I met Tyson Mao

[TheChaiCuber]

I won't specify where exactly but its inferable that I met Tyson Mao somewhere in San Francisco (since that's the city in my Bio). Like my dumb self, I had no idea who he was because I've never been in a competition before (I would like to someday). He introduced himself to me after seeing my cube on the dinner table and I was at a loss for words. I really was scared to talk to him at all because I had no idea what to say, what to ask. After a very awkward conversation in my opinion we went back to our dinners and my friends were all freaking out saying "go talk to him again, get his number, say goodbye to him after we finish eating etc.". But my introverted self totally swerved away from this action and I left the restaurant without any further communication with him.

5 minutes later I was looking back at what transpired and I realized it was possible from Tyson's perspective that I was a total jerk who didn't care who he was. In reality I was freaking out in my mind I just didn't portray it because I didn't know how to. I regret not talking to him more, maybe get to know him or talk about competitions I could go to in the future near the bay area.

So stupid what I did. But if you ever read this Tyson, know that I would love to meet with you again (even if you are retired). I won't forget that experience however awkward it may be.

 

[G2013]

Aaaaaah hopefully I met a known cuber like that... it's ok if you didn't know who he was When I play the 'wow you are fast' prank to people, they don't realise is too.
Very often I find new cubers in my town, on the underground, even on a plane once... and I tell them: wow, you solve the magic cube (cubo mágico, in Spanish, that's how non-cuber call it) really quickly (even if the person uses basic beginners with lots of extra moves and is slow)! after a while acting to be amazed: Could you let me scramble it? Then I try to look like a non-cuber, scrambling with the whole hands and no fingertricks. I let the person solve the cube. Then I say: ok let me do it. I trust myself. I will do it, of course, laughs in between.
Then the person hopefully agrees to give me a try, then I solve it quickly with Fridrich and full PLL and OLL in 15-18 secs counting inspection (I average 12 so it's fine). Then the person freaks out and luckily they don't run away. xD I could be the NR, CR, or WR of 3x3 and they wouldn't know until I solve the 'magic cube'.

No one knows everything

 

[TheChaiCuber]

Aaaaaah hopefully I met a known cuber like that... it's ok if you didn't know who he was When I play the 'wow you are fast' prank to people, they don't realise is too.
Very often I find new cubers in my town, on the underground, even on a plane once... and I tell them: wow, you solve the magic cube (cubo mágico, in Spanish, that's how non-cuber call it) really quickly (even if the person uses basic beginners with lots of extra moves and is slow)! after a while acting to be amazed: Could you let me scramble it? Then I try to look like a non-cuber, scrambling with the whole hands and no fingertricks. I let the person solve the cube. Then I say: ok let me do it. I trust myself. I will do it, of course, laughs in between.
Then the person hopefully agrees to give me a try, then I solve it quickly with Fridrich and full PLL and OLL in 15-18 secs counting inspection (I average 12 so it's fine). Then the person freaks out and luckily they don't run away. xD I could be the NR, CR, or WR of 3x3 and they wouldn't know until I solve the 'magic cube'.

No one knows everything

Haha I've never had that encounter and I'm not even sure how fast Tyson is (he did mention he was the blindfold WR holder for a while at 1:58), however he did stay humble and mention that he was not a fast speed cuber for 3x3. Idk if he was trying to be nice to me or something xD. anyway it would be cool to meet someone other than myself actually cubing in public, and it would be cooler to meet someone faster than me because other than video that hasn't happened. I average 15-16 seconds (so close to sub-15!) and I hope that a comp will be close by so I can attend for the first time!

 

[TMarshall]

I won't specify where exactly but its inferable that I met Tyson Mao somewhere in San Francisco (since that's the city in my Bio). Like my dumb self, I had no idea who he was because I've never been in a competition before (I would like to someday). He introduced himself to me after seeing my cube on the dinner table and I was at a loss for words. I really was scared to talk to him at all because I had no idea what to say, what to ask. After a very awkward conversation in my opinion we went back to our dinners and my friends were all freaking out saying "go talk to him again, get his number, say goodbye to him after we finish eating etc.". But my introverted self totally swerved away from this action and I left the restaurant without any further communication with him.

5 minutes later I was looking back at what transpired and I realized it was possible from Tyson's perspective that I was a total jerk who didn't care who he was. In reality I was freaking out in my mind I just didn't portray it because I didn't know how to. I regret not talking to him more, maybe get to know him or talk about competitions I could go to in the future near the bay area.

So stupid what I did. But if you ever read this Tyson, know that I would love to meet with you again (even if you are retired). I won't forget that experience however awkward it may be.

He had the same piano teacher as me, and my teacher let me meet him once I learned a really hard piece. He then came over, we talked for an hour or so, exchanged emails, and then he gave me a ton of his old puzzles. I told him that basc 6 was coming up, which turned into a hilarious story. They talked about it on the cubecast podcast, so listen to the episode where they mention it (idk exactly which episode, I'll edit this post later with the link)

 

[Berd]

I wish I met someone fast unexpectedly, it would be really cool!

 

[Tyson]

Hey, haha... don't worry. I didn't think you were a jerk at all. I actually have no expectations that someone knows who I am. The story is that we were doing The Real Escape Game (the time traveling lab) in San Francisco. It's one of those puzzle rooms that they lock you in and you have to escape. We had a pretty baller team... including myself, we had:

my brother, Toby and his wife, Ambie
Dan and Chris Dzoan
Vincent Sheu (his girlfriend Angela who doesn't really cube)
and the one and only Lars Petrus

It was a pretty cube heavy team. We managed to escape, and then decided to walk across the street for dinner. Vincent saw you with the cube and pointed it out to me, and I saw you do D2 with the left ring and pinky finger so I knew you were fast.

