By: J.C. Florez

Published February 11th, 1982 – Eagles Scream, Eagle Rock High School

Four years ago in Vietnam, Minh Thai would never have imagined that he would become well known in the United States as master of a toy he’d never even heard of. At that time, when the Eagle Rock senior couldn’t even speak English, he and his family fled from Saigon to America, and to an uncertain future.

Yet Thai mastered the Rubik’s cube the way he mastered English – in no time at all. As a result of his successes, he has written The Winning Solution, a 50-page book outlining his top strategy of solving the puzzle.

Thai’s career as cube master began near the end of the last school year, when he first laid eyes on the fascinating puzzle. It was love at first sight, and within a few days he was able to solve the cube in a matter of minutes.

Last October, Thai won the Western Region Rubik’s Cube-a-Thon held at Magic Mountain. In December, he established himself as national champion in a contest which appeared on “That’s Incredible!”

His success has brought financial rewards in addition to fame. He was awarded a total of $2,500 in cash between the two contests he won, was paid $100 an hour to appear at various May Company stores, and additionally will receive a his book.

Soon Thai may be known internationally for his success in solving the cube. He will represent the United States in an international competition, matching wits and his ability to twist with 21 others from different countries.