SportsCenter’s ’50 States in 50 Days’: Producer Jessica Shobar reports from the Rubik’s WCA World Championship
Don't blink or you'll miss myriad color-matching square puzzles solved in seconds; Shobar and anchor Kevin Negandhi are in Seattle to cover the start of a mind-bending tournament
The Rubik’s Cube celebrates its 51st birthday this month.
For some who have encountered Professor Ernő Rubik’s invention, designed initially as a teaching tool for his architecture students in 1974 before it became a worldwide phenomenon, 51 years is not enough time to solve the color-matching puzzle.
Thursday, however, more than 5,000 fans and competitors will be in the Seattle Convention Center to watch the best “speedcubing” experts on the planet solve the “Magic Cube” in mere seconds, repeatedly, until champions are crowned this weekend.
ESPN will be covering the Rubik’s WCA World Championship as part of the SportsCenter’s “50 States in 50 Days“ tour (6 p.m. ET). Bureau producer Jessica Shobar, fresh from teaming with Randy Scott to report on the “Midnight Sun” baseball game in Fairbanks, Alaska (see below), will cover speedcubing’s World Championship live with anchor Kevin Negandhi.
Shobar, who will be covering seven events during the 50-day tour, answered a few questions for Front Row:
How much did you know about “speedcubing” before you got this assignment?
Every once in a while, you’ll see a viral clip of a new world record, but that was the extent of my knowledge. I don’t think I’m any closer to being able to solve a Rubik’s Cube, but I do think I’ve learned a ton about speedcubing and a few of the competitors. More importantly, I’ve learned that it is a very welcoming community of people.
What’s the most impressive speedcubing demonstration you’ve seen?
I’ve watched a ton of YouTube clips of World Record performances. Max Park is amazing to watch, especially on the larger cubes. His world record for the 7×7 is a mesmerizing 95 seconds.
What’s the biggest challenge for you covering this event?
The biggest challenge for the assignment is figuring out the best way to film speedcubing to get the best look at it. For the sports we cover frequently, such as football and basketball, we know exactly where to be and what it will look like. Having never attended a speedcubing competition, I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know the cadence of how the competition will progress and what the “money shot” will be.
