Burbank Big Cubes 2025

Inside the gymnasium at John Muir Middle School, stacks of puzzle hardware and timing mats lined long rows of tournament tables as ninety competitors gathered for a full slate of big cube action. Officials, runners, and participants moved through morning warmups and stage preparations while the timers were calibrated for high-speed solving. The atmosphere carried the distinct focus of a premier speedcubing gathering, with puzzles ranging from the standard Rubik's Cube all the way up to the massive seven-layered variants waiting for their turns across nine scheduled rounds.

Held on April 26, 2025, Burbank Big Cubes 2025 brought elite speed cubing talent to Burbank, California, USA for an intensive single-day schedule. The program tested stamina as much as finger dexterity, grouping heavy hardware together in a challenging succession of events. With sixty-two competitors entering the four-layer puzzle, fifty taking on the five-layer division, and thirty-six lining up for the grueling seven-layer event, the roster faced a dense gauntlet of rounds that demanded consistent turning accuracy throughout the entire day.

The morning schedule opened with large-format solving, beginning on the outer edge of the hardware spectrum with 7x7x7 Cube. Max Park set an untouchable standard in the single-round contest, logging a winning average of 1:47.68 and securing the round's best single of 1:43.28. Kate Grahame took the second step on the podium with a 2:03.03 average, while Brendyn Dunagan earned third place in 2:23.30. The field showed immense determination on the largest puzzle, navigating mechanical complexity under strict time limits.

Action transitioned quickly to 6x6x6 Cube, where Max Park continued his dominant march by registering a 1:06.07 winning average alongside a best single of 57.69. Kate Grahame collected another silver finish with an average of 1:26.41, while Yunhao Lou of China took third place with a mark of 1:49.93. The relentless pace across the big puzzles underscored the physical and mental stamina needed when transitioning between layer sizes without extended breaks.

The afternoon shifted attention toward 5x5x5 Cube, where fifty entrants contested two rounds of play. Max Park topped the final podium with a 38.48 winning average and a single of 37.48. Brendyn Dunagan claimed the runner-up spot with an average of 47.12, edging out Kate Grahame, who recorded a 49.04 average for third place. In 4x4x4 Cube, Park secured yet another victory with a 20.11 winning average and an 18.86 single, followed by Dunagan in second at 27.73 and Grahame in third at 30.62.

Beyond the championship podiums, the event highlighted breakthrough milestones across the broader field of competitors. David Youn entered three events, achieving a major 3x3x3 personal best of 17.72, which cut forty-two percent off a prior 30.57 mark, while also logging a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube of 8:22.26 and a 12:13.00 in 7x7x7 Cube for a thirty-fifth place finish. Oliver Kelly tackled all five events on the schedule, earning thirty-fourth in 7x7x7 Cube with a first attempt of 9:38.03, taking a first 6x6x6 attempt of 4:51.59, and dropping their 5x5x5 personal best by 30.7 percent down to 2:29.03. Michael Soria shaved 18.1 percent off a previous 4x4x4 best to finish in 1:39.08, while completing initial attempts of 8:54.72 in 7x7x7 Cube and 5:42.93 in 6x6x6 Cube.

Other solvers similarly made the most of their appearances in Burbank. Caleb Cao entered four events and posted an 11.04 personal best on 3x3x3 Cube to improve by 18.4 percent, alongside maiden attempts of 1:42.33 in 5x5x5 Cube and 6:01.52 in 7x7x7 Cube, which brought a twenty-fifth place result. Oumeng Zhang took on four disciplines, logging a best finish of twenty-fourth in 6x6x6 Cube at 3:30.72 as well as first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:36.46 and 7x7x7 Cube at 5:13.33. Liam Cain contested all five events, securing twenty-seventh in 6x6x6 Cube with a 3:58.14 personal best and taking a 49.95 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube, while Preston Lopez and Feodor Ede each navigated their first WCA competition, with Lopez tackling three events including a 20.65 in 3x3x3 Cube and Ede posting a 20.44 single.

The culminating rounds centered on the traditional three-layered puzzle, where ninety competitors battled across three distinct stages to finalize the 3x3 results. Max Park completed an undefeated weekend by capturing his fifth victory, registering a 5.27 winning average and a 4.56 best single. Nancy Liu took second place with an impressive 6.41 average, while Brendyn Dunagan locked up third place with a 7.04 mark in the final round.

As timers were packed away and the John Muir Middle School venue emptied, the full ledger of Burbank Big Cubes 2025 reflected fourteen podium finishes for the United States alongside one for China. The single-day cubing competition closed out a demanding schedule that rewarded technical mastery from standard cubes up to the largest mechanisms, delivering a benchmark standard for California speedcubing as solvers look ahead toward the upcoming season.