Max Park

Max Park was born on 28 November in the year 2001 in Cerritos, California.[4][5] When Park was two years old, he was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism. His parents, Miki and Schwan Park, were told that he might need lifelong care.[3] Park's motor skills were severely impaired because of his autism and so his mother, Miki Park, taught Park how to solve a Rubik's cube. When Park was 10 years old, he started going to Rubik's cube competitions regularly. According to his parents, Park began cubing because of his autism rather than just a hobby. He started to really enjoy it though, and he learned speedcubing. It wasn't long before he really began to excel in cubing; at his second competition, he came in first place in the 6x6x6 event. Speedcubing and autism therapies have helped him develop better motor skills and his autism as a whole has become less severe.[6]

Park currently holds the world record for average of five 3x3x3 solves: 5.08 seconds set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 29 PM 2022.[7] Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5x5x5 solves 33.02 seconds and 38.45 seconds, both set at Florida Big & Blind Time 2022.[8] Prior to Park's first 5x5x5 record, the records for single and the average of five 5x5x5 solves had been held by Feliks Zemdegs of Australia, who had improved the two records a combined 32 times.[9] Park is the only cuber other than Zemdegs to have set either 5x5x5 record since 11 August 2012.[9]

Park previously held the world record for average of five 3x3x3 solves with one hand: 9.02 seconds, set on 12 March 2022 at Florida Spring B 2022. This record was broken by Patrick Ponce with an average of 8.70 seconds. [10] Park was the first person to achieve a sub-10 second one-handed average in competition, with an average of 9.99 seconds on 13 January 2018 at Thanks Four The Invite 2018. Park also holds the world record single for one-handed solving at 6.82 seconds set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 20 2019, breaking the longest standing cubing world record which was held by Feliks Zemdegs.[11]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 6x6x6 solves: 1 minute, 9.51 seconds and 1 minute, 15.63 seconds, set on January 25, 2020, at Houston Winter 2020 and January 22, 2022, at Baton Rouge Winter 2022.[12]

Park holds the world records for single and mean of three 7x7x7 solves: 1 minute, 40.89 seconds and 1 minute, 46.57 seconds, set at Cubing Nationals 2019 and Houston Winter 2020 respectively.[13]

Park currently holds the world record for average of five Rubik's Cube solves: 5.08 seconds, set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 29 PM 2022. Park holds the world record for average of five 4x4x4 solves: 19.88 seconds, set on April 3, 2022, at Bay Area Speedcubin' 29 PM 2022.[14] He also holds the world record single for the 4x4x4 solve: 16.79, set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 29 PM 2022

Park is the 2-time US National Champion in 3x3x3, 3-time champion in 4x4x4, 2-time champion in 5x5x5, 2018 champion in 6x6x6, 2018 champion in 7x7x7, and 2-time champion in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3x3x3 and 3x3x3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5x5x5 and 6x6x6.[15]

At the World Championship 2019 in Melbourne, Park won 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, 7x7x7, and 3x3x3 One-Handed. Park finished 4th in the 3x3x3 final after winning the first three rounds.[16]

Park is one of two cubers to have solved the 3x3x3 in less than 5 seconds in competition at least five times,[17] and one of the two cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3x3x3 solves in competition.[18]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers, a film about speedcubing largely focus on Feliks Zemdegs and Max Park.