Max Park

Max Park was born on November 28, 2001 in Cerritos, California to Schwan and Miki Park.[4][5]

When he was two years old, he was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism and doctors told his parents that he would likely require assistance for the rest of his life.[3] As Max struggled with social and fine motor skills, speedcubing has helped him develop them.[6]

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. It wasn't long before he really began to excel in cubing; at his second competition, he had came in first place in the 6x6x6 event.[3]

Park holds the world record for average of five 4x4x4 solves: 21.11 seconds, set at Bay Area Speedcubin' 21 2019. He used to hold the world record for a single solve of 18.42, before German speedcuber Sebastian Weyer took it in September 2019.[7]

Park holds the world records for single and average of five 5x5x5 solves: 34.94 seconds and 39.65 seconds, set at Houston Winter 2020 and CubingUSA Western Championship 2019 respectively.[8] Prior to Park's first 5x5x5 record, the records for single and 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 holds the world records for single and mean of three 6x6x6 solves: 1 minute, 9.51 seconds and 1 minute, 15.90 seconds, respectively, both set on January 25, 2020 at Houston Winter 2020.[10]

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.[11]

Park holds the world record for average of five 3x3x3 solves with one hand: 9.42 seconds, set on 16 September 2018 at Berkeley Summer 2018.[12] 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.[13]

At the World Championship 2017 in Paris, Park won 3x3x3 and 3x3x3 one-handed and placed 3rd in 5x5x5 and 6x6x6.[14]

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.[15]

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.

Park is one of two cubers to have solved the 3x3x3 in less than 5 seconds in competition at least five times,[16] and one of the two cubers to have achieved at least five sub-6 second averages of five 3x3x3 solves in competition.[17]

Park has autism, and has used cubing to develop his social and fine motor skills.[3][4]

In 2020, Max appeared in the Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers.