Burnaby Winter 2026

The competition floor inside the Bonsor Recreation Complex was a blur of rapid turns and tumbling timers as 82 competitors gathered for a packed day of solving. Speedcubers from across the region arrived ready to test their skills over 11 distinct rounds across five official disciplines. While the podium battles drew intense focus, the atmosphere throughout the hall was defined just as much by the collective push for personal milestones across every stage of the schedule.

Burnaby Winter 2026 brought high-level speed cubing action to Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, on February 21, 2026. The single-day cubing competition showcased everything from the lightning pace of the smaller puzzles to the strategic precision required for specialized formats. With competitors eager to establish new benchmarks early in the year, the tournament delivered substantial drops in personal bests alongside sharp finishes at the very top of each event ranking.

The classic 3x3x3 Cube contest, universally recognized as the centerpiece of any Rubik's Cube gathering, featured a massive field of 79 entrants battling through three competitive stages. Brian Sun of Canada emerged on top of the 3x3 results, capturing victory with a winning average of 7.84 seconds and securing a best single time of 6.39 seconds. Canada's Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez pushed the champion to the wire, earning second place with a 7.89 average, while Ethan Rusnak rounded out the Canadian podium sweep in third with a 7.97 average.

Canada's Kevin Lê orchestrated a dominant campaign across multiple categories, securing two tournament victories during the meet. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Lê took the title across three rigorous rounds with a winning average of 2.15 seconds, backed by a quick 1.63 single. The battle for the remaining podium spots was decided by microscopic margins, as Ishaan Bansal of the USA took second place with a 2.57 average, edging out compatriot Saharsh Sai Vontela, who also logged a 2.57 average for third. Lê doubled his gold tally in Skewb, taking first place with a 4.08 average over two rounds, besting Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez at 5.06 and Justin Chew at 5.27.

Away from the main stage, the true heartbeat of the gathering was visible in the dramatic time drops achieved across the field. Cheh Alexander Christopher delivered one of the weekend's most eye-catching improvements, slashing his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 12.19 seconds, which was 61.6 percent faster than his prior 31.73 mark, alongside a 3.58 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube that was 41.6 percent quicker. Ayan Agarwal entered five events, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.19 seconds that trimmed 60 percent off his old mark, while also logging a first ever attempt at Skewb in 5.49 seconds and finishing 14th in Pyraminx. Tyler Luc lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 57.3 percent to 6.04 seconds, while Altair Arumaga cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 55.7 percent down to 28.78 seconds.

The progress continued across a broad range of events as competitors expanded their repertoires at this WCA competition. Nate Murray made his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 6.74 single and improved his 2x2x2 Cube time by 51.3 percent to 3.98 seconds. Victor Aja Yera tackled five events, achieving a best finish of 27th in 3x3x3 One-Handed while dropping his personal best in that event by 43.1 percent to 32.40 seconds. Charles Coates recorded a 33.7 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.52 mark and posted a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 10.95 seconds. Connor Milloy took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 7.83 single and a 15.55 on his first Skewb attempt.

In the Pyraminx division, Nathan Wang of China captured the title over 58 competitors, delivering a winning average of 2.67 seconds and a tournament-best single of 1.92 seconds across two rounds. Callen Kleij of Canada took second place on the podium with a 3.29 average, while Saharsh Sai Vontela earned third with a 3.33 average. The single-round 3x3x3 One-Handed event saw Jose Miguel Valdes Rodriguez claim the top step with a winning average of 14.44 seconds and a best single of 12.19, finishing ahead of Ethan Rusnak at 15.81 and Callen Kleij at 16.37.

With Canadian competitors taking 11 podium places alongside three for the United States and one for China, the day concluded as a celebration of both elite execution and widespread personal milestones. Burnaby Winter 2026 proved that every competitor standing at the solving stations brought immense dedication to the tables, leaving the local speedcubing community with dozens of fresh personal records and an energized outlook for the competitive season ahead.