# Age of competitors?



## TheCubers (Jul 20, 2008)

Can a experienced competitor tell me the age of most of the cubers in compititions? Just wondering because being 10, and being surrounded by 20 year olds isn't low stress, considering my times are around the same as theres. (Or will be in around 3 Weeks)


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## pcharles93 (Jul 20, 2008)

It's mostly 12-18 year olds. The biggest cluster at Cinci Spring Open was 15-17.


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## *LukeMayn* (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm 14 and I also think that (like pcharles) most are 15-20


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## pcharles93 (Jul 20, 2008)

There are of course veterans of cubing such as Mike Hughey and Bob Burton. Those ages are everywhere. It is mostly teenagers though.


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## hawkmp4 (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm hoping to compete soon. I'm 17 and it seems that the 16-18 year range is pretty common.


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## UMichSpeedCubist (Jul 20, 2008)

pcharles93 said:


> There are of course veterans of cubing such as Mike Hughey and Bob Burton. Those ages are everywhere. It is mostly teenagers though.


Who is Mike H.? WCA lists his first comp as US Open '07, so how does that imply veteran? Anywho, most of the veterans are fairly invisible in the community now that it's over run by teenagers, I think. But it does seem like all the new cubers come from the really young age bracket.

So what does "cubing veteran" even mean? I don't think it's ever been defined. Cuz there's all those that cubed in the early 80s - back in the craze. And then there are a small handful that were "active" between when it died out and 1997 when it started back up again. And then there is the 1997-1999 range of second revolution cubers (like Hardwick).

From 2000-2003, was like the Macky-era, which I like to think of as "the golden era of cubing" because that was when everything re-launched and truly took off. Incidentally, this was when Bob started, ...and I believe FrankM shortly after. But most importantly the bulk of current experts rose from that period. Yet, a few of the people who started then have retired as well.

After about 2003, I lose track cuz then there was just a constant stream of newcomers - many of which became instant experts or very fast overnight. And then nowadays.. fast is never fast enough.


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## Kenneth (Jul 20, 2008)

UMichSpeedCubist said:


> Who is Mike H.? WCA lists his first comp as US Open '07, so how does that imply veteran?



Veteran because he is oooold, even older than me 

The subject was about peoples age, not the length of their cubing carrier.


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## JBCM627 (Jul 20, 2008)

Kenneth said:


> UMichSpeedCubist said:
> 
> 
> > Who is Mike H.? WCA lists his first comp as US Open '07, so how does that imply veteran?
> ...



There is an interview on him in here, too 
http://www.speedsolving.com/index.php?pageid=interviews

I'd say he's had a long enough carreer...


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## KConny (Jul 20, 2008)

Wow, nice interveiws. Keep 'em comming, srsly! (to who(m?) ever wrote them)


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## Ton (Jul 20, 2008)

Average age at Czech Open was 21.38, the youngest was just 13 and oldest 47 (me). Most common age was 17-18. 
I gues the average age is about 21, and most cubers are between 16 and 19
To have the exact data of all competitors, Stefan knows


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## Tim_Likes_Cubing (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm 14, but I want to get a lot better before I start competing. Mind you, I've onl;y been going a month.


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## joey (Jul 20, 2008)

Compete straight away.


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## Henxu (Jul 20, 2008)

I think (like all) that almost nowadays speedcubers are teenagers, i don't know why  I'm 14 and I started around 6 months ago xd


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## ErikJ (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm 17 and I don't see myself quitting competitions for a long time.


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## n00bcubix (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm 11 and I think most are 13-18ish.


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## popopopolo (Jul 20, 2008)

I am 18.The most in China are 14~22.Them majority are middle school students.


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## Lotsofsloths (Jul 20, 2008)

I am going into my last year at middle school 8th grade..
I am 13..
Most people are like in high school.


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## Mike Hughey (Jul 22, 2008)

Yeah, I'm oooold, like Kenneth says. I wouldn't consider myself a "veteran cuber" at all, though, since I wasn't in the cubing scene at all back in the early 80's - I just solved it a little at home back then. I'm a relative newcomer to the scene.

Please don't worry about being 10 at a competition. The younger you are, the nicer people treat you. My 7 and 9 year old daughters both compete, and they love the extra attention they get from being so young. At age 10, you're probably still young enough to get at least a little of that nice extra attention.


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## crazyasianskills (Jul 22, 2008)

Ya im 14 and I would do competitions but there aren't enough in California, and every time there has been I've been busy.


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## shelley (Jul 22, 2008)

crazyasianskills said:


> Ya im 14 and I would do competitions but *there aren't enough in California*, and every time there has been I've been busy.



What planet are you on?


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## joey (Jul 22, 2008)

There have been 6 in california this year.
13 from 2007 till now.

Oh right, 1 in the UK from 2007 until now.


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## Carson (Jul 22, 2008)

Mike Hughey said:


> Yeah, I'm oooold, like Kenneth says. I wouldn't consider myself a "veteran cuber" at all, though, since I wasn't in the cubing scene at all back in the early 80's - I just solved it a little at home back then. I'm a relative newcomer to the scene.
> 
> Please don't worry about being 10 at a competition. The younger you are, the nicer people treat you. My 7 and 9 year old daughters both compete, and they love the extra attention they get from being so young. At age 10, you're probably still young enough to get at least a little of that nice extra attention.




I thought it was so cool, and speaks a lot for the attitude of cubers, when everyone, AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE, stopped what they were doing to applaud when your daughter finished her 4x4 solve in Atlanta.


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## Mike Hughey (Jul 22, 2008)

Carson said:


> I thought it was so cool, and speaks a lot for the attitude of cubers, when everyone, AND I DO MEAN EVERYONE, stopped what they were doing to applaud when your daughter finished her 4x4 solve in Atlanta.



Thanks - I really appreciated that from everyone, and I think Rebecca did too. She was nervous, and she was a little embarrassed to take so long (she messed up the PLL parity something like 5 or 6 times before she finally got it right, and that after sailing easily through the OLL parity), but I think that she was glad that people cheered her on like that. Thank you to everyone for being so kind to her.


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## JBCM627 (Jul 22, 2008)

shelley said:


> crazyasianskills said:
> 
> 
> > Ya im 14 and I would do competitions but *there aren't enough in California*, and every time there has been I've been busy.
> ...



28/64 in the US on the record have been in California... there have been no less than 4 a year there, and are usually spread out fairly well across the state...

The average age at the Cincinnati Spring competition was 18 years, 9.5months.
At Cornell 2008, the average age was 20 years, 10.5months.

There was quite a large spread of ages, though...


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## McWizzle94 (Jul 22, 2008)

Lotsofsloths said:


> I am going into my last year at middle school 8th grade..
> I am 13..
> Most people are like in high school.



same here.....im gonna be 14 in september, but there is no comp here in IL


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## Lotsofsloths (Jul 22, 2008)

McWizzle94 said:


> Lotsofsloths said:
> 
> 
> > I am going into my last year at middle school 8th grade..
> ...



Nik, host one your self!
That's what I'm doing with Siraj:
Virginia Open 2008
Wanna come?


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## cubetimer (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm definitely older than average (28), but I'm teaching my son to solve right now. He's only 5. He can almost complete F2L. With any luck, I'll be taking him to a competition in the near future. He's totally excited about it.


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## slncuber21 (Jul 23, 2008)

cubetimer- my brother is 5 and he wants to learn, but im *NOT* a good teacher at all... any tips? 

anyway- im 14, but i started cubing when i was 12. of course that was when i got one side and then messed up the whole thing and did one side again...

i really got into it Last November- so ive been doing it for 8months, i also took a two month break for school/ sports so really, only been doing it for 6 months.


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## PCwizCube (Jul 23, 2008)

slncuber21 said:


> cubetimer- my brother is 5 and he wants to learn, but im *NOT* a good teacher at all... any tips?


Show him a tutorial on YouTube, and if he doesn't understand a step, teach it to him. Tell him what your goal of the step is, and then how you do it.


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## Faz (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm 12, and have never been to a comp, I am probably considered young.


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## crazyasianskills (Jul 23, 2008)

JBCM627 said:


> shelley said:
> 
> 
> > crazyasianskills said:
> ...



Woah, I have only seen a couple, but I've only been looking into competitions the last couple of months.


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## Kian (Jul 23, 2008)

most cubers at competitions are probably in the the 15-18 range with the next with a good deal a bit older or younger than that. i'm 22 and i'm certainly one of the older people at most events, but not so much so that i don't feel comfortable speaking to those younger than me. there are sometimes those that are significantly older than me, but there are not many. 

kids in hs tend to be the ones that cube competitively, i think, b/c they have time. i know i had a lot more free time when i was in college to cube and now that i'm in the working world its much more difficult to have the time to be competitive. i gather that's one of the main reasons we see so few cubers after college aged-kids. its just tough to put in all the time necessary.


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## JBCM627 (Jul 23, 2008)

crazyasianskills said:


> Woah, I have only seen a couple, but I've only been looking into competitions the last couple of months.



Keep an eye out, then... there will probably be a few in the fall


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## guitardude7241 (Jul 24, 2008)

I'm 13, and most cubers are older than me.


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## slncuber21 (Jul 24, 2008)

Rubik's Cube Fan said:


> slncuber21 said:
> 
> 
> > cubetimer- my brother is 5 and he wants to learn, but im *NOT* a good teacher at all... any tips?
> ...



thanks, i'll try that


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## popopopolo (Jul 24, 2008)

Kian said:


> most cubers at competitions are probably in the the 15-18 range with the next with a good deal a bit older or younger than that. i'm 22 and i'm certainly one of the older people at most events, but not so much so that i don't feel comfortable speaking to those younger than me. there are sometimes those that are significantly older than me, but there are not many.
> 
> kids in hs tend to be the ones that cube competitively, i think, b/c they have time. i know i had a lot more free time when i was in college to cube and now that i'm in the working world its much more difficult to have the time to be competitive. i gather that's one of the main reasons we see so few cubers after college aged-kids. its just tough to put in all the time necessary.



In China,the Middle school students are very very very busy,not enough time for them to cubing.


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## cubetimer (Jul 24, 2008)

slncuber21 said:


> cubetimer- my brother is 5 and he wants to learn, but im *NOT* a good teacher at all... any tips?



I'm not sure the full description of my approach really fits this thread, so I'll post it in a new one


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