The Carrot

(TORONTO) – 12 year old Nick Kalman excitedly unveiled his revolutionary new solving method at the Canadian Open last Saturday to an audience of Canada’s best cubers. Asked about the story behind the method, Kalman explained “I started cubing a few months ago, and learned about this method called ‘Fredrich’ or something, that’s supposed to make you faster. I looked it up, and it was just hundreds of algorithms. I tried memorizing them, but it was too hard. So I started playing around with other ways instead, and came up with a new way to do F2L.”

Kalman’s new method eschews the traditional cross and involves building blocks of adjacent pieces until two layers are solved. “I think this method really has potential. I haven’t figured out all the algorithms yet, but I’m sure it’s capable of sub-20 times. Everybody starts with a cross; this method is very unique.”

Other cubers are less inclined to agree with that statement. American cuber Dae Young Yoon commented, “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be switching from Fridrich, but this really isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. It’s just another block building method. You could just use Petrus.”

Lars Petrus of Sweden could not be reached for comment. His eponymous method is well established and has been used by many to solve the cube for the first time.

F and N perms also banned

(SYDNEY) – IN an unprecedented move by WCA officials Saturday, the execution of several PLL algorithms were outlawed effective immediately. Citing difficulty in execution, Ron van Bruchem banned all G, F and N permutations. Consequently, all solve attempts finishing with one of these permutations are now automatically considered solved.

Feliks Zemdegs of Australia promptly set new world records in the 3×3 speedsolve event with a 3.55 second single and 5.79 second average in the first round of the Sydney Open on Saturday morning. “Two of my solves ended in G perms, and another one was an N perm,” said the record holder, whose records are now even more unapproachable by mere mortals. “It’s like getting free PLL skips!”

Andrew Nelson of the United States, co-founder of “Who Does the F-perm?”, the campaign to outlaw the F perm started in 2008, is thrilled that his movement has gained international acceptance and legitimacy. “For the past three years, I’ve only known 20 PLLs,” said Nelson, who refuses to accept the existence of the F perm. “Now I can forget even more of them.” He did note the irony that Michael Bennett, the other co-founder of “Who Does the F-perm?”, is one of the few people who cannot realize the full advantage of this new regulation. Bennett uses the Roux method, which does not deal with PLL at all unless certain steps happen to be skipped. Bennett could not be reached for comment, and there is speculation that he is on permanent vacation in his homeland, the landlocked island of Smerbia.

Not all cubers are as enthusiastic about the ban. American cuber Daniel Hayes is ignorant of PLL names. He deals with the new regulation by assuming all his PLLs are G perms and stops solving. “I’ve set a new personal best, but my DNF rate has skyrocketed,” he said.

WCA Board member Tyson Mao seems hesitant about the new change and subsequent loophole allowing the new world records. “I don’t want to formally recognize these new times as world records until after all the kinks have been ironed out. This is the first time we’re allowing unsolved cubes as a valid solved state.” But as news of Zemdegs’s record spread, Mao dreads dealing with the fallout that would occur if the recognition were rescinded. “Clearly, we didn’t think this through,” he said.