Auckland Winter Open 2026

Ninety-two competitors gathered in Auckland, New Zealand on June 20, 2026, setting the stage for a concentrated day of high-level puzzle solving. While classic big-cube endurance disciplines like the 5x5, 6x6, and 7x7 cubes demand sustained focus across hundreds of turns, the compact schedule at Freemans Bay Community Hall tested competitor stamina in a different way. Across 13 total rounds and five varied disciplines, the cubing competition required rapid mental shifts from mechanical twisty puzzles to specialized challenges.

The Auckland Winter Open 2026 put speedcubing skills to the test from the morning rounds through to the evening finals. Andrew Feng delivered the standout performance of the day in the premier 3x3x3 Cube, where 90 solvers competed over three full rounds. Feng secured the overall victory with an extraordinary 5.74 winning average and logged the day's best single of 5.15 in the final. His biggest highlight came earlier in the event, where he established a new New Zealand national record single of 4.39 seconds.

The 3x3 results confirmed New Zealand sweep of the podium spots in the main event. Lachlan Gibson captured second place with an average of 7.82 seconds, while Jesse Brooke took third position with an 8.02 mark. Speed cubing fans watching the traditional Rubik's Cube contest saw the standard pushed to new territory with Feng sub-six average and his record-setting single solve across the three intense rounds of competition.

Gibson had an exceptional day across multiple events, claiming two gold medals of his own. In Skewb, Gibson topped a field of 41 competitors across three rounds, posting a winning average of 3.03 and a best single of 1.84. Yuki Gao of China finished second in Skewb with a 3.76 average, while Malaysia's Camerone Chin placed third at 3.85. Gibson doubled his title haul in Clock, taking first place among 37 entrants across two rounds with an average of 2.70 and a best single of 2.24, ahead of Elvis Chung at 3.52 and Dylan Heerikhuisen at 4.04.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, Dylan Himmelfarb produced blistering turns across three rounds to take first place out of 77 solvers. Himmelfarb posted a winning average of 1.51 seconds alongside a single solve of 1.21. Gao earned another silver medal with a 1.65 average, while Feng completed a versatile day by securing third on the podium with a 2.52 average. Feng then added a second title to his haul in Pyraminx, leading 57 competitors across two rounds with a 2.96 winning average and a 2.32 single, finishing ahead of Cooper Jones at 3.23 and Himmelfarb at 3.39.

Beyond the podium finishes, the heart of the weekend lay with competitors making significant breakthroughs across their events. Brody Young took on five separate events and improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.02 seconds, cutting 62 percent off his previous 7.94 mark, while also recording his first ever official attempts in Skewb at 15.20 and Clock at 21.67. Jakob Ridings cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 57.4 percent down to 3.56 seconds from 8.36, while logging his first official marks in Clock at 19.07 and Pyraminx at 6.84. Cullen Milne registered a massive 56.7 percent improvement in Clock with an 11.79 personal best and lowered his Skewb mark to 6.66. Nathan Zhao tackled five events, slicing 48.2 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to reach 1.72 seconds, trimming his Pyraminx mark to 5.57, and recording his first Skewb attempt at 8.64.

The progress continued across the venue as competitors expanded into new events. Zachariah Vicars dropped his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.6 percent to 9.76 seconds and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 35.9 percent to 34.35, while posting his first Pyraminx result of 18.14. Faaiz Reyhan Ali reduced his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 41.5 percent to 19.42 seconds and logged first attempts in Skewb at 12.44 and Clock at 23.52. Elliot Huang completed five events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube time by 40 percent to 4.83 seconds, bettering his Clock time to 22.25, and making his Pyraminx debut with 12.60. Mohamed Raheesh Mohamed Rizwan tackled five events at this WCA competition, recording his first official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 3.26, Clock at 9.15, and Skewb at 10.48.

The Auckland Winter Open 2026 concluded with New Zealand competitors taking 12 podium places, China earning two, and Malaysia collecting one. From the fast-paced sprint rounds to the precision required on the timer, the one-day gathering at Freemans Bay Community Hall brought together seasoned champions and developing solvers alike. With national records falling and personal bests dropping across every bracket, the competition provided a memorable benchmark for the regional community.