The one with how a toy changed my life
“Our whole life is solving puzzles”
Erno Rubik
Exiting high school, I discovered, through a girlfriend, a tiny squared puzzle with six different colors and nine tiles on each side. I had always been a fan of riddles and logic, so this fell right into my field of expertise. My girlfriend, at the time, could solve it in just a couple of minutes, and it didn’t take long before I learned to solve it too. I practiced the beginner’s method and, much to her disbelief, beat her time shortly after.
A normal Rubik’s Cube, with three pieces on each side, is a 3x3. Naturally, I got my hands on a 5x5, and to my surprise, I was able to solve it without any assistance from YouTube guides. For a while, I thought my interest had peaked, so I set the cube aside for a few months. How wrong I was—as wrong as Harry ever was to doubt Snape’s loyalty.
At 19 years old, I had taken a break from the school system and spent six months doing absolutely nothing, much to my mother’s frustration. Eventually, I got a job at a small store, where I met a guy who could solve the cube in about 23 seconds. He introduced me to a whole new world: the Friedrich method, developed by Professor Jessica Friedrich of Binghamton University, NY, later known as the CFOP method—Cross-F2L-Orientation-Permutation.
For the nerds out there, here’s a quick comparison of the methods. The beginner’s method uses about 5 different algorithms, each requiring 6–8 moves. Once memorized, it’s like learning miniature dance routines—not the hardest feat in the world. The CFOP method, on the other hand, involves nearly 100 total algorithms, each ranging from 6–20 moves. It’s a different accomplishment entirely and requires dedication to master.
Using this method, it took me about six months to average below 20 seconds, and I entered my first Rubik’s Cube tournament in Denmark. At the competition, I met other enthusiasts and discovered that I excelled at solving larger cubes. However, I also realized—as with many sports or competitions—you have to start young to reach the top. My best achievement was a national record in a couple of the larger puzzles, but I soon found a new way to engage with the Rubik’s Cube beyond simply chasing speed.
At the age of 22, I sent an email to a national TV station that produced Denmark’s Got Talent. To my surprise, they responded quickly and invited me to audition for the show.
