Every solve begins the same way. With palms down on a digital timer, Harris Chan dips his upper body in an apparent hunkering-down motion and seizes the Rubik’s Cube.
At the Toronto Open in January, the cube delivered. Not eight seconds after he picked up the scrambled puzzle, Harris tossed it down solved.
The 16-year-old had set a North American record and missed the world’s fastest time by just .25 seconds. Dutchman Erik Akkersdijk has owned that honour since the 2008 Czech Open, when he finished in 7.08 seconds.
"Yeah, I've met him," Harris says when asked.
There are a few things to know about Harris. He is a likable, well-spoken Grade 11 student who lives in Thornhill. His family emigrated here from Thailand when he was 10. He speaks English, Thai and a little Cantonese. He is the son of an economics professor mother and a father who works in customer services. And, finally, Harris is colour blind. He uses a special cube with brighter stickers so the green and orange squares are more distinct.
The last time most of us heard anything about the Rubik’s Cube, leg warmers and shoulder pads were in fashion. Back then, one-fifth of the world tackled Erno Rubik’s invention, a tool the Hungarian professor used to explain three-dimensional geometry.
Most gave up on ever seeing the coloured blocks neatly arranged again. Others peeled off the stickers and pasted them back on so it looked as if they had figured it out.
Harris picked up his first cube at age 12 and, despite being a math whiz – earning a 99 per cent average last year – also hit a block.
“I was up to the first layer, and after that I was stumped just like everyone else,” he says.
But the internet has made it easier for “cubers” to share solutions. Instead of reinventing the wheel, they can now focus on memorizing the steps and increasing their speed.
“It’s a mix of recognition, speed and also looking ahead," Harris says. "Most people simply concentrate on the thing they’re doing. Once they’re done that they have to look around for the next [move].”
He signed up for Canada’s first official speedcubing competition in 2007 and has since matched wits in the one-handed, blindfolded and 4x4 contests. But his favourite is the main event, the 3x3.
After some prodding, Harris confirms he has beaten the current world record time, although not in official competition. Maybe next time, people will be watching.
The Spring 2010 Toronto Open takes place on Saturday, March 27 at Seneca College Residence & Conference Centre, 1760 Finch Ave. E.
To see Harris solve the Rubik's Cube in 7.33 seconds, click here.