WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Speedcubing Today: Luke Griesser on the State of Competitive Cubing

Episode Date: October 31, 2024

Matthew Mayernik sits down with Luke Griesser to discuss his rise to the top and what it is like being a top speedcuber.

Welcome to SpeedCubing today, the show in which I look at the top Rubik's Cube solvers from around the sport of SpeedCubing. Today we're going to be looking a little bit back in time to my interview with Luke Greiser at Michigan Championships 2024. This is Matthew Mernick on 101.7 Radio Free Hildale. Let's go back in time. Well, I'm here with Luke Greiser for our first ever, I guess, happy feet interview. And first of all, I like to say thank you so much for, I mean, I guess throw all the things. the years I've been streaming, which has basically been like two now. Like you, I guess, and a lot of other cubers like Luke Garrett and Morgan, um, I've just been super open and receptive to it. I think there

was like such an opportunity for you guys to be like, oh, I don't like all these cameras. I don't like all the, like all the, you know, bright lights put on me basically and all the pressure. But I've been just been super happy how much like you guys been receptive to it. Yeah, for sure. I mean, if cubing, if, if, if cubing is going to get to the point that like we wanted to be at as a spectator sport, I guess, like something like this was having to happen at some point. So we're just very open to the idea of it because it only creates new opportunities for us as well. Yeah. And I hope because like things like your U.S. nationals where you had the moment, like everyone kind of knows that moment or it's like I know it.

And it's like some of those things like before a stream, how often does that, is that going to be like as big of a moment if it's not part of the stream? you know and like 3,000 people watch it live like obviously it's probably still be like a pretty big meme and stuff but as like part of me was like I hope like okay that's he like launch a merch brand and stuff like that was in the happy feet group chats being like John Abbey did you see that like loop racer like started a merch brand off our stream like you know that stuff you know so yeah there had there had been there's two moments like that in like major finals that come to mind it was nat's 2014 with Kevin Hayes and he had I believe it was a J-Perm and he like there was a drone and he said everyone watched this great J-Prom.

And then he did it and everyone went crazy. And then there was another part in Worlds 2013 where Mikala Halchuk had like a terrible solve. And then he just spammed like R&U moves and then reset the timer. Like I don't know. Those are the two things that come to mind that are like similar to mine. Yeah. So I guess kind of going back all the way to the start of everything.

It's probably like every single Cuber probably gets asked this question a lot. But like what got you into Cuban to begin? I've only answered this question 80 million times. Yeah. So I have an older sister. She's out of college right now. And she, like, 10 years ago, she had a friend come over to her house, to our house. And then she just happened to bring a cube with her. And she was like, I don't want this anymore. You can have it. And my sister was like, I don't want this. Luke, you can have it. So I took it. And I was like, I want to learn how to solve this. I was very into cubing YouTube before I was into like, actually cuing myself. So like Red KB, me, myself, and Pye, I was all over that. It was very much my cup at C before I actually knew how to solve a cube. And when it came to the process of actually learning how to solve one, I forget the tutorial exactly that I used. It might have been paradox cubing, which is a throwback if anyone knows. He's not even uploading that much of it. No, he's not. But I think I used his and I like didn't fully pay attention to it. So,

So the beginner's method is obviously you saw the first layer. I was able to do that. And then the second layer was where I had trouble because I didn't pay attention to the part where like the edge had to be in a certain position. So I literally just did the alg without the edge being where it was supposed to be. And I got really frustrated and I just kind of gave up. And then it took me something like six months for it to finally click. And I had the alg. I just recognized the pattern myself.

So I was like, the edge is supposed to be right here. Let me see what happens. Oh, it worked. Let me keep doing that. So after I did that, it just clicked. And then I learned how to solve last layer from Paradox Cubing. And after that, I started timing myself because, like, I obviously knew speedkeeping was a thing before then. And my first time was something like six to eight minutes.

