The World Cube Association has seen considerable growth in the last few years - particularly in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.! We are trying our best to host as many competitions as our collective volunteer effort can handle (check out what might be coming up here!).

We take much pride in being able to host so many competitions in our free time, but so frequently these competitions reach their respective competitor limits. This means that competitors are often missing out on competitions because they are too late to register. Morever, newer competitors sometimes struggle to advance beyond initial rounds due to strict advancements - and especially strict cutoffs and time limits in the less common events. To address these challenges, we introduce Pretzel Mania, a competition format designed to foster inclusivity and offer ample opportunities for all participants.

Thanks to our strong partnership with the venue, centrally located relative to key areas of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, we can accommodate up to 500 competitors! This expansive space allows us to set generous cutoffs, time limits, and round advancements, ensuring a rewarding experience for all skill levels. This event provides an opportunity for such a sizable portion of our community to come together and spend the weekend sharing our passion of speedcubing!

Pretzel Mania aims to be a welcoming environment for newcomers and seasoned cubers alike. Our dedicated team of unpaid volunteers is committed to realizing this vision, despite the considerable resources required. Rest assured, we spare no effort or cost in making this event a resounding success, ensuring that we can continue this for years to come!

In the coming months, we will be looking into procuring sponsors and coordinating some additional events to further enhance the experience, and the website will be updated accordingly. If you have any ideas and/or contacts, feel free to reach out!

If this is your first Pretzel Mania, feel free to head to the following album containing photos from our previous Pretzel Mania: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JNCnHfEIHmfgk8fubtdBGCj6fmD3fOwq. (MAJOR thanks to Sam Widjaja for the incredible photos!)

To those interested in the naming scheme of "Pretzel Mania" -- the name is a spinoff of an earlier competition held in this venue that was called ✏️ Pencil Mania ✏️ as a play on the state name of "Pennsylvania." When the venue returned in 2022, we looked into a name refresh out of curiosity and came across the fact that Lancaster is home to America's first commercial pretzel bakery (source). From here, the spinoff name of "Pretzel Mania" was born!

Since then, Pretzel Mania has become more of a concept to highlight beginner-friendly competitions, and the concept has been brought to the Dallas area with several planned iterations for the future!

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. 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!

ALL COMPETITORS MUST READ THIS TAB BEFORE REGISTERING

For First-Time Competitors

All newcomers must be familiar with the WCA Regulations before competing. This video gives a basic overview of the rules. In addition, please read this document before coming to the competition.

For All Competitors

When you arrive, you will receive a card with personalized information detailing your events and what group you will be competing in for each event. In addition, you may also have judging/scrambling/running assignments on your card. Every competitor is expected to help out during the event(s) they are registered for. The card will look like the following:

If you do not arrive to help during your scheduled event, and there are not enough staff members, we reserve the right to disqualify you from competing.

Stationary/Fixed Seating

In this format, there is no competitor waiting area and competitors will complete all their solves for the round at the same solving station. Each solving station is numbered and a cube cover will be already at the station with a matching number.

1. When the competitor’s group is called, the competitor goes up to that stage’s “drop-off” table and collects their scorecard.

2. Competitor goes to any open solving station with their scorecard and puzzle.
   If there are no open stations, please wait a couple of minutes or see a Delegate to see if there are open stations at other stages. A station may open up as competitors from the previous group finish.

3. Competitor makes sure they have the correct numbered cover at their station.

4. If the competitor is in need of a judge, they raise their hand.

5. The competitor drops their solved puzzle and their scorecard into the cube cover. The judge or competitor then holds up the cover to signify it is ready to be scrambled.

6. A runner picks up the cube and takes it to the scramblers. After it is scrambled, a runner knows where to return it based on the station number on the cube cover.

7. The competitor completes all of their solves at this station for the round.

Competition groups will be found on competitiongroups.com.
* PLEASE note that your groups are not final until the organization team informs you that they are complete.

You can check the live results for this event on WCA Live.

The official hotel for this competition will be Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square. There is a room block available where you will be able to book rooms for a discounted rate of $208. You can book a room here.

There will be discounted parking at the garage next door, $10 if you are parking overnight, and $7 if you are only there for the day. The $10 discounted rate will automatically be charged to your room, and we will be giving out tickets for the $7 discounted parking! You will need both your original ticket and the discounted ticket to receive the rate.

The nearest airports are Lancaster Airport - LNS and Harrisburg International Airport - MDT.

With much thanks to our beloved photographer Sam Widjaja, below you can find an album of photos taken at our most recent Pretzel Mania competition!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JNCnHfEIHmfgk8fubtdBGCj6fmD3fOwq

TBD

Stationary/Fixed Seating w/ Running Judges

In this format, there is no competitor waiting area and competitors will complete all their solves for the round at the same solving station. Each solving station is numbered and a cube cover will be already at the station with a matching number. Anyone who has not competed at one of our competitions where we have operated with a fixed seating system is heavily encouraged to attend the New Competitor Tutorial!

We have multiple flavors of fixed seating systems. Running judges will primarily be used for 6x6 and 7x7, and we may also use it for some of the later rounds on Sunday.

Standard Stationary (2x2, 3x3, Pyraminx, Skewb, OH)

1. When the competitor’s group is called, the competitor goes up to that stage’s scorecard table and collects their scorecard.

2. Competitor goes to any open solving station with their scorecard and puzzle.
   If there are no open stations, please wait a couple of minutes or see a Delegate to see if there are open stations at other stages. A station may open up as competitors from the previous group finish.

3. Competitor makes sure they have the correct numbered cover at their station. Competitor puts their puzzle and their scorecard in the numbered cube cover and the judge holds the puzzle up for a runner to pick up and bring back to the scrambling table. Competitor will stay in this spot throughout the entire round.

4. Step 3 is repeated until the competitor completes their mean or average.

Running Judges (6x6, 7x7, BLD)

1. When the competitor’s group is called, the competitor goes up to that stage’s scorecard table and collects their scorecard.

2. Competitor goes to any open solving station with their scorecard and puzzle.
   If there are no open stations, please wait a couple of minutes or see a Delegate to see if there are open stations at other stages. A station may open up as competitors from the previous group finish.

3. Competitor makes sure they have the correct numbered cover at their station. Competitor puts their puzzle and their scorecard in the numbered cube cover and holds it for a “running judge” to pick up. Competitor will stay in this spot throughout the entire round.

4. Running judge takes the cube cover(s) to the scramblers.

5. Running judge drops off their puzzle(s) and takes the next available scrambled puzzle to the corresponding competitor/station based on the number on the cube cover and proceeds to judge their attempt.
   NOTE: The running judge may not be judging the same competitor each time.

6. After each attempt, the running judge packs the solved cube and competitor scorecard in the cube cover and brings this to the scramblers.

7. Repeat this process until all competitors in the group have completed all their attempts.

To all competitors, please remember that you are NOT allowed to watch your neighboring competitors complete their solves, as this raises concerns about gaining additional information about the scrambles. Competitors who are suspected of attempting to gain an advantage may be subject to disqualification.

If you have any questions about this process, you are welcome to reach out to us before the competition! Also keep in mind that we will host several new competitor tutorials - each of which will demonstrate this concept!

SEE RESULTS * HERE! *

This competition will also hold several unofficial events on Saturday night from 8:15PM to 10:00PM The results will be recorded through Cubing Contests, and will then be added to the rankings.

Sign Up * Here *

Note: You can only sign up for one (1) Solo Event and one (1) Team Event.

View Unofficial Event Registrations * Here *

Solo Events

Mirror Blocks

• Competitor Limit: 75
• Cutoff: 1m30s
• Time Limit: 4m

Face-Turning Octahedron (FTO)

• Competitor Limit: 75
• Cutoff: 1m30s
• Time Limit: 4m

Team Events

3x3x3 Team Blind - 2 competitors will solve 1 cube. One competitor is blindfolded (the solver) and the other competitor remains behind them and calls out which moves to do (the caller). There is no inspection

• Team Limit: 40 teams (80 people)
• Cutoff: 2m
• Time Limit: 5m

2-man Mini Guildford - 2 competitors will solve 10 puzzles (2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 3x3 OH, Clock, Pyraminx, Megaminx, Skewb, Square-1). The team may divide the puzzles between each other however they wish and have an increased amount of inspection time (20 seconds).

• Team Limit: 40 teams (80 people)
• Cutoff: N/A
• Time Limit: 10m

Results Page

Event Details

Rules

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