US Nationals 2012 (Las Vegas)

[Vincents]

Thanks to everyone for coming out. Your bravery and dedication in the face of blistering hot temperatures of 90 degrees at 3 am was not unnoticed.

I do have a couple of questions I'm looking for serious answers to:
- There were a couple of new things we tried this year. Some worked, some didn't. What was your opinion on these changes? (e.g. T-shirt vendor, seminars, unofficial competition, etc. Especially the T-shirt vendor because that's a project I'm in charge of and I want to know your thoughts!)
- Did anyone find my camera? It's a really old Sony point-and-shoot with a slidey front-plate that has a bunch of pictures of me on it. It also has a sticker with my name on it on the front.
- How did a ton of people find out about the penthouse suite last night? It was supposed to be a score-checking staff gathering, but we somehow got a ton of random people.
- How many hours of sleep did you get from Thursday to Monday?

Some DYK's I suppose:
- That watching Sarah stick a baby Shrek doll in people's faces was more amusing than it should have been.
- That Stefan and I played Squishie Cube basketball...
- ...and that he is much better at it than I am?
- That Southwest lost my luggage, so I was without clothes, cubes, or contacts the first night and second day?
- That Macky really wanted to try Ethiopian food and led us on an expedition to find a restaurant?
- That the shady-looking "Kimchi All-U-Can-Eat" Korean BBQ place right next to the Riv was actually pretty nice inside?
- That many members of staff regularly stayed out until 6 am, and may or may not have been functional during the competition?
- That Nick Young taught me how to play Blackjack for the first time...
- ...and basically won me a net $100 for the trip?
- ...but we all really sucked at Pai Gow Poker?
- (NSFW) That Lars walked in on a couple engaged in fellatio in the elevator...
- ...but they didn't stop?
- That there is a hilarious video of two rather well-known cubers topless (these are guys) while sumo wrestling in front of the Riv (Chester was reffing)?
- ...and that they went for seven rounds?
- That Felix Lee is good at Ken-comboing me?
- ...but I am nearly as good at turnip-spamming right back?
- We played SSBM for hours every single night?
- That Chris Krueger will possibly find a way to stop a StackMat properly with hands/palms down, but still making a move on the cube as he finishes?
- That the Riv apparently doesn't clean their Penthouse suites...
- ...So 8 of us got booked into separate suites when we arrived, before being moved into the real Penthouse suite (which then got trashed by "score-checking parties")?
- Macky had cat-ears on during the latter half of Nationals...
- ...but was referred to as the "Bunny-Eared Man" by a journalist?
- I won three dinner bets...
- ...and collected at the Bellagio Buffet?
- ...which was 36.99 a person?
- ...and didn't even have lobster...
- ...but had amazing creme brulee and rack of lamb?
- It was 105-ish during the day, and 90 at 5:30 am when I wandered back from Circus Circus?
- that Berkeley might try to organize a Berkeley Fall on September 2 as a mini-Nats reunion?
- I popped during my footsolve and crammed a corner and an edge piece back into a really tight Zhanchi?
- We threw a frisbee around all the banquet rooms, but had to stop when I hit Dan Dzoan in the face?
- I got a combined 10ish hours of sleep from Wednesday night through the time of this posting?
- The entire Tabuchi family came?
- Daiki is even cuter than Aina?
- Jeremy's backpack was surreptitiously filled with ads for hookers and blow?
- ...and we still don't know who did it?
- The Las Vegas Convention Center event space makes the space we had at the Riv look small?
- Tyson's engagement was announced?
- I pulled a muscle on the first day and developed a really bad cough/sore throat from all the smoking/pollution, but still had to run and yell people's names...
- and the reason I was fidgeting as runner for 3x3 Finals was because my right leg was killing me?
- ...it still hurts?
- Whenever I leave the Bay Area for some random place and return, I appreciate how ridiculously spoiled we are here with our 75 degrees and clear summer days?
- Tim is a beast at results?
- A middle-aged Asian lady with quite a bit of make-up on ran up to the registration counter and asked us to marry her to a slightly older Asian gentleman...
- ...but asked in Chinese...
- ...meaning no one understood her?
- ...and when staff directed her to me because they couldn't understand her...
- ...she asked me if I could marry them?
- ...and when I said I couldn't, she dragged me to the Hotel Info desk to act as translator so that she could ask them to marry her and the gentleman?
- ...and that I eventually left them waiting expectantly for an official in front of the wedding chapel?
- Chester is a brilliant magician when drunk?
- ...because, among other reasons, he lampshades everything to great effect?

 

[Rubiks560]

More DYKS

Rowe thought Andrew won 1,000 two dollar bills?
Sarah fails at batt(?) poking me?
Thompson is a breaking dancing boss?
Kevin won't wear shoes when he solves because it limits his freedom?
I had reduction done on 6x6 at 1:06.xx and exploded?
Phil makes SEXY cubes?
I was being super cocky about killing Phil in head to head and then he beat me?
Magics are pointless but battcaging isn't?
I really need to learn my lessons about plus 2'ing?
I'm apparently skinnier in real life?
People always freaked out when they found out I was Chris Olson?

 

[Meep]

- (NSFW) That Lars walked in on a couple engaged in fellatio in the elevator...
- ...but they didn't stop?

That same thing happened to me at around 7am on Saturday; It might've been the same couple.

 

[uberCuber]

I had reduction done on 6x6 at 1:06.xx and exploded?

I feel like the time changes every time you tell this story

 

[ianography]

How did I do?

Spoiler: Did you know...

- AJ's first Gameboy Yellow was green?
- Breandan's L perm face is amazing?
- Justin Harder has awesome nails?
- Calvin should put his big stick away?
- Dan NARnelli?
- Thompson's favourite event is magic?
- Daniel Hayes had something for Jackson's mom?
- Jackson just learned that if you hold out your left hand it can form the letter L?
- Phillip Espinoza, Waris Ali, Chris Olson and Andy Tran were supposed to do a rap battle, but they all wussed out?
- AJ's mom is hilariously unsupportive of him?
- She asked him "What happened in 7x7?", when it was just a normal average for him?
- Victor (Pestvic) stole AJ's wheelchair?
- From far away, it looked like he was riding a segway?
- Andy Smith has bigger hands than me?
- Rowe chased me down a hallway and followed me into an elevator to give me a hug?
- Anthony and Weston doing team BLD is hilarious?
- Drunk Chester is best Chester?
- Chester should do a cover of "I don't wanna miss a thing"?
- His drunk conversations with Sinpei were absolutely hilarious?
- Sinpei laughs at everything Chester says?
- He wasn't offended when Chester kept saying "brindford" to him?
- He absolutely loves Chester's Pikachu doll?
- Chester gave me a creepy-looking Shrek 3 Baby doll that people won at Circus Circus?
- I went around tapping people on the shoulder and putting the doll right in front of their face?
- Brest had the brest reaction?
- At a restaurant, I had the Shrek doll on the table, and a little girl who was walking past our table saw it and stared at it, then turned around and walked the other way?
- Brest put the Shrek doll in his brest pocket?
- If he were to be the next Cubecast guest, it would be the second brest episode ever?
- Brest is always either smiling, laughing, or making brest jokes?
- You should see Brest naked?
- There are infinitely many ways to play with a BattPoke?
- Jackson is BattsMan?
- BattsCave?
- Premature BattsPokulation?
- I am taking full responsibility for providing Adam Zamora the best BattPoke?
- It is totally worth it because I now have his former purple one?
- I won a teddy bear from Tyson during 5x5x5?
- I named it 25 because of 5x5?
- I didn't know where to put 25, so I wore him on my head?
- I competed in 7x7x7 wearing it?
- I still kept it on my head even when I popped a few times?
- A reporter interviewed me about it, and he wrote down word-for-word my amazing story of "I had no idea where to put it, so I just put it on my head."?
- It started a whole trend of competing and judging with objects on your heads?
- There was a drunk guy holding a beer in his hand who walked into the venue and did a face-plant as he was going through the doors?
- He had a friend who quickly tried to drag him out before any of us saw, and failed?
- Chris Olson did a really good re-enactment of what happened?
- During the 64-person head-to-head, some of us were sabotaging each other's cubes since we scrambled our opponent's cubes?
- Cameron got up and left during our head-to-head round because I scrambled his cube with 8 move crosses on all sides?
- "Mods are at Nats, post ponies!"?
- Mini Zhanchi cores are sooooooo cute?
- "I have not failed. I've just found 2000 ways that won't work. TL;DR, I am Thomas Edison."?
- If you lift up a cage with a cat in it, the cat is still in it?
- dunnololguy, dunnololguywithbrokenwrists, armsoutguy, armsinguy are perfect Team BLD OLL code names?
- During Yes/No Team Bld, Jackson asked me "Clockwise or counterclockwise?"?
- I answered "…yes".
- When Donovan and I were doing Yes/No Team BLD, he asked "Is this white or yellow?"?
- I jokingly said "yes"?
- It was exactly what he meant, since he just wanted to know if it was white/yellow, not which one is was?
- "Frontwise" and "sidewise" make complete sense?
- I didn't realize I had a DNF single in the first found of every event (except 7x7 because I was actually taking it seriously) until Slater told me?
- Many giggles were had because I placed 69th in 2x2x2 in first round?
- Some parents burst out laughing during the OH seminar when Jeremy said to practice sexy moves?
- "He ordered 200 blacks and 200 whites from China" is very misleading to non-cubers?
- "What's a life? Isn't that a board game... or like, a cereal?"?
- I accidentally gave a Canadian quarter instead of an American quarter to someone and he was confused as to why there was a caribou on it?
- I suck at Melee?
- Elevator pranks are really fun?

I believe you forgot that Michael Womack is a better dancer than Calvin.

 

[mrpotatoman14]

DYK
Thompson can breakdance?
Battepoking?
Kevin 2x2?
I suck at cubing?
Thom's cat ears are even sexier in person?
Ian+Anthony+head to head=lol?
Edward Lin is a nice guy?
Green cross solvers rock; unless you're solving on Sarah's cube?
Holy **** Brest is awesome?
Ian likes Shanaynay?

 

[Tall5001]

DYK

I have never had so many breakout laughs in one weekend i think i lost weight from laughing so hard.
Rowe is actually really friendly when he is super drunk
Chester can do amazing magic tricks with cards
Rowe thought he was just scratching the picture off and painting a new one on really quickly
Phil Yu is hilarious and can tension a cube PERFECTLY
The new 42mm and 55mm Zhanchi's are awesome 55 for OH and 42 for playing around with
Icubemart didnt order/bring white and black 42mm zhanchis because they thought they would be competition illegal because they are too small
The cheapest place to eat in vegas was off of the McDonalds Dollar menu.
Jameson O'Connor partied so hard he missed 6 out of 12 events because he didnt wake up on friday morning
Felix Lee is really cool
Sarah started wearing things on her head and it was really fun to put stuffed animals on your head.
I joined the BattPoke Guild!!
Modding a defective BattPoke is actually really fun.
Master and Ultra BattPoke are going to replace Magic and Master Magic
3 gen stackmats bags are 2 times the size of the old bag and 10x nicer
for mosiac Austin, Justin, and I had to solve all 300 cubes to scramble them for our picture (Rhanza you suck)
Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise... Yes
Trying to do do a Yes No team blind only using Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise is a really dumb idea and nobody should ever try it
Brest is so obsessed with reconstructions he couldnt even go change for dinner without reconstructing the 6.15 for andrew

- There were a couple of new things we tried this year. Some worked, some didn't. What was your opinion on these changes? (e.g. T-shirt vendor, seminars, unofficial competition, etc. Especially the T-shirt vendor because that's a project I'm in charge of and I want to know your thoughts!)

T-Shirt vendor worked out awesome. I didnt like that there was a name plate for USA cubers and Internationals. I wanted one with EVERYONES name on it. But thats an idea for next year. but i liked have the option to buy the Preformance T because thats what I wear so now i have a Nationals shirt that is awesome.