And then my second one was, like, just under four, I think. and then it just kept going down and down from there. Yeah. So at what point do you think your speed Cuban career kind of like took off? Because I remember the first time I ever knew of you was Monkey League. And I think that's probably like the entry point. I think it's the first time I ever heard of Maddie Herodono and Naba also. And I obviously knew of Luke Garrett from just like local Michigan comps.

Because he would be here like when I remember like Michigan 2018, he was there and competing too. But like I feel like even like all three of you guys for a lot of people, That's kind of like where people kind of heard about you guys for the first time. Yeah. Is that where you kind of thought your Cuban career took off or when do you think it kind of was? Oh, yeah. I agree. That was when like the boom.

Boom happened was like Monkey League and just online competitions and everything. My local boom, when I went from like just a kid to like someone who's actually fast was a 666 single at Summit City in 2016. Oh, wow. So at the time that was 81st in the world. and if I think I still have a reconstruction of it up on my channel it's a terrible solution but it like it worked out and I was able to get the six and then my next single after that was 585 and that was like quiet and then my average after like all of that happened was 7.09 at Cuyahoga 2019 I think and then after that 7.09 I started picking up

picking up more and more traction. And then the thing that caused like sort of the beginning of the boom, I guess, was what you would call it was I got a 642 average. The last competition before quarantine. So I got like the last fast result that was like a PR before before like everything shut down. At the time it was 13th in the world. So with a 642 and then Luke Garrett was 12th in the world. 640. So after that, Monkey League happened, Cubing at home happened, and then after that, I just kept getting faster and faster, and then I found myself 551 average right before NAC, and then after Nats, the I know it came along. So those were sort of the steps that I think, but Monkey League was obviously the biggest one, so I wouldn't be where I am without streaming.

The thing is, what kind of format do you like better? Do you like doing that Monkey League format better? Or do you like the WCA format? I really like both of them because Monkey League seems to be more of like how I solve at home. It's just a bunch of solves in a row. Whereas the WCA format is where I can like really shine because I'm very good at being consistent, which is why my average ranking is significantly higher than my single ranking. So I'm able to take these five solves that I have officially, take all my focus that I have, and put them on those five solves.

And that's why I can sort of thrive in a WCA format. So I think there's something to be said about both of them. I do like four results. I like WCA better just because I'm able to have a big impact with five selves rather than like ups and lots of ups and downs over the course of like 50 solves in monkey league yeah do you find that you're kind of like an emotional solver where like if you get like a bunch of fast times you'll get faster or like if you are like you get like a lockup on one solve and it kind of throws you off that like kind of ruins your average or you just you're just always consistent I definitely used to be

um some like ever since ever since the I know it happened I was like I went on sort of a reevaluation thing I was like this can't have happen again. So I took that as an opportunity to sort of like look at every mistake that I was sort of making and like whenever I did have something that went wrong, it just kept going downhill. Like at Nats, I remember this very clearly. At Nats, my first solve was a 783, I think. And it was just like bad. but you can see me on the stream say it's whatever because like you're going to get one bad solve in an average and then after that I plus two to six 35 yeah and after that my average was basically dead yeah and then um and then six nine and then the 10 and then the five only happened after

I was in like a good mindset and I told that like to my dad on the way home I was like my best solving finals came after I stopped caring So I sort of took that, remembered that, and like have started applying that to all my solves. So like bad solves are going to happen. It's just how you like recover from the bad solves. Because what you can do is you can take the bad solve, analyze it, what made it so bad, and then learn from it. Be like, okay, how can I avoid a I know it ZBLL recognition sort of thing? you practice EVLL for an entire year.

Yeah. Something that's kind of interesting is you talked about how you went back and you, like, were analyzing your solves and you're like, oh, I'm watching myself in these videos and seeing like what I looked like in my body language. How much time do you, like, you dedicate to cubing and do all the top solvers kind of do that? Do they go through like the analyzation process or is that kind of just like a you thing? That's a very good question. I can't speak to.

Yeah, we're right now currently at, Michigan Championship 2024. So we're in the middle of some OH-H groups right now. I can't currently speak for how other people go about it. I know me and Timoan have very, very similar practicing styles,

and that is on purpose. It's because I ask him for advice basically every day and just annoy him a lot. And then when he gives me the advice, I obviously take it because he's second in the world. And I do know that Luke does a lot of just solves. He's not a big out guy.

