Day 1, Saturday (2/24)

Saturday's events will be held in the Valley Life Science Building (VLSB) room 2060.

Day 2, Sunday (2/25)

Sunday's events will be held in Pauley Ballroom. On Sunday, we will be holding events on two stages. Note the schedule for each:

Main Stage

Side Stage

For those of you new to cubing, WELCOME!

We wanted to let you know this event is perfectly fine for cubers of any age and experience. We just ask you know a couple things before coming to compete...

First, please be familiar with the WCA Regulations, found here:
https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/

Of course, those regulations contain a lot of legalese, so we have a video made specifically for new cubers, just to show them the basics of competing. This video will explain most of what any cuber competing for the first time will need to know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPL3eV-A0ww&t=2s

If you have any questions after this video, we will be having a new competitor tutorial, Saturday morning of the competition. That would be the perfect time to ask those questions and clear up any confusion.

If you are stoked to compete and ready to sign up, head over to the registration tab, click register, and fill out the information it asks for. This will help you get set up the WCA's system and one step closer to your first official solve!

Q&A:

Q: Do I use my own cube to compete?

A: YES! You are responsible for your own hardware in order to compete, however, we will have a vendor at this competition, from which you can buy puzzles if your current ones have seen better days.

Q: What is the normal age of competitors at these events?

A: All ages are welcome, but in general competitors are between 10 and 20 years old. Don't let this stop you though, everyone can and should cube!

Q: What is the competition like?

A; Competitions are a bunch of tables where nerds like us get to sit and discuss our favorite thing, Cubes! Of course in addition there is competing, which will occupy one side of the competition hall, where you will see lots of timers flickering with contestants new personal bests, and a vendor, where you can purchase all you cubing related needs. Most competitions have a break for lunch, and the competing is split up into heats, as to better organize who competes when. (Check the Groups tab and listen at the competition for more info on this.)

Q: How do I find results?

A: All results are posted on the WCA page a couple of days after the competition finishes. However, for the day of competing, go to Cubecomps.com to find information about current events. This is also where you will find information about 2nd and 3rd rounds of events.

Q: Why am I not on the registration list yet?

A: Make sure you pay you entrance fee in order to be automatically placed on the registered list, which will also guarantee you a spot in the competition. If payment may be any issue, or you are not sure if you can attend, use the contact button to talk to us, and see if we can work out another payment strategy, or have you pay on arrival at the compeition. No matter what you situation may be however, please register online. It is much easier for us to have you register now and pay later, then to have to input information at another time.

Q: Are there age divisions?

A: Nope! All cometitors compete in the same group.

Q: Can I have fun at this event?

A: HECK YES! Cubing is amazing, and we sincerely hope you enjoy the competition!

Day 1: 4x4, 5x5, 3BLD, Megaminx, Square-1, FMC

The first day of the competition will be run by Jonathan Cookmeyer and Ryan Jew. The competition venue for the first day is the Valley Life Science Building (VLSB) room 2060 on the Berkeley campus. If you enter the east side of the building, the room is on the left. Be aware that parking will likely be in short supply the whole weekend. Using public transit (buses and BART both get you near campus) could be a good idea.

Staff Competition

After all of the scheduled events have finished, staff members may complete their Day 2 Round 1 solves. Those who are normally not a staff member may request to join the staff for this competition. Anyone who elects to participate must agree to the following contract:
"By participating in the Berkeley Winter 2018 Staff Competition, I agree to fulfill judging and/or scrambling duties for the entirety of Berkeley Winter 2018's second day, on February 25th, 2018, as prescribed by the organization team. If I fail to fulfill my judging and/or scrambling duties, I understand that I forfeit my results under penalty of WCA regulations 1e2 and 1f2."

FAQs

Q: Do I have to show up if I'm not doing any of these events?
A: No. If you aren't competing in FMC, Megaminx, Square-1 or 3x3 Blindfolded, then you only have to come on Sunday.

Q: Can I do staff comp if I'm not competing on Saturday?
A: Yes, but please make sure that the organizers will accept you as a staff member first.