Regarding 3x3x3, I've been known for being really slow at the 3x3x3 for someone who's in my position. I think I've probably... if you look at the history of WCA Board Members, been the slowest person who has ever been on the WCA Board. I'm so slow at the cube that when I won the Denver Open in 2008, Stefan Pochmann decided to do data analysis on the "easiest" competitions to win, because if Tyson can win a competition, then it must be really easy to win.

Anyway, good to meet you. I think we might have some interest in doing another puzzle escape room sometime. I'll let you know when we do, and if you're free, you're more than welcome to join.

He had the same piano teacher as me, and my teacher let me meet him once I learned a really hard piece. He then came over, we talked for an hour or so, exchanged emails, and then he gave me a ton of his old puzzles. I told him that basc 6 was coming up, which turned into a hilarious story. They talked about it on the cubecast podcast, so listen to the episode where they mention it (idk exactly which episode, I'll edit this post later with the link)

Yup. I think I was moving at the time, and so I was trying to get rid of stuff. You got the box of "old cube stuff that I hardly touch." A lot of those items have stories. Not sure if I gave you the Megaminx Crystal, but that was a gift to me from David Calvo (Spanish cuber) when he came and stayed in my apartment when I lived in New York City.

 

[TheChaiCuber]

Hey, haha... don't worry. I didn't think you were a jerk at all. I actually have no expectations that someone knows who I am. The story is that we were doing The Real Escape Game (the time traveling lab) in San Francisco. It's one of those puzzle rooms that they lock you in and you have to escape. We had a pretty baller team... including myself, we had:

my brother, Toby and his wife, Ambie
Dan and Chris Dzoan
Vincent Sheu (his girlfriend Angela who doesn't really cube)
and the one and only Lars Petrus

It was a pretty cube heavy team. We managed to escape, and then decided to walk across the street for dinner. Vincent saw you with the cube and pointed it out to me, and I saw you do D2 with the left ring and pinky finger so I knew you were fast.

Regarding 3x3x3, I've been known for being really slow at the 3x3x3 for someone who's in my position. I think I've probably... if you look at the history of WCA Board Members, been the slowest person who has ever been on the WCA Board. I'm so slow at the cube that when I won the Denver Open in 2008, Stefan Pochmann decided to do data analysis on the "easiest" competitions to win, because if Tyson can win a competition, then it must be really easy to win.

Anyway, good to meet you. I think we might have some interest in doing another puzzle escape room sometime. I'll let you know when we do, and if you're free, you're more than welcome to join.

Dang for someone who's retired you sure hang around the forums at the "right" times jk jk. Was awesome meeting you.


Coolio

 

[pjk]

Hey, haha... don't worry. I didn't think you were a jerk at all. I actually have no expectations that someone knows who I am. The story is that we were doing The Real Escape Game (the time traveling lab) in San Francisco. It's one of those puzzle rooms that they lock you in and you have to escape. We had a pretty baller team... including myself, we had:

my brother, Toby and his wife, Ambie
Dan and Chris Dzoan
Vincent Sheu (his girlfriend Angela who doesn't really cube)
and the one and only Lars Petrus

It was a pretty cube heavy team. We managed to escape, and then decided to walk across the street for dinner. Vincent saw you with the cube and pointed it out to me, and I saw you do D2 with the left ring and pinky finger so I knew you were fast.

Regarding 3x3x3, I've been known for being really slow at the 3x3x3 for someone who's in my position. I think I've probably... if you look at the history of WCA Board Members, been the slowest person who has ever been on the WCA Board. I'm so slow at the cube that when I won the Denver Open in 2008, Stefan Pochmann decided to do data analysis on the "easiest" competitions to win, because if Tyson can win a competition, then it must be really easy to win.

Anyway, good to meet you. I think we might have some interest in doing another puzzle escape room sometime. I'll let you know when we do, and if you're free, you're more than welcome to join.

Those Escape games are fun, apparently they're sweeping the world right now? Are they big in the US? There are 2,500 of them in the world now. I went to one in Singapore a bit tipsy with 4 others, and completely failed. If one person messes something up it makes it nearly impossible to crack. Sounds like you had a baller team though, and I'm guessing sober?

Was the Denver Open 2008 the easiest competition to win based off Stefan's analysis? I never saw this, but I'm curious.

 

[biscuit]

My church youth group's leaders made one of those escape room things (on a smaller scale) they put a ton of work into it, and it paid off. I'd imagine it's not on the same level as one of the commercial ones, but even it was really fun.

 

[Dene]

Lol what a thread. @OP btw you can look up how fast Tyson is on his WCA profile. It's not as if the information is hiding.

Also totes hilarious that little did he know he was in a room full of cubing legends, by the sounds of it.

 

[TheChaiCuber]

Lol what a thread. @OP btw you can look up how fast Tyson is on his WCA profile. It's not as if the information is hiding.

Also totes hilarious that little did he know he was in a room full of cubing legends, by the sounds of it.

You're right. Only person I knew from his reply was Petrus, and I didn't recognize him because I've never searched a picture of him. Well now I know all of them, lol


Coolio