Interview with Cuber : Kai Jiptner

Kai Jiptner

Kai Jiptner, cuber asal Jerman. Adalah BLD Master papan atas dunia. Sempat memegang World Record untuk event Multi BLD dengan 10/10 sebelum dipecahkan oleh Tong Jiang dengan 15/15. Prestasi lain adalah menjadi Rubik’s Cube World Championship 2009 Winner untuk event 4×4 BLD. Seperti diketahui, Jerman adalah negara tempat para cuber Multi BLD tingkat dunia. Banyak BLD master berasal dari Jerman. Dan sekarang Indonesia disebut-sebut sebagai The New Germany karena meroketnya prestasi para cuber Indonesia di event BLD dan Multi BLD. Kai Jiptner juga dikenal sangat dekat dengan Mom (Maria Oey).

1. When did you start playing Rubik?
I started speedcubing during September 2006, when I was sick and looking around youtube. I stumbled across Ryan Patricio’s 20.09 World Record One-Handed solve and I immediately wanted to learn how to do this.

2. Tell me about your cubing progress.
After learning how to solve the cube I was trying to get faster on my own with an ineffective beginners method. I just started doing my own research after a month. Then I learned from a couple of Websites: Macky’s (cubefreak.net), Dan Harris’ (cubestation.co.uk) and Joel van Noort’s (solvethecube.co.uk). My new goal was a sub-20 average, which I achieved in May 2007. In the process I also started practicing the other events. After a while I became one of the best speedcubers in Germany, ranking top-10 in (I think) every event at some point. I won 5 German champion titles (3×3 once) and became world champion for 4×4 blindfolded. Of course I was fortunate to practice when the German scene was not that big and not many people in the world were taking blindcubing as serious as now.

3. What method do you use?
For 3×3 Speed pretty much basic CFOP with some additional tricks I’ve picked up here and there.

4. Your occupation now?
I’m close to finishing university and becoming a social worker.

5. What are the event that you play?
These days, usually 3×3 speed and 3×3 single BLD. I don’t cube that much at the moment.

6. What is your favorite event, why?
3×3 single BLD, it’s just a cool thing to do and it isn’t as exhausting as the bigger BLD attempts. 3×3 speed is also very nice and I usually do it for the ‘casual’ cubing every day. To me it feels like the ‘purest’ form of cubing. In general I love the 3×3, it has the best balance between speed and complexity. Plus it is the puzzle that feels the nicest. (fingertricks!)

7. What do you think about speedcubing in Indonesia?
I loved how crazy you became with Multi-BLD after Chuck did his excellent 11/11! There was so much dedication and effort from so many of you guys!

8. What brands do you Cube?
2×2: LanLan; 3×3: FII or Haiyan Memory, 4×4: QJ, 5×5-7×7: V-cube, Megaminx: Mefferts

9. what is your biggest cubing accomplishment?
It is a tie between my 10/10 Multi-Hour-WR and the 4×4 World Champion title in 2009. Becoming German 3×3-Champion also felt awesome.

10. You are very good in BLD, how you practice it? Any secret practice method?
I always loved to develop my method very carefully before actually memorizing it and starting to practice. For BLD this meant learning all the images, finding algs for bad cases and ultimately memorizing each solution for 2 corners or 2 edges. It definitely pays off to put some ‘theoretical effort’ into it. In the last years I never was crazy about huge amounts of daily practice since I often had other things to do or felt like cubing is somewhat stealing time that I could use for more meaningful stuff. In addition, I didn’t want to get stuck in that ‘nerd’-role to badly. It scares of girls. 😉

11. Your cubing hero?
Tim Habermaas, we have always been an inspiring each other for all our BLD-development and we became quite good friends besides cubing. 24/24 was one of the sickest things I’ve ever witnessed.

12. Potential cuber?
I don’t have a clue.

13. What is your next target in cubing?
I still have to get that darn sub-60 Avg of 12 for 3×3 BLD one day. Ever since 2007 I want to achieve this and also get a sub-1 single in competition. A successful 5×5 BLD in competition would be cool too!

14. Would you come to Indonesia to play with us?
Definitely! Tim, Dennis and me should come and give you some multi-competition.

15. What you hope for Indonesian cuber?
My hope is that your scene keeps growing and that you stop practicing multi and go for feetcubing instead ;D I also hope that Maria get’s some of her NRs back.

Kai Jiptner former Multi BLD WR part 2