# Nervous at washington dc winter 2011



## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

Hey so I was planning on going to the Washington DC Winter 2011 and I was nervous to compete at first but some people like Phoenix Death told me that it was just to meet other people and have fun. Well I'm kind of nervous to talk to people that I never met before and I am really nervous to talk to people older than me and better than me. Any help?


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## PatrickJameson (Jan 19, 2011)




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## Kian (Jan 19, 2011)

A picture says a thousand words. Or three. I like these three.


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm confused.


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## Andrew Ricci (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> I'm confused.


 
Just do it, bro.


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

Do what? Go to the competition I know I'm going but I don't know if I will be able to work up the confidence to talk to anyone. I'm only 13 bro!


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## FatBoyXPC (Jan 19, 2011)

Start finding out who on the forums is going and start talking to them on IRC/PM's/etc. You'll be able to find an abundant amount of people who are willing to show their puzzles, let you try them out, etc. You'll often see people racing each other for fun, trying various challenges (team bld, for example), etc. Just walk around man, people will say hi and what not. Especially if you see somebody with a large puzzle collection (I almost always see at least one person with a decent sized collection at each competition I go to).


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## Kian (Jan 19, 2011)

There will be plenty of people around your age. Just talk to anyone, most people will be happy to discuss cubing or anything else with you. I promise.


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

ugh!


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## Matt (Jan 19, 2011)

(Nike's motto is just do it, FYI) In all seriousness though, I've thought about this in terms of myself before, but honestly it's not like you're on a date. It's basically a cubing convention, so I would imagine you would talk mainly about...cubing? I would also imagine the cubing community to be less judgmental than other communities; if you introduce yourself to someone and say one thing you might think is foolish or naive, they won't turn around and think to themselves how stupid you are (or atleast I would hope they wouldn't).
I have 1 friend at school who cubes and I have a great time bonding with him over cubing, even if he is worse than me. Now, imagine a competition full of people who love cubing. Talking with people and having fun will most likely not be a problem at a competition.


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## DavidEBowyerJr (Jan 19, 2011)

I have a quick question. When do you have to register for the competition? I am not sure if I will be able to make it yet but am interested.


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## Evan Liu (Jan 19, 2011)

n00bcuber said:


> I have a quick question. When do you have to register for the competition? I am not sure if I will be able to make it yet but am interested.


We're accepting registrations up to the day of the competition (Feb 19). 
Also, the purpose of preregistration is for we the organizers to get an idea of how many people are coming. It is not in any way binding, nor is it mandatory. You can preregister and decide not to come, or even come without preregistering. It's not encouraged, since it throws off our estimates, but it's still ok. In the case of our competition, we are not forcing you to pay beforehand, or charging a higher fee for people who did not preregister. Other competitions will do this to discourage you from doing either of those things.

Additionally, if you have a CubingUSA account, you can remove a preregistration by yourself while logged in.


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## David Zemdegs (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> Do what? Go to the competition I know I'm going but I don't know if I will be able to work up the confidence to talk to anyone. I'm only 13 bro!


 
My son was only 13 when he went to his first competition and look where that got him


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## freshcuber (Jan 19, 2011)

Lol it's not fair to compare Faz in the instance but the fact he was just compared to Faz should almost go on the accomplishment thread. 

anyway just say hi to some people. I have swim meets all the time and I just chat with the other teams swimmers before each race. It's pretty cool to just talk about swimming and I'm sure the same goes for cubing. anyway good luck, my first comp isn't for a few months so I've got time to prepare but tell us how it goes. Just bump the thread.


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## noedgesoriented (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm going and dont worry about it competions are really fun.
Btw I'm 14 so yeah we could hangout or something.


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## EricReese (Jan 19, 2011)

Most people will just be sittin around a table talkin and solving cubes. Just find a table, sit down, introduce yourself. Thats what I did


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 19, 2011)

freshcuber said:


> Lol it's not fair to compare Faz in the instance but the fact he was just compared to Faz should almost go on the accomplishment thread.
> 
> anyway just say hi to some people. I have swim meets all the time and I just chat with the other teams swimmers before each race. It's pretty cool to just talk about swimming and I'm sure the same goes for cubing. anyway good luck, my first comp isn't for a few months so I've got time to prepare but tell us how it goes. Just bump the thread.


