YouTuber Solves Rubik's Cube in 22 Seconds While Skydiving

Solving a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds is impressive enough on solid ground, but Tom Kopke decided to raise the stakes by doing it while falling through the sky.

The 23-year-old German YouTuber broke the Guinness World Record for fastest Rubik's Cube solve during freefall, completing the puzzle in just 22.333 seconds on February 17 in Mossel Bay, South Africa. He beat the previous record of 28.250 seconds set by Australia's Sam Sieracki in 2023.

Kopke, a medical student currently living in Johannesburg, says the mental challenge was the hardest part. "In order to be focused on solving a Rubik's Cube, you need to be relaxed and not thinking about, 'Oh my God, I'm going to die,'" he told CBC Radio.

The physical demands added another layer of difficulty. Wind resistance at 200 kilometers per hour meant gripping the cube much tighter than normal, and he had to complete the puzzle before his earpiece beeped to signal it was time to pull his parachute.

To prepare, Kopke spent five weeks learning to skydive and practiced solving cubes on his couch while listening to wind sounds through headphones. On the ground, he typically solves puzzles in about 15 seconds, sometimes as fast as nine seconds on a good day.

It took four attempts before he nailed the record-breaking solve, belly-up with the wind at his back. "You just lock in on the cube," he said simply.

Why This Inspires

Kopke's achievement shows what happens when someone refuses to let limitations define what's possible. He didn't just break a record; he proved that focus and preparation can help us accomplish extraordinary things, even in the most extreme circumstances.

His YouTube channel documents similar high-stakes adventures, including winning Gloucester's dangerous cheese-rolling race where competitors chase a wheel of cheese down a steep hill. While his family hopes he'll stick with medicine, Kopke's heart clearly belongs to pushing boundaries and sharing those experiences with the world.

His next goal is breaking the record for most Rubik's Cubes solved while running a marathon, though he admits exams might put his adventures on pause for now.