Other than that, I got a glimpse of what Yeheng his practice looks like, Yehang's practice looks like, but obviously that's going to be something that they're going to try to keep a secret. So we don't have a ton of insight on how Yihang, Ruhang, Guanzi, or any of the other Chinese kids,

like we don't know what their training schedule looks like. How gate kept, or how gate kept is that? For the most part, like, is it something where they just, like, are closed off? Because it seems like you guys are pretty open with, like, Team On and Luke Garrett. Like, you guys all have, like, a bunch of, like, you know, like, collaboration together. I think we're talking about ideas and stuff. But is it kind of just closed off when it comes to, like, you hang and, like, other clothes? Not strictly them, but I do know, like, what his training style looks like.

But I don't know, like, all the bits and pieces of details that it looks like, you know? Yeah. I got sort of, like, a vague explanation. for what a session looks like for him. I didn't get, like, what sort of help he uses or, like, what sort of resources he uses for that. It was just, like, I sent an average to Yehank's coach, and he said, I'll do an evaluation for you.

And I was like, all right, bet. So I sent him the average, and he said, all right, basically, your inspection is bad, and so is your look ahead. And I was like, all right, cool, I'll work on that. He didn't give me any, like, resources or, like, techniques. he just is very good at like pointing out what is like good and bad about solves but i will say um me and simon do communicate like practice techniques to each other but he even gate keeps like

some of his techniques from me and so um he's very he's not very secretive about um all his techniques because like he puts it all out in the open for his course yeah and he even goes into debiless a little bit of it in the cubicle interview that he just recently did. Yeah. Or that they just recently uploaded. And it's like everything he says in there is stuff that I like either work on or like am supposed to be working on. But yeah.

So man, how are you kind of like with all these kind of Cuban coaches and stuff? Is it going to be the future where people get like Cuban coaches for the most part? That's the idea. I don't know how much of this information I'm supposed to share. But I do know that Timo. course is also going to offer one-on-one coaching with people that just he chooses to hire as a coach. So I know that that's coming very soon. It's not available yet, but it is coming soon. Dude, that sounds sweet. So do you, like, are you think you're going to get it? Do you have a coach as of now?

I don't, I don't currently have a coach. If I could, like, get Timon as a coach, though, that would be pretty sick. I'm not sure if he's interested in being like a one-on-one exclusive coach, though. I tried to communicate with Yeheng's coach, but like the language barrier kind of makes it a little difficult for like specific techniques to get across. So I just have to take what he says and then try to guess what he's getting at and then go with it. But the coaches that they have in China are easily the best in the world. Okay. I'm not sure, like, of course, I'm not sure what it looks like, but I do know that whatever they're doing is working.

Yeah. Is, for the most part, because I see all these cubors from China and stuff, they all seem to have like these coaches and all seems to kind of like secretive and gate kept. Is that like a similar thing for, like, I don't say something, do they have anything like similar to that in America or in Europe or in Australia and stuff? Is there any like coaches? Because I don't really even hear of any mainstream coaches besides like maybe, Jayden McNeil or team on now.

Well, I do have a coaching service, but. But like for top solvers, what I'm saying, like, kind of like you, if you wanted to get a coach. If I wanted to get a coach, no. I don't know of anyone in, that is not in China who would like be willing to be an exclusive coach for me or not just for me, but like for Luke or team owner or anyone. Yeah. they're that's very much a china thing and i feel like all of us should like learn from that because who rules the world when it comes to cubing right now it's china yeah so is it something

where like because i'm kind of do you think they have their own contracts with the cubors where like we're an exclusive coach and stuff or is it where they pick up multiple clients and they can coach multiple people or is it just like so unheard of i don't even know i i don't i couldn't even guess like i i have no idea what that looks like Yeah, that's crazy. So I guess we're talking about these coaches and stuff and kind of like Cuban in general, is it like how competitive is it on top? Because I think for, it's kind of cool.