Seminars were a cool idea. I never watched any of them because i was always off cubing somewhere else but i heard they were great

Unofficial competition was awesome!! Next year there needs to be more people helping Felix run it but it was super fun.

And lastly giving out Squishies and stuffed animals was an awesome idea!!

 

[Ranzha]

DYK
...
for mosiac Austin, Justin, and I had to solve all 300 cubes to scramble them for our picture (Rhanza you suck)

Hey, it wasn't my fault you even put solved cubes down in the wrong orientation.
Also, we hadn't time to test the scrambles.
Also, Austin did a lot of the scrambles, too.

Btw, it was supposed to look like this:

Spoiler

EDIT: Based on this: http://royalflush.in.nation2.com/images/royal-flush.jpg

 

[Tyson]

Spoiler

Thanks to everyone for coming out. Your bravery and dedication in the face of blistering hot temperatures of 90 degrees at 3 am was not unnoticed.

I do have a couple of questions I'm looking for serious answers to:
- There were a couple of new things we tried this year. Some worked, some didn't. What was your opinion on these changes? (e.g. T-shirt vendor, seminars, unofficial competition, etc. Especially the T-shirt vendor because that's a project I'm in charge of and I want to know your thoughts!)
- Did anyone find my camera? It's a really old Sony point-and-shoot with a slidey front-plate that has a bunch of pictures of me on it. It also has a sticker with my name on it on the front.
- How did a ton of people find out about the penthouse suite last night? It was supposed to be a score-checking staff gathering, but we somehow got a ton of random people.
- How many hours of sleep did you get from Thursday to Monday?

Some DYK's I suppose:
- That watching Sarah stick a baby Shrek doll in people's faces was more amusing than it should have been.
- That Stefan and I played Squishie Cube basketball...
- ...and that he is much better at it than I am?
- That Southwest lost my luggage, so I was without clothes, cubes, or contacts the first night and second day?
- That Macky really wanted to try Ethiopian food and led us on an expedition to find a restaurant?
- That the shady-looking "Kimchi All-U-Can-Eat" Korean BBQ place right next to the Riv was actually pretty nice inside?
- That many members of staff regularly stayed out until 6 am, and may or may not have been functional during the competition?
- That Nick Young taught me how to play Blackjack for the first time...
- ...and basically won me a net $100 for the trip?
- ...but we all really sucked at Pai Gow Poker?
- (NSFW) That Lars walked in on a couple engaged in fellatio in the elevator...
- ...but they didn't stop?
- That there is a hilarious video of two rather well-known cubers topless (these are guys) while sumo wrestling in front of the Riv (Chester was reffing)?
- ...and that they went for seven rounds?
- That Felix Lee is good at Ken-comboing me?
- ...but I am nearly as good at turnip-spamming right back?
- We played SSBM for hours every single night?
- That Chris Krueger will possibly find a way to stop a StackMat properly with hands/palms down, but still making a move on the cube as he finishes?
- That the Riv apparently doesn't clean their Penthouse suites...
- ...So 8 of us got booked into separate suites when we arrived, before being moved into the real Penthouse suite (which then got trashed by "score-checking parties")?
- Macky had cat-ears on during the latter half of Nationals...
- ...but was referred to as the "Bunny-Eared Man" by a journalist?
- I won three dinner bets...
- ...and collected at the Bellagio Buffet?
- ...which was 36.99 a person?
- ...and didn't even have lobster...
- ...but had amazing creme brulee and rack of lamb?
- It was 105-ish during the day, and 90 at 5:30 am when I wandered back from Circus Circus?
- that Berkeley might try to organize a Berkeley Fall on September 2 as a mini-Nats reunion?
- I popped during my footsolve and crammed a corner and an edge piece back into a really tight Zhanchi?
- We threw a frisbee around all the banquet rooms, but had to stop when I hit Dan Dzoan in the face?
- I got a combined 10ish hours of sleep from Wednesday night through the time of this posting?
- The entire Tabuchi family came?
- Daiki is even cuter than Aina?
- Jeremy's backpack was surreptitiously filled with ads for hookers and blow?
- ...and we still don't know who did it?
- The Las Vegas Convention Center event space makes the space we had at the Riv look small?
- Tyson's engagement was announced?
- I pulled a muscle on the first day and developed a really bad cough/sore throat from all the smoking/pollution, but still had to run and yell people's names...
- and the reason I was fidgeting as runner for 3x3 Finals was because my right leg was killing me?
- ...it still hurts?
- Whenever I leave the Bay Area for some random place and return, I appreciate how ridiculously spoiled we are here with our 75 degrees and clear summer days?
- Tim is a beast at results?
- A middle-aged Asian lady with quite a bit of make-up on ran up to the registration counter and asked us to marry her to a slightly older Asian gentleman...
- ...but asked in Chinese...
- ...meaning no one understood her?
- ...and when staff directed her to me because they couldn't understand her...
- ...she asked me if I could marry them?
- ...and when I said I couldn't, she dragged me to the Hotel Info desk to act as translator so that she could ask them to marry her and the gentleman?
- ...and that I eventually left them waiting expectantly for an official in front of the wedding chapel?
- Chester is a brilliant magician when drunk?
- ...because, among other reasons, he lampshades everything to great effect?

