Andrew Netmaker makes impressive short work of his Rubik's Cubes. (Facebook/ Dustin Lariviere)

By Nigel Maxwell

Puzzle master

Pinehouse teen a whiz at solving Rubik’s Cube

May 2, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The Rubik’s Cube has baffled and frustrated people for over 40 years, but a 13-year-old boy from the northern village of Pinehouse has mastered it.

A recent video submitted for the ‘Pinehouse Got Talent’ contest shows Andrew Netmaker solving not one or two of the 3D combination puzzles, but five in just over two minutes. Netmaker told paNOW he has only been practicing for just over a year.

“I guess I was just wanting a new hobby,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was doing back then, I just wanted to look cool for my friends.”

Despite Netmaker’s lack of knowledge at the time about the mysteries of the small multi-coloured cubes, he was instantly hooked. And while he acknowledges he has a talent, Netmaker remains humble.

“I don’t think I’m very special. There’s a lot of other people that I have met online that can do this same thing,” he said.

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Netmaker lives with his grandmother at Pinehouse, Gloria Janet Iron gets the credit for buying her grandson his first Rubik’s Cube.

“I didn’t know what he was talking about at first and then I didn’t know how great he was until he started showing me,” she said. “He is completely self-taught.”

The video showing Andrew in action was posted Friday night and within five hours had already been viewed more than 4,200 times.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell