Rubik’s cube competitions take hold in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Competitions in which participants race to solve Rubik’s cubes with their eyes closed or even with their feet have become popular in Utah nearly four decades after the puzzle was first introduced in the U.S.
KSL-TV reports 12-year-old Eric Pesci and his 10-year-old sister, Claire Pesci, were two of more than 100 participants at last month’s Megacomp. The annual state speedcubing competition attracts those who can solve Rubik’s cubes and other puzzles in a matter of seconds.
Eric Pesci came in first place in an event involving a 2×2 cube.
Cubing competitions have attracted a growing number of Utah residents over the years, including Megacomp organizer and Salt Lake City high school student Calvin Nielsen. The teen was ranked ninth in the U.S. out of competitors in Skewb, a puzzle similar to a Rubik’s cube.
Erno Rubik invented the Rubik’s cube in 1974.