To add to Vincent's thought, we do a lot of work and we're always looking for help. If you are interested in being a part of our staff, please contact one of the organizers or staff members.

 

[ianography]

Oh yeah, I should probably do a DYK myself.

Spoiler: Did You Know?

- All of my cubes are terrible?
- Sarah is an awesome caller?
- Anthony Brooks + Me = lololololololololololol?
- Chris Olsen sucks at 2x2?
- John Brekon?
- Johnathon Brechonathon?
- My 9.21 single deserved a stuffed toy?
- Everybody is short?
- Justin Thomas is really short?
- Blake Thompson is even shorter?
- Even with name tags, I didn't know who anybody was?
- Roger is amazing?
- Nathaniel circumcised Roger on accident?
- I can't cube?
- I got a 1:00.36 4x4 average in round one when I normally average 46 seconds?
- Minecraft?
- I am not only going to get skin cancer, but also lung cancer?
- I now hate Vegas?
- Justin Mallari ruined my old ZhanChi?
- I'm more awkward than I thought I was before?
- My Shrek doll is now my cat's play toy?
- Mitch Lane's voice is actually higher than I thought it was?
- Edward Lin's choice of music for Finals sucked?
- Call Me Maybe, C is for Cookie, and Cubing Music by Michael Womack all would have been better choices?
- I need to learn to not use new cubes in competition?
- Janelle is still tiny?
- Tons of team BLD makes Ian a happy boy?
- Eric Zhao loses EVERYTHING?
- I'm not exaggerating about EVERYTHING?
- Eric found at least 11 emeralds in Minecraft while mining?
- I can't mod?
- Once I touch a cube, it becomes complete s***?
- People need to stop taking my cubes?
- People mooing my crazy foot cube is hilarious?
- Mitchypoo?
- SON OF A MITCH?
- Stop being so Mitchy?
- Mitch please?
- Everybody missed the last seminar, which was the best in my opinion?
- Austin disappeared randomly the entire time?
- I can't 4x4?
- I spent a collective time of an hour and a half on the Internet the entire competition, a new personal best?

I might come up with a few other ones later.

 

[uberCuber]

I'M LIKE 5'9" GO AWAY AND MAKE FUN OF JANELLE

 

[timspurfan]

Such an awesome competition.
It was great seeing all of you again! I was looking forward to this all summer and I'm so glad it was THIS awesome.

I'm still here until Tuesday evening, so if anyone's sticking around for a few more days, let's cube and stuff.

I'll post DYKs when I get home. I have A LOT.


edit: I forgot to mention that I lost my stackmat timer Friday night. It has my name on the back. If you have it, please let me know.

UHH I think I have your timer...and I think you have my Zhanchi :/
I'm here till Wednesday night, but tomorrow I'll be at the Grand Canyon all day...how shall we settle this?

