrambling and judging alot of the day, when I wasn't competing. There was a big stage, and 3 levels of spectators. The tables were the cube tables, like they had at worlds. I did really well at OH and 5x5, and I got a good 3x3 average for me at the time. Afterwards, we went out to dinner. When I got back to the hotel I felt sad because I didn't know when, if ever, my next competition would be.

 

[SuperNerd]

San Francisco Open 2009:

I arrived early with some of my friends, and I was amazed by all of the cubers with different kinds of puzzles I had never seen. I also realized that I was a lot slower than I thought, and I already knew I was really slow. I did terribly in everything, especially magic. I got a 3.xy average in magic, and my 3x3 average was 48.08, which was bad for me then. I did 4x4 and 5x5, and I'd rather not share the results of those.

 

[Sa967St]

Toronto Open Fall 2007:
I failed so I went home right after the first 3x3 round

 

[Ranzha]

Competition: Stanford Cube-A-Palooza 2009

After having gone to the US Nationals 2009 (at Stanford), I was motivated by my friends (Ryanrex116, NerdGradeA1/SuperNerd, etc.) to learn the PLLs and move on from my inverted-F2L LBL method (cross, middle layer, 2-gen FL corners, Dan Brown LL >_>) and get into Fridrich. That is when I seriously started getting into cubing.
My preparation for the event was having a smallish box with my cubes (about 5 3x3s, a revo, lubricants, etc.) and was "ready" to compete.

At the competition, I couldn't really say I was nervous until after my first solve. It was a +2 solve on top of a 35-second solve--7 seconds slower than my averages the previous day at home on qqTimer.
I thought to myself, Gah, I need to plan out my cross.... Mehsauce...., etc.
Second solve came around, and the rest, and I failed all of them and MISERABLY on the third one (42.81).
Needless to say, it was an off day for me, but I got to be in a mystery event and do TWO tower solves. Yay.

All in all, that competition was an eye-opener and a wake-up call for me in my cubing--I had to take things more seriously. Obviously, the next time didn't go so well either--a 32-second average at the Cube-A-Palooza 2.
At least I didn't forget to wear my helmet .

--Ranzha

 

[Kickflip1993]

Competition: World Championship 2009

This was my only competition until now, but many many will follow^^
I arrived at the ariport to meet Pasquale for the first time (we had known each other for about 7 months or so).
I was only allowed to compete in 3x3 and megaminx, so I had a lot of time to get to know other cubers.
I realized that EVERYBODY!! was extremely nice and polite and made me feel accepted.
On Saturday i competed in 3x3, where i got an average of 17.28 or so, which was extremely good for me back then (i didn´t care for my 3x3 solves, so thats probably the reason my me doing that well ).
Then the Megaminx event started.
I knew I was going to get the NR´s, because the single NR was 3:18 before xD
I was extremely nervous, but got a mean of 3 of 1:12.55, which was about 2 seconds above my average back then.
one solve had a 5 corner cycle, but I set 1 corner in wrong, so I did an 8 corner cycle, what means the solve was 2 seconds slower than normal.
In the end I missed the third place by 0.63 hundredth...0.63*3 = 1.89 (these were the 2 seconds I had lost grrr)
Overall being 7th in the world for mo3 now and ranking 5th at worlds I am pretty please with my results^^

I can´t wait for the German Open and the Slovenian Open
See ya guys

 

[Dene]

Competition: San Francisco Open 2009.

I guess for me, my first competition experience would have been different to a lot of people here, because at the time I went to my first competition I had already known many cubers on here for well over a year. As such, I was preparing to meet about 20 odd people that I knew quite well for the first time, as well as a whole lot of other people that I had heard of. I was scared as hell; I rarely get involved in social things so this was quite the brutal experience for me. I had been threatened with such things as hugs, and point-and-laughs, which were all thrown at me. It didn't help that almost every cuber in the US was there. I only have a few vivid memories of the competition, as literally the whole event I was helping out as much as possible with judging. It was so busy, most things are a blur.
My most two vivid memories were:
1. I'm standing there doing something (or more likely nothing), and someone comes and taps me on the shoulder. I turn around and he offers his hand and says something along the lines of "Hey Dene. I'm Frank Morris."
2. I'm judging 3x3 on the edge of the stage for like four hours straight. At some stage, the guy who had been standing at the other side of the table judging (and had very graciously helped me out with the learning process, so thank you very much, whoever you were) left, and was replaced by this hot azn girl. As I always do, I ignored her (looked at the ground). Then she says "Hi Dene. I'm Chow."

EDIT: I may as well add this in here, seeing as it kind of fits. I should point out that, even considering I met such cubing giants as Frank Morris, Dan Dzoan, Tyson Mao, etc. the list is endless, the most intimidating person I met was Shelley . (In a good way though!)

 

[Saintlavin]

Competition : Malaysian Cube Open 09.

it was the first competition in the country, go notified while reading a post from one of the local cubers, quickly signed up and started practicing . i was around 40ish for my 3x3 avg... anyway went with a friend and we cube like crazy there... then i witness Piti getting 7.88s ! the crowd went wild! then went back home. was a good experience, motivates for up coming competitions"

as for the solves, well its pretty much what everybody expects (nervous)

 

[Ton]

Competition: 2003 World Championship

I could rewrite it all here, but I already wrote quite a bit about it here.

Chris

Same for me
see
http://www.speedcubing.com/ton/wc_2003.htm

 

[nathanajah]

It was Jakarta Open 2010.
There I met some cubers that I previously know online, but never met face-to-face. Before I get on the stage, I think that I won't be nervous. Well, that turned out to be wrong.
My most memorable events are:
1. Almost talked to Lorenzo Bonoan in Indonesian language :fp
2. Won a bronze medal in FMC (43 moves), even when I almost never practice it.

 

[Sin-H]

Competition: Lyon Open 2007

I won.

no, srsly, it was awesome. I basically failed (19.xx avg while my avg at home was 15.xx), but I met a lot of great people: Rama, Arnaud, Joel, Maria, Ton, Doudou, Thibaut, Jean, ...

I went there by train (~5h), and I loved it.

I knew I was going to get the NR´s, because the single NR was 3:18 before xD

yah, u pwn at megaminx

 

[TheBB]

Euro Champs 2004

I sucked but ended 16th anyhow. Will never happen again .

Also met Joël and a few other people I had until then only known from ze web, like Dan Harris and Ron. Apart from that I didn't make a big splash or anything.

I also used the worst cube in the history of mankind.

 

[CharlieCooper]

UK Open 2007

I don't really remember much other than being nervous and going in and seeing people moving cubes quicker than I had ever seen on the internet. Turns out I was looking at Kuti and Rama doing sexy move... (I didn't know what the sexy move was then).

I remember finding it awkward hovering around the scrambling desk waiting to be called because there wasn't a competitors area. I REALLY wanted a sub 1 didn't get one though.

This was also Breandan's first competition and I remember looking at his craziness on the table next to mine.

I bought a magic and Kuti told me how to solve it. I also bought a square-1, which I didn't even move until about a year later, and is terrible anyway. I recall being annoyed I didn't enter clock because I totally would have come at least third.

I went home fairly swiftly because I had to get the train for two hours. The whole way there and back my friend and I practised in the train calculating averages. Now I think about that and just can't understand how I could make myself move just a tiny bit faster to get sub 1!

 

[joey]

I remember judging rob

 

[CharlieCooper]

I remember judging rob

SORT OUT YOUR BAD EDGES MATE.