GEORGETOWN, Ky. — At age 8, Luke Griesser became obsessed with mastering the Rubik's Cube and working magic with his hands.
"I thought, 'Ooh, that's interesting.' So, I just took it and then I went to my computer and then I learned how to solve it," Luke said.
Now at age 14, he is considered one of the best “cubers” in the world.
"Yeah, I used this cube and then I got a 642 average, which put me 14th in the world. And that was a year ago. So, I'm probably a little bit faster now," he said.
Fast enough that this eight-grader holds the 14th fastest average as a speed-cuber in the world, and is also considered one of the best in Kentucky.
"I think he's a problem solver and this puzzle really intrigued him and he wanted to learn how to solve it and so he did," said his father Keith Griesser.
Solving complex 3-D puzzles has always come easy to Luke — his ability to see the color combinations while calculating algorithms allow him to easily master even the most complex cubes.
"So, the first step that I look for is to make this white cross. And then this is an edge and this is a center so these have to be aligned. So then I'm looking for blocks like that to put in where they belong," Luke said. "So, I just do that four times and then you have the first two layers solved."
Currently, Griesser’s cube solving average is 6.42 seconds, with his fastest solve in competition being 5.48 seconds, and his fastest solve at home being just 3.63 seconds.
"I'm sponsored by The Cubicle. I don't exactly get paid, but they will pay for like flights and competition fees and everything," Luke said. "And then every now and then they'll send me a cube to test out. It's pretty fun."
Fun. Emotional. Interesting. Complex. Just a few words that might describe Luke’s passion to cube. His dad Keith is proud.
"I'm proud of the work that he's put in, Keith said. "It's something that he was interested in, but it took work and it took a lot of work and he continues to practice. I'm going to be his biggest fan."