5x5x5 & Sides at UBC 2026

Inside the halls of the University of British Columbia, timing mats flashed green and the quick rhythm of turning plastic filled the room as solvers gathered for a concentrated day of puzzle solving. A focused field of 22 competitors assembled for the one-day gathering, prepared to take on four distinct events spanning five rounds of competition. The atmosphere in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 20, 2026 was defined by close matchups across both big cubes and side puzzles, setting up a demanding test of versatility across varied disciplines.

No competitor left a larger imprint on the standings across multiple events than Peter Barnwell, who climbed onto the podium in three of the four disciplines contested at 5x5x5 & Sides at UBC 2026. Barnwell consistently placed near the top across diverse disciplines, claiming second place on 5x5x5 Cube, second place in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and third place on Pyraminx. His multi-event podium sweep anchored the day, exemplifying the broad skill demanded by the specialized slate in Vancouver.

The 5x5x5 Cube event served as the weekend headliner, drawing 19 entrants through two rounds of competition. Ethan Rusnak took control of the final with a winning average of 1:03.13, bolstered by the fastest single solve of the event at 59.65 seconds. Barnwell followed in second place with an average of 1:10.02, while Isaac Davies claimed the third step of the podium with an average of 1:10.63 in a tight duel for the silver position.

In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Garvey Wong delivered a commanding performance to secure the championship. Wong posted a winning average of 13.30 seconds and registered the round best single of 11.01 seconds among a field of 20 competitors. Barnwell earned his second silver of the day with a 16.86 average, while 5x5x5 champion Ethan Rusnak added another podium finish to his tally by taking third place with a 17.94 average, demonstrating impressive dexterity beyond standard Rubik's Cube solving.

Pyraminx delivered intense, fraction-of-a-second drama as 18 solvers battled in a single deciding round. Naitik Kaushal emerged victorious with a stellar winning average of 2.41 seconds, anchored by the event best single of 1.88 seconds. Nathan Siwen Wang finished just behind in second place with an average of 2.58 seconds, leaving Barnwell to capture third place with a 4.49 average. In Square-1, Eeshir Pannun captured the title among 16 competitors with an 8.58 average and a best single of 5.82, outpacing Anna Moughnie at 11.45 and Luke Zhang at 11.69.

Away from the podiums, the official scorecards at 5x5x5 & Sides at UBC 2026 revealed extraordinary leaps in personal milestones across the board. Jason Liu posted the largest relative turnaround of the day, cutting his Pyraminx personal best to 5.76 seconds, a 56.3 percent improvement over his previous 13.18 mark, while also lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 41.6 percent to 24.54 seconds. Felix Zhou took on four events and reduced his Pyraminx personal record by 49.7 percent down to 4.36 seconds, alongside a 19.2 percent improvement on 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:18.94 average and a 27.37 clocking in his first official one-handed round.

First-time official attempts and multi-event endurance brought further depth to this WCA competition. Rico Nguyen completed their first WCA competition by entering four separate puzzles, logging initial career marks in Square-1 at 1:02.86, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 50.90, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:33.51. Vuong Gia Khang Nguyen logged maiden official solves across three disciplines, registering 2:41.95 on 5x5x5 Cube, 8.92 on Pyraminx, and 40.98 on one-handed. Bobby Moon tackled four events, setting an initial Square-1 mark of 1:30.44 while shaving 35.1 percent off his one-handed best with a 29.21 average. Marlo Petrola improved his 5x5x5 Cube record by 25 percent to 1:20.54, Samuel Li dropped his 5x5x5 Cube best to 1:06.31, and Spencer Fraser improved his 5x5x5 Cube record to 2:04.63.

The single-day schedule showcased the best aspects of speedcubing, offering experienced hands and developing competitors a focused platform to test their progress. Across all five rounds, participants tracked technical milestones, examined their 3x3 results from one-handed attempts, and pushed their personal boundaries. With Canadian competitors capturing 11 podium spots, the event concluded with clear evidence of depth across the regional community.

As another chapter of speed cubing at the University of British Columbia wrapped up, the gathering proved that a compact roster can deliver exceptional quality. Every entrant at 5x5x5 & Sides at UBC 2026 contributed to a dynamic day of competition, establishing fresh personal records and setting high expectations for the next competitive season.