 You should have went to SJC, would have liked to meet you.

What comp are you going to?


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## MEn (Jan 19, 2011)

It's easier to socialize with people that have the same interests as you.

In this case, it's cubing.


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## JianhanC (Jan 19, 2011)

It's a cuber's heaven, everyone in that place shares the same interest in that plastic toy  I just offered to help scrambling and quickly made friends. Just relax and socialise.


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## peedu (Jan 19, 2011)

Cubing does not ask how old you are. (Unless someone is 6 months old and prone to try cubing with teeth which includes a danger of swallowing sticker pieces or even whole corner/edge (whichever dislodges first).

I'm 3x older than you. It might be considered weird to compete with schoolboys, but I don't think about the age difference. Most of the people I meet on competitions are better than me, there are always some new kids who are worse than me. That does not matter.

Last competition I went around and tested each and every type of 4x4 cubes available (except the QJ-s, what I had already). Everybody is willing to let you try their cube(s) unless they are in a hurry for the competition round. Most will tell you the whole story behind the cube (when, where, how much, stickers, lube, springs etc.)
Just be polite and you get the same in return.

It's good to see other people solving the cube and others will watch you also. Don't get nervous about that. When you sit down on the competition desk, you must do your thing and everybody is able to stare at your solves. It's normal.
Compare it to car enthusiasts gathering - it's almost the same questions: how fast you are, what's inside, can I try, how do you do this, how's the weather. Everybody is welcome if they have some interest on the subject - cube, car, astronomy or underwater checkers.

Really, nothing to worry about.


Peedu


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

noedgesoriented said:


> I'm going and dont worry about it competions are really fun.
> Btw I'm 14 so yeah we could hangout or something.


 
lol that would be cool but yeah im still nervous like i would never be that one to just sit at someones table without knowing them


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## EricReese (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> yeah that would be cool but im still nervous to just sit at someones table


 
Why did you double post this when the previous post was 30 minutes prior? That doesn't even make sense. Thats not even an accident....


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

Oh my bad I was on the second page and I thought it was the third page and I wrote it again. Sorry!


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## cincyaviation (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> yeah that would be cool but im still nervous to just sit at someones table


 Start by looking around for anyone that has cool puzzles. Go over and ask them if you can try it out, it's an easy way to get to talking with someone.


EricReese said:


> Why did you double post this when the previous post was 30 minutes prior? That doesn't even make sense. Thats not even an accident....


Why did you post just to tell him he was wrong? At least he was on topic and not just telling someone they were wrong.


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## Andrew Ricci (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> Oh my bad I was on the second page and I thought it was the third page and I wrote it again. Sorry, how do I delete it?


 
Click the button that says "edit" on the post, then delete it.


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

theanonymouscuber said:


> Click the button that says "edit" on the post, then delete it.


 
Lol Thanks!



cincyaviation said:


> Start by looking around for anyone that has cool puzzles. Go over and ask them if you can try it out, it's an easy way to get to talking with someone.



OMG! That is the thing I am most scared to do! Haha! That's why I asked for Skype or AIM because maybe if I knew them good online maybe in real life it would be easier and we could hang out and talk to more people.


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## EricReese (Jan 19, 2011)

Hey Ill talk to you, you can chill with me during the comp and I'll help you meet some people. My skype is ericreese20

Im going to go run right now but I'll be back in a little bit and you can chat me up then.


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## Vishal (Jan 19, 2011)

Im 14 now but I went to my first competition when I was 13. I went to Barcelona, where most people did not speak the best English. I was nervous but people were really nice and you talk to them easily evens if they were older because we had something in common. If you don't think your that great it's ok. What I did was focus on a cube that wasn't 3x3 because I predicted I would only be sub 20 before the competition. So I learned cll for 2x2 and got 10th out of 60 people. It doesn't matter how fast you are after you go to a competition you will see how fast people are and you will want to get faster. I wanted to ask the guy who got second about how to get faster and I thought he wouldnt tell me but he was really cool and helped me. If you are nervous it doesn't matter definitly go.


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## Cubing321 (Jan 19, 2011)

OMGitsSolved said:


> Do what? Go to the competition I know I'm going but I don't know if I will be able to work up the confidence to talk to anyone. I'm only 13 bro!


 
I'm 12 and I've been to 2 comps, and I've talked to people twice my age!


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 19, 2011)

i cant find a ericreese20?
EDIT: Wait I found you!


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## freshcuber (Jan 20, 2011)

RyanReese09 said:


> You should have went to SJC, would have liked to meet you.
> 
> What comp are you going to?


 
I plan on going to the Cornell comp. I don't have my license so I'm limited to where my parents will drive me or if I'm allowed to go with my friend who drives. Once I get my license I'll go to more comps but right now I'm pretty much limited to comps that I can make it to and back in less than a day and only when I can convince my parents to let me go. I also plan on going to nats in the summer.


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 20, 2011)

freshcuber said:


> I plan on going to the Cornell comp. I don't have my license so I'm limited to where my parents will drive me or if I'm allowed to go with my friend who drives. Once I get my license I'll go to more comps but right now I'm pretty much limited to comps that I can make it to and back in less than a day and only when I can convince my parents to let me go. I also plan on going to nats in the summer.


 
AH, that makes sense. I plan on going to Cornell also, basically any comp in the North East that doesn't have a bad event lineup, I'll go to .

Wish that a North East comp would host multi BLD :'(


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## a small kitten (Jan 20, 2011)

Do you like small kittens?


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## DavidEBowyerJr (Jan 20, 2011)

I don't have to have my own stackmat do I? Also I registered for the 3x3 but may be picking up a magic (I used to be pretty quick) is it ok to just sign up for that event when I get there? I am really excited BTW!


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 20, 2011)

n00bcuber said:


> I don't have to have my own stackmat do I? Also I registered for the 3x3 but may be picking up a magic (I used to be pretty quick) is it ok to just sign up for that event when I get there? I am really excited BTW!


 
No you don't need one. People only bring one to time themselves or to have races with other cubers.

They should let you sign up for magic the day of it.


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## EricReese (Jan 20, 2011)

a small kitten said:


> Do you like small kittens?


 
We like dead corpses.



Spoiler



couldn't remember what you were telling me about a name change. this was the best I could remember


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## FatBoyXPC (Jan 20, 2011)

Usually if you don't have a puzzle you want to compete in, you can borrow it from another competitor there. Most people are pretty cool with lending out puzzles. Please do your best though to return the puzzle to the original owner, it gets frustrating lending out your puzzles and realizing somebody didn't give something back. I had to hunt down my 2x2 before 2x2 Round 2 at Dayton Open 2010 (might have been for Round 3, I forget), and was a bit peeved at how I let somebody look at it / try it out, I got called to compete at a different event, came back to find my 2x2 missing. Mistakes happen, I know that (and I found my 2x2), but do your best to return it. It's the right (and courteous) thing to do, and keeps people being nice enough to lend out puzzles.

Thrawst let me use his 2x2 at Indiana Winter 2010  I was going to use Mike Hughey's, but he showed me how he had a different color scheme and it really threw me off


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## teller (Jan 20, 2011)

I will be the oldest person there, and I will happily share wicked fingertricks with you if you introduce yourself to me...


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 20, 2011)

teller said:


> I will be the oldest person there, and I will happily share wicked fingertricks with you if you introduce yourself to me...


 
I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU WENT! You were my first cubing friend. And you had insane fingertricks for every alg. I will certainly be happily saying hi to you, along with trying to get some fingertricks from you (now that I know a lot more cubing and am faster).

Ah, I'm so happy you are going, I was wondering if you were. 
</giddy>


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## teller (Jan 20, 2011)

RyanReese09 said:


> I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU WENT! You were my first cubing friend. And you had insane fingertricks for every alg. I will certainly be happily saying hi to you, along with trying to get some fingertricks from you (now that I know a lot more cubing and am faster).
> 
> Ah, I'm so happy you are going, I was wondering if you were.
> </giddy>


 Ryan! Mr. Sub 10! Indeed...let's do some more, now that you have knowledge of the Force...


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 20, 2011)

teller said:


> Ryan! Mr. Sub 10! Indeed...let's do some more, now that you have knowledge of the Force...


 
Looking back at the e vents of the day, how I would always screw up the alg as doing the fingertricks, I'm ashamed at myself .

This makes the competition 100% worth going to now . Too bad Ron won't be there this time..


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## teller (Jan 20, 2011)

RyanReese09 said:


> Looking back at the e vents of the day, how I would always screw up the alg as doing the fingertricks, I'm ashamed at myself .
> 
> This makes the competition 100% worth going to now . Too bad Ron won't be there this time..


 
Yeah, it was neat getting totally spanked by such a famous cuber...


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## EricReese (Jan 20, 2011)

I would also be interested in how you fingertrick some of the G perms...


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## teller (Jan 20, 2011)

EricReese said:


> I would also be interested in how you fingertrick some of the G perms...


 
I have two very SICK G-Perms I can share...the other two are pretty standard...


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## FatBoyXPC (Jan 20, 2011)

I know I'm not Teller, but I use an index finger push for some of the u's in the algs. An example is in Gd (FR block), the final u R2, I do u with an index finger push from RF to FL. I use the same u R2 finger trick in the Gc alg (B block).

I would love to find a way to do the "standard" G perms without regripping (except inserting/removing the pair at the beginning/end of the algs, with the rotation following. I'm not big on F/B moves).

I would also like to see how you do R' U R' U' d' (V Perm / F perm if you do R' U2 R' U' d'). The d' is what gets me on that one.


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## RyanReese09 (Jan 20, 2011)

fatboyxpc said:


> I know I'm not Teller, but I *use an index finger push for some of the u's in the algs.* An example is in Gd (FR block), the final u R2, I do u with an index finger push from RF to FL. I use the same u R2 finger trick in the Gc alg (B block).
> 
> I would love to find a way to do the "standard" G perms without regripping (except inserting/removing the pair at the beginning/end of the algs, with the rotation following. I'm not big on F/B moves).
> 
> I would also like to see how you do R' U R' U' d' (V Perm / F perm if you do R' U2 R' U' d'). The d' is what gets me on that one.


 Same . It's so sexy and fast.


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## teller (Jan 20, 2011)

fatboyxpc said:


> I know I'm not Teller, but I use an index finger push for some of the u's in the algs. An example is in Gd (FR block), the final u R2, I do u with an index finger push from RF to FL. I use the same u R2 finger trick in the Gc alg (B block).
> 
> I would love to find a way to do the "standard" G perms without regripping (except inserting/removing the pair at the beginning/end of the algs, with the rotation following. I'm not big on F/B moves).
> 
> I would also like to see how you do R' U R' U' d' (V Perm / F perm if you do R' U2 R' U' d'). The d' is what gets me on that one.


 
F and B are your friends! You would be surprised at what F can do if it happens to be within reach without a regrip...

Regarding the V-Perm, I know I am not Breandon, but I would swear by *(U' y')* instead of *d'*...

A very fast G, if gripped correctly: *R U R' (U' D) R2 U' R U' R' U R' U R2 (U D') *


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## FatBoyXPC (Jan 20, 2011)

I just realized I wrote that algorithm up there incorrectly, whoops 

I do some sort of hybrid U' y' and d'. I sort of do an index push for d' but it still requires a small regrip, but I can still do V and F in sub1.7 or so, which is fast enough for my standards (until I approach sub13 or even faster, I doubt I'll care much). 

Yes F can be great, but it's awkward for me (in G perms), but maybe I haven't given it enough time. Do you have all for G perms with RUD algs? That would be sweet! I really need to learn the RUD N algs, but I fear that since next weekend is a competition, it's too close. I have enough time to really drill them but I'd rather stick with the ones I got for now just in case.


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## OMGitsSolved (Jan 24, 2011)

Dang this thread got way more comments than I thought it would! Thanks guys!
Now I'm not as nervous and looking forward to meeting some people.


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