Freshman discovers passion for speedcubing

Some people say the solution to life’s greatest mysteries lies in the palm of your hand. For freshman Arin Chang, this phrase comes quite literally.

For the past three years, Chang has been training to decrease his Rubik’s cube completion time. With his fastest time of 9.47 seconds, Chang has reached a level of proficiency nearing professional.

Chang’s interest in the hobby began three years ago while he was surfing the Internet.

When he saw a few videos of people solving the cube on YouTube, he became more and more interested. Seeing people solve the cube at such great speeds inspired him to do the same.

To begin with however, he learned the specific algorithm required to solve the cube, one that consists of multiple mathematically accurate twists and turns that slowly place each colored piece into their correct positions. By watching videos and and practicing, he began to solve the cube faster and slowly decreased his speed each time.

To train, he often practices with his friends; together, they share tips and tricks.

“To be honest, it is really hard to find friends who do the Rubik’s cube,” Chang said. “I meet people through participating in competitions, and they often motivate me to get faster and better.”

Chang attributes most of his success in cubing to these friends. But over time, he said he has lost interest in the competitive aspect of the sport and has learned to appreciate the lighthearted pleasure of the puzzle. Today, he said he isn’t cubing for a world record time but as a distraction from his busy life.

Although Chang sees solving Rubik’s cubes as a mere hobby, he has competed in several Bay Area competitions. Last February, he attended the Berkeley Winter Competition for Rubik's-cubers of all ages and placed fifth with an average time of 10.5 seconds.

“Competitions get nerve-wracking when you become very advanced in speedsolving,” Chang said. “The faster you are, the more pressure you have to do well and beat others.”

Chang isn’t far off from breaking the record of 5.55 seconds,  set by 15-year-old Collin Burns of Pennsylvania in May. However, when coming close, he always seems to fall short of the final product.

“I used to really want to break the world record when I was younger, but now it’s getting more and more competitive,” Chang said. “[With] more talented people emerging, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to break [the world record].”

When he began solving the cube years ago, he never could have guessed he would ever become this good at it.

Still, he said, cubing is “mainly about meeting new people and having fun.”