Bay Area Slowcubin' 2025

Inside the competition hall at John Muir Middle School, Graham Siggins produced the standout performance of the weekend by successfully solving 61 of 66 cubes in 59:04 during the multi-blind event. The venue, located in San Jose, California, USA, provided a dedicated environment tailored for longer disciplines and intense memorisation. Bay Area Slowcubin' 2025 brought 50 competitors together on February 22, 2025, to contest seven distinct events over eleven scheduled rounds, shifting the focus toward big-cube marathons and complex memory work.

The venue atmosphere remained central throughout the day as the school hall accommodated both rapid turns and quiet calculation. Speedcubing action across the larger layers demanded exceptional stamina from everyone who took a seat at the tables. While standard speed cubing meets often emphasise sprinting on the classic Rubik's Cube, this cubing competition tested patience and high-level execution across extended solving formats, drawing competitors from the USA, Canada, and Hong Kong to test their limits.

Big-cube speed solving saw Kate Grahame capture dual victories with commanding form on the larger puzzles. Grahame earned first place in the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:18.35 and a single of 1:14.28, finishing ahead of Varun Mohanraj at 1:33.35 and An Le at 1:38.03. Grahame returned to the final stage in the 7x7x7 Cube to post a first-place average of 2:04.06 alongside a best single of 2:01.92, while Paul Mahvi took second with 2:18.52 and Mohanraj took third with 2:31.33.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Mohanraj claimed the top step of the podium, securing victory with an average of 48.20 and a best single of 42.76 across 45 competitors. Grahame maintained a relentless pace to finish second with an average of 49.45, just ahead of Mahvi, who captured third with a mark of 49.58. The tight contest across two rounds highlighted the high level of execution required when solving five layers against the clock.

Blindfolded events formed a major pillar of the schedule, requiring complete memorisation before competitors placed blindfolds over their eyes. Siggins added to his multi-blind success by winning the 4x4x4 Blindfolded final in 1:41.67, with Ryan Fong taking second in 7:49.97 and Grahame claiming third in 12:00.00. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Siggins won with a best single of 18.45, edging out Calix Tang who logged an 18.72 single, while Anto Kam placed third with 21.05, demonstrating remarkable accuracy on the standard 3x3 results sheet.

Away from the championship finals, the heart of the tournament emerged through personal progression across the field. Eric Wu entered three events, recording a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 1:14.56 to shave 67.1% off his previous mark, while also securing a fourth-place finish in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a first attempt time of 17:41.00 and tackling 3x3x3 Multi-Blind for the first time with 2/3 in 21:05. Jin Wu tackled four events, cutting his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 45.1% to 2:49.36 and improving his 5x5x5 Cube best by 31% to 2:23.84. Yating Han took on three events, delivering a first ever 7x7x7 Cube attempt of 4:26.43 and a first 6x6x6 Cube mark of 2:40.08 alongside a 6.5% personal best in 5x5x5 Cube of 1:32.50. Alex Carney took on five events, completing first-ever attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 3:11.04, 6x6x6 Cube at 8:42.88, and 7x7x7 Cube at 14:28.00.

The depth of progress continued across the venue floor with several competitors stepping onto the official stage in fresh disciplines. Charmaine Escudero logged a 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 2:33.96, which was 21.1% faster than before, alongside a 7x7x7 Cube personal best of 4:14.52 across three events. Andrew Song took on three events, completing his first 6x6x6 Cube attempt in 2:58.79 and improving his 5x5x5 Cube best by 12% to 1:19.81. Ojas Rao took part in their first WCA competition, logging initial marks in 5x5x5 Cube with 5:53.95 and 6x6x6 Cube with 9:46.61 across two events entered. Vinay Venugopalan also took the floor for their first WCA competition, recording a debut 5x5x5 Cube result of 4:23.83.

Bay Area Slowcubin' 2025 concluded having tested every facet of big-cube speed and memory mastery. From the intense silence of blindfolded solving to the steady rhythm of multi-layer turns, the one-day gathering at John Muir Middle School showcased the dedication demanded by the sport's longest formats. With all eleven rounds completed, the competitors wrapped up an exacting meet in San Jose, setting a solid standard for the remainder of the 2025 season.