Max Park

Max Park was born on November 28, 2001 in Cerritos, California.[4][5] When Park was two years old, he was diagnosed with autism. His parents, Miki and Schwan Park, were told that he might need lifelong care.[6] Park's motor skills were severely impaired, so his mother, taught Max how to solve a Rubik's cube that he had taken interest in. He began learning speedcubing and participating in competitions. At his second competition, he came in first place in the 6×6×6 event. He made progress in social development by waiting in a queue and mirroring body language on a podium at competitions.[7]

Park previously held the world record for an average of five 3×3×3 solves with a 4.86-second average set at Marshall Cubing September 2022 on the 24th of the month. He is still the North American record holder and is fourth in the world. Currently the only peopled ranked ahead of him are Yiheng Wang (4.48 average), Ruihang Xu and Tymon Kolasinski (both with a 4.84 average).

Park holds the 3×3×3 world record single of 3.13 set at Pride in Long Beach 2023 on June 11, 2023.[8][9]

Park was the first person to achieve a sub-10 second one-handed average in competition, with an average of 9.99 seconds on January 13, 2018 at Thanks Four The Invite 2018. He currently holds the world record one-handed average with an average of 8.62 seconds, set at Nub Open Mission Viejo 2023. Park also holds the world record single for one-handed solving at 6.20 seconds set at Marshall Middle Slice 2022, breaking one of the longest-standing cubing world records which was held by Feliks Zemdegs.[10][11]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 4×4×4 solves with 15.83 seconds and 19.38 seconds, set at Nub Open Yucaipa 2024 and Arizona Speedcubing Spring 2023 respectively.[12]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5×5×5 solves with 32.52, set at DFW Megacomp 2024, and 35.94 seconds, set in the finals round of UCSD Winter 2023.[13] Prior to Park's first 5×5×5 record, the records for single and the average of five 5×5×5 solves had been held by Feliks Zemdegs, who had improved the two records a combined 32 times.[14] Park is the only cuber other than Zemdegs to have set either 5×5×5 record since August 11, 2012.[14]

Park holds the world record for the single 6×6×6 solve: 59.74 seconds set at CubingUSA Southeast Championship 2022. He also holds the North American record average of three solves, 1:07.11, set at the WCA World Championship 2023, and the result is currently ranked second in the world.[15]

Park holds the world record for single and mean of three 7×7×7 solves: 1 minute, 35.68 seconds set at Marshall Cubing September 2022, and 1 minute, 39.68 seconds, set at Nub Open Yucaipa 2024.[16]

Park is the 3-time US National Champion in 3×3×3, 5-time champion in 4×4×4, 4-time champion in 5×5×5, 3-time champion in 6×6×6, 3-time champion in 7×7×7, and 4-time champion in 3×3×3 One-Handed.

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3×3×3 and 3×3×3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5×5×5 and 6×6×6.[17]

At the World Championship 2019 in Melbourne, Park won 4×4×4, 5×5×5, 6×6×6, 7×7×7, and 3×3×3 one-handed. Park finished 4th in the 3×3×3 final after winning the first three rounds.[18]

At the World Championship 2023 in Incheon, Park won 3x3x3, 5×5×5, and 7×7×7. Park is one of two people to have won multiple World Champions (albeit non-consecutively); the other is Feliks Zemdegs.[19]

Park has official results in 2x2x2 and Square-1, but he has not competed in either of those events since 2014 and 2013 respectively, and he only focuses on 3x3x3, one-handed, and big cubes.

Park is one of the five cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3×3×3 solves in competition.[20]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentaryThe Speed Cubers, a film about speedcubing largely focusing on Feliks Zemdegs, Max Park, and their speedcubing journeys.

Park won the WCA World Championship 2023 in Incheon with an average time of 5.31 seconds, beating world record average holder Yiheng Wang, who placed second, and European record holder Tymon Kolasinski, who placed third.[21]Park also finished third in the 4x4x4 event, first in the 5x5x5 event, and first in the 7x7x7 event. He also broke the 6x6x6 world record average (now beaten by Seung-Hyuk Nahm) in the first round of the competition.

Listed below are Max Park's personal records achieved in official World Cube Association competitions.[23]

Park has previously been sponsored by GANCUBE, a leading Chinese brand that sponsors many other notable cubers, including Feliks Zemdegs. He is currently sponsored by Rubik's and TheCubicle, an American speedcubing store that is currently one of the largest cube stores in the world. His current main 3x3 cube is the X-Man Tornado Version 3 Flagship Edition. On April 26, 2024, Max Park accepted an additional sponsorship from Logan Paul's Prime Hydration, officially becoming a Prime® Athlete along with other famous athletes.