This seems fun. I think 6BLD was Chris. I think you're right about 8 and 9, not sure about 7. I checked the 6x6+ BLD thread but it doesn't seem to list dates, not sure where else to check.
7 was a huge race that happened right after V-cubes got released. Several people did it in the first couple of months (including Istvan). I got lucky and got a success on my second try, just a few days after my cubes arrived.