The best in the world
Annapolis Royal teenager obliterates cube solving mark while on a pogo stick
@JasonMa47772994
Saul Hafting has bounced his way to a world record.
The 16-year-old Annapolis Royal resident received confirmation Feb. 3 from Guinness World Records officials that he is the new record holder for most rotating puzzle cubes (commonly known as a Rubik’s Cube) solved while on a pogo stick.
He unofficially broke the record on Oct. 9 at the Annapolis West Education Centre (AWEC) in his hometown. He then had to send in all the supporting documentation and wait for it to be processed.
“Before it was great, but it was unofficial,” Saul said Feb. 4. “Now that it’s official, it feels great.”
The previous record was 65, while Saul solved 211 cubes on Oct. 9, which was confirmed by Guinness officials.
“Every cube was successfully solved, so 211,” Saul said of his new record.
Saul said he shared the award with about a dozen other people who took part in the record-setting day. It included witnesses, timers and people scrambling the sixsided cubes before they were
given back to Saul to solve.
He sent them all an email to thank them after receiving confirmation from Guinness.
“If it wasn’t for them, I would not have this.”
Annapolis Royal Deputy Mayor Pat Power called the feat “terrific” and Saul “a remarkable young man.”
“He’s set a wonderful example for the youth in town,” she said. “It’s something he set as a goal for himself and he spent many, many hours and days practising.”
AWEC principal Sue Anne Cooper said Saul is a very focused and determined student.
“It doesn’t surprise me one bit that he set a goal and he
met it.”
She said the school day was over on Feb. 3 before they
the achievement, and then there was a storm day on Feb. 4.
“We’ll make sure to make a fuss on Monday,” she said of Feb. 7. “We’re proud of all of our kids all of the time, but extra proud when they can accomplish something
and be the best in the world at it.”
Saul has long been interested in the Guinness World Records and enjoyed looking through the new book each year.
“I had always thought it would be cool to be in that, but I thought I am never going to be the best in the world at something – there’s no way,” he recalled. “I never thought I’d be able to do it.”
But then he picked up a Rubik’s Cube and became really good at solving them. He then realized he might be able to set a record while incorporating another component to cube solving.
“I got a pogo stick, practised, and now I’m the best in the world,” he said.
If the record sticks through 2021, Saul expects
it will be in the printed edition, “which I will definitely be buying if I am in it.”
Saul said he took a bit of a break from the pogo-bouncing cube-solving but thinks he could better his record, if needed.
“If this one gets broken, I will 100 per cent be attempting to break whoever breaks this one.”