 

[ianography]

I'M LIKE 5'9" GO AWAY AND MAKE FUN OF JANELLE

Mitch please

 

[Daniel Wu]

One thing I really missed this year was the screen. The last two Nats had it and I missed seeing all the times posted up on the screen. Other than that though it was a really amazing competition. Except I missed OH semis because I didn't think a high 21 average would make top 32 and it ended up putting me in 32nd place. Oops.

 

[Cool Frog]

DYK

-I lost my wallet on the plane back home, and cared more that I lost the stickers Thom gave me more than the $40 I had in it?
-My fingernails made it to the newyork times?
-I found Optimal LL for my second FMC solve
-Thom gives pretty good hugs
- Brest learns algs by reconstructing solves
- There is a sexy alg for noswap FRURUF
- 2/4 Roux users made it to finals
- Everyone loves Rainbow cube
- Brest has terrible judgement on finding places to eat
- Brest is very good at insertions (It is how he got his wife)
- Brest reconstructs dirty videos
- Mitch makes the funniest face when you tell him you don't use OLLCP in your solves.
- stickers
- Going out for a smoke is actually called "Going out for a Wank"
- A salad bar is basically a salad buffet except you can't eat all you want for one set price.
- When your shoe is untied you suffered from a blowout
- Apparently flipping two edges on a pentaminx is frowned upon.
- So is doing a + center 3 cycle on a pentaminx
- Lars Petrus didn't get a sub 20 avg 5... so I didn't get a rubiks plushie
- I have Thom's Sandwich wrapper that he threw onto the floor
- CPcatapilla has a WHOLE new meaning


More later

 

[Tyson]

One thing I really missed this year was the screen. The last two Nats had it and I missed seeing all the times posted up on the screen. Other than that though it was a really amazing competition. Except I missed OH semis because I didn't think a high 21 average would make top 32 and it ended up putting me in 32nd place. Oops.

Yeah, so did we. Charges at the hotel for putting up a screen/renting a projector would have been pretty outrageous. It would have been cheaper to buy a projector. We looked at the cost of projecting results up on a screen and it just wasn't going to happen. As you can see, it was bare bones in terms of A/V, and the microphones that we had worked well with good sound.

Having a screen would have increased out A/V costs by a multiplier of about 10.

 

[Anthony]

DYK

$600
$1,000
6'5 250
178th
Sub-10
245 lbs ≠ 14 stone
McKayla Maroney+Kian
Jamaicans
Tattoo
Sumo
Lighting a Cig
Hays is comfy
Weston hogs blankets
Bald
21 in Vegas
Good times at night ≠ good times in the morning
Rowe Hessler still wins
just do lots of solves
Ricci's tps is stupid fast
Audience members don't clap for 9s anymore...not even when it's one handed.
Koreans
cat ears

 

[Weston]

DYK

Waris is one of the funniest people in the world
Taco Bell diet is a thing
Worlds with Kevin Hays will be fun
The British pub restaurant asks if you would like "chips or fries"
Hays is comfy
Anthony hogs blankets
Some people don't know who had the 3x3 WR before Erik, or that Rowe used to do MBLD
Thom is scary when he's jumping on you
Cheers
There are too many people that I don't know of who are fast at OH

 

[Daniel Wu]

Yeah, so did we. Charges at the hotel for putting up a screen/renting a projector would have been pretty outrageous. It would have been cheaper to buy a projector. We looked at the cost of projecting results up on a screen and it just wasn't going to happen. As you can see, it was bare bones in terms of A/V, and the microphones that we had worked well with good sound.

Having a screen would have increased out A/V costs by a multiplier of about 10.

Yeah I figured it was a cost issue. Same for wifi access I'm assuming. I image that would have been fairly cost intensive as well. Small sacrifices for the location though.

 

[Tyson]

Yeah I figured it was a cost issue. Same for wifi access I'm assuming. I image that would have been fairly cost intensive as well. Small sacrifices for the location though.

Lol... you don't even want to know the cost of Wifi... it would cost us something like $50 per person.