Day 2: 3x3, 2x2, OH, Pyra, Skewb, Feet, 6x6, 7x7

Information: Stuff You Must Know

Pre competition:

• READ AND UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS: Especially if you’re a first time competitor, this can potentially save you much time and grief. Particularly pay attention to Article A, 2, 3, and 10.
• Prepare accordingly for travel. The competition venue is Pauley Ballroom in Berkeley, located on the top floor of the Martin Luther King Student Union on Bancroft and Telegraph. Be aware that parking will likely be in short supply the whole weekend. Public transit (buses and BART both get you near campus) could be a good idea.
• IMPORTANT Competitors under 18 years of age (born after 2/26/2000) MUST fill out this form and bring it with them to the competition. If you do not bring this form, you might not allowed to compete.

First steps:

• Since you’ve registered online, all you need to do is show up on time for your first event. You do not need to check in upon arrival; however, if you’re not on time and miss the last call for that event, you will not be able to compete for that event. Missing any given event does not bar you from competing in subsequent events (but does bar you from competing in subsequent rounds of events you missed).
• You will be called in alphabetical order by first name for each event. The live announcement page will also be updated with the latest name called for the event in progress, so be sure to be paying attention to that. When you are called up, bring your solved cube and place it on the sheet of paper with your name with it at the scrambling station. Then wait in the competitor waiting area on stage to be called.
• You will be staying at one station for the complete duration of your average.

Side Stage

• Sunday includes a side stage for competitors to compete in 6x6 and 7x7. If you wish to compete in those events, bring your cubes up at any time during the allotted time period. The reason the allotted time is so large to allow competitors to pick a time that is most convenient for them, so please make sure you only submit your cube when you have free time and NOT right before or during an event on the main stage.

General

• Please don’t trash the venue. This has been an issue in the past; we are an on campus student organization and are at the mercy of campus administration, so we need to take care of the venue to ensure future access. And of course, it’s the right thing to do.
• No flash photography. It’s obviously very distracting to competitors.
• Stay at least 1.5 meters away from the front edge of the competition tables. Standing too close is distracting and frequently makes it hard for staff to get to where they need to go, which slows the competition down. ‘
• Regarding questions during the competition: do not ask staff first. They are very busy trying to make the event run smoothly (if they aren’t, then they should be). First check the live announcements, cubecomps, the WCA regulations, or the info/sales table.
• If none of these answer your question, the info table people will find you an organizer or delegate.

Regarding volunteering:

• If we need more volunteering help, we will ask. If you wish to judge or scramble, please be familiar with the regulations.

Too Long; Didn't Read

Know the regs, show up on time, don’t need to check in, and be respectful of competitors by staying 1.5 meters away from competition stations and not using flash photography

FAQs

Q: Will there be a cube store?
A: Yes, the Berkeley Cube Club will be selling cubes.
Q: When do I show up?
A: Please be at the venue and ready to compete at least 15 minutes before your first event is scheduled to begin. We may get ahead of the schedule and start rounds early.
Q: Is there a general admission price if I am not competing?
A: There is no cost to spectate; the competition is open to the public. However, note that the room will be crowded, and again, we ask that competitors keep the number of guests they bring to a minimum.
Q: When should I leave the competition?
A: You are allowed to enter and leave the competition as you wish. If you are finished competing for the day, you do not need to stay at the competition.
Q: What do I do if I want to drop or add an event?
A: If you wish to drop an event from your registration, please email us, or let us know at the data entry table during the competition. You will not be refunded any money if you drop events. Unfortunately, due to our tight schedule, we are unable to add events to competitors’ registrations.
Q: I cannot attend this competition. What should I do?
A: If you cannot attend this competition after all, please send us an email saying so. Please ensure that you include your name and WCA ID in the body of the email.

We will be using groups on Sunday for the following events: 3x3, 2x2, OH, Pyraminx, and Skewb. Heat information can be found here and will also be posted on the day of the events.

For those unfamiliar, each competitor is assigned to a group for each of the above events. During the competition, competitors will be called up by that group. For example, "Now calling 3x3 Group D" means all competitors who have been assigned group D for 3x3 are up to compete and should bring their cube ASAP to the scrambling station. This also allows competitors to better know when they will be competing as groups are called in alphabetical order.