Brisbane Newcomers 2025

Vaibhav-Jai Ravipati delivered an exceptional double victory on March 2, 2025, capturing titles in both 2x2x2 Cube and Skewb at Brisbane Newcomers 2025. Held inside the YMCA Community Centre Redlands (The Link) in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, the competition floor was constantly active across nine rounds of play. Ravipati set the tone early in the 2x2x2 Cube event by logging a winning average of 2.26 seconds alongside a best single solve of 1.42 seconds, leading a packed field of 71 entrants.

The YMCA Community Centre Redlands venue provided a focused setting for speedcubing enthusiasts gathered in the Brisbane region. A total of 91 competitors took part in the one-day WCA competition, testing their skills across four diverse events. The schedule featured 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube, Pyraminx, and Skewb, keeping solving stations turning continuously throughout the day. With Australian and Malaysian competitors sharing the honors on the podiums, the competition hall buzzed with intense solving runs from morning through late afternoon.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest gathered 88 competitors across three full rounds of classic Rubik's Cube solving. Joseph Burnett emerged at the top of the 3x3 results, capturing the championship with an 8.27 average and securing the single best solve of the event at 7.17 seconds. Matthew Ban of Malaysia finished in second place with an 8.55 average, while Australia's Jamie Otsu rounded out the podium in third with an average of 8.65 seconds.

In the Pyraminx competition, Matthew Ban returned to the winner circle, taking the title with a swift 2.90 winning average and a 2.29 single across two rounds featuring 54 competitors. Ravipati earned the runner-up position with a 3.48 average, while Joshua Ban claimed third place with a 3.67 mark. The Skewb event then saw Ravipati secure his second gold of Brisbane Newcomers 2025, recording a 3.81 average and a 2.31 single to lead a 34-competitor bracket over Elijah La Porte and Connor Theodore.

Beyond the top podiums, the cubing competition saw remarkable personal milestones from athletes who rarely reach the award tables. Joash Harrison competed in four disciplines, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 67.9 percent to 3.98 seconds, taking 20.2 percent off his 3x3x3 mark down to 16.24, making a first Skewb attempt of 13.85, and earning a 13th-place finish. Ethan Truong reduced his 3x3x3 Cube best by 48.7 percent to 19.79 seconds while recording first-time attempts of 4.94 in 2x2x2 Cube and 16.60 in Pyraminx. Harvey McGarry slashed 45.4 percent from his previous 2x2x2 mark to register 3.83 seconds, alongside initial tries of 9.31 in Pyraminx and 11.88 in Skewb. Jurien Weller improved his 3x3x3 Cube standard by 44.1 percent to 11.58 seconds, dropped his Pyraminx time by 33.1 percent to 6.43 for a 16th-place finish, and improved his 2x2x2 best to 3.43 seconds.

Fresh debuts and significant leaps highlighted the depth of the weekend field. Micah Sharein dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 36.4 percent to 11.83 seconds while completing his first Pyraminx solve in 10.20 seconds. Oliver Green improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 31.5 percent to 13.89 seconds while completing his first attempts in Pyraminx at 17.32 and Skewb at 31.61. Nate Baldwin dropped his 3x3x3 Cube time by 24.4 percent to 24.79 seconds and recorded initial official marks of 12.98 in Pyraminx and 17.03 in Skewb. Taking on their first official tournament, Canada's Roland Hapke tackled four events, producing debut marks of 10.74 on 2x2x2 Cube, 1:10.66 on 3x3x3 Cube, and 23.90 on Pyraminx.

The 2x2x2 Cube tournament proved to be one of the most prolific contests of the day for milestone times. In the final round, Ravipati took top honors ahead of Joshua Ban, who finished second with a 2.52 average, and Elijah La Porte in third with 2.68. The early rounds also saw a flurry of fast marks, including single attempts of 1.62 from both Ravipati and Nate Garthon, alongside personal and national standard marks posted across the board.

Altogether, Australian competitors captured eight podium spots while Malaysian entrants claimed four across the four scheduled events. The community setting at the YMCA in Redlands proved to be an effective backdrop for both high-level speed cubing and grassroots progress. As Brisbane Newcomers 2025 concluded its single-day schedule, the local scene closed another successful chapter on the 2025 calendar with new milestones registered across every puzzle category.