Like I love like, I like kind of the local levels of the Cuban community. You kind of see like everyone's kind of like all like happy and cheerful. Like, you know, it's not super competitive. It's more like a hobby and like get together. But like when it comes to being like a little bit more on top and stuff, are you pretty competitive with like, you know, I want to win for the most part? Very. Yeah.

None of it gets nasty with each other except for the murmurs of something happening with Ruhang and Yiang's mom or something. That's the only incident that I've actually heard of, but we are extremely competitive and we all want to win. We all have the same goal and only one of us can get it. So it's like every local comp that me and Lou Gehrie go to,

it gets super competitive. We both want to win and like sometimes he wins and sometimes I win, and it's just a battle every single time. But if you take the tension that is there with the local comps, multiply it by 10 because it's a championship, and then multiply the amount of people there by 8 because 16 finalists, it gets crazy. No one, no one like says a word about, I can't even describe it.

No one really says a word about like how much they want to win, but like we can all feel it. Yeah. It's interesting. Because there's no, there's no cubing trash talk. Yeah. Like that doesn't happen. But yeah, we can tell that it's a very competitive thing.

And it's a competitive environment. So, like, what's kind of like your goal then? Do you, every single, like, major championship you want to win? Like, every single one you go, it's like NAC this year, you want to win. Yeah, I want to win NAC this year. Worlds, I guess it changes a bit. And, like, podium would be nice. but like the goal is always to just,

this is going to sound so corny. The goal is always to do my best. Yeah. Because, like, the last competition that I had against Luke Garrett, whenever I didn't, like, beat him, like, I would be unbelievably upset. Like, I would be upset about it for two or three days afterwards. And does he know that you hate that too? I don't think he does.

Like, I don't know if. he feels the same way, but I think he might know that, like, I hate it when he beats me. And I think he might hate it when I beat him as well. Yeah. But the last competition that we had was a couple weeks ago. And, like, I was just, I did the best I could. He beat me by, like, a tenth of a second, I think, like average wise. And I was just like, okay, whatever, I did the best I could.

Yeah. So mentality-wise, it has improved a little bit. But I still. always just like the goal is always to win and if that doesn't happen because of shortcomings on my end that's something that's like that's a problem that needs to be addressed but if I do like the best that I possibly could and I still come up short like there's not much more you can do after that yeah something that you're talking about before was like the green room of finals and stuff something that I've always wanted to do and probably will try to execute this year at nAC is trying

to get the mobile camera in the green room ahead of time is that because I think that be electric to kind of just do it because i don't think anyone knows what goes on in there like it's a very selective thing there's only been like a few recordings from like like maybe like the max and felix documentary of people even seen like what goes on in there like what is you said there's a lot of tension there like is there anybody talking to each other is there like so last year at nat's um we were sitting there doing our thing like warming up to go up and then me and mattie were the last two seeds yeah and i believe three and four was luke garrett and I cannot think of who else it was.

But it was Luke Garrett and someone else. And then, so yeah, it's 16 people just sitting in the room. That's when we were kind of talkative with each other. And then as the amount of people goes down, like the talking goes way down. Like me and Maddie were alone in the green room. We didn't say a word to each other. Like, after we, right before we left the green room, he just gave me a thing. thumbs up and then went for a fist bump didn't exchange a single word because like that's how high

the tension is like there's no bitter feelings there and there wasn't there anyway but like that's just how high the tension is like i don't know it is it is a crazy atmosphere for sure um i know there is footage from the knack 22 green room where um we sort of did like a 10-man relay for three by three and I think it was like a 108, and our goal was like sub 110 because that's a sub seven for every person. Yeah. But yeah, that's the only footage that I know of that's in the actual green room. Yeah. Awesome.

Well, thank you so much for taking the time and being part of this interview. I hope because there's a lot of stuff where I just don't know what goes on with like it's super interesting here, like competitiveness of like all your like, you know, I guess all your friends basically and all the top cubors together. So, no, it's super interesting. Thank you so much, dude. Thanks for having me. Thank you.