Carberry Open 2026

Mia Willow Pahl produced the definitive performance of the day in Carberry, Manitoba, Canada, locking down the 4x4x4 Cube crown with a 36.83 winning average and a best single solve of 35.21. Big cubes demand immense endurance, sharp recognition across dozens of moving pieces, and unrelenting consistency on every solve. Pahl demonstrated all three traits inside the Carberry Community Memorial Hall on July 25, 2026, fending off high-level pressure to secure first place ahead of American challenger Addy Coolidge, who recorded an average of 37.46, and Canada Aaron Cox, who took third at 41.87.

The 4x4x4 Cube competition brought together 32 competitors in a demanding single-round battle, highlighting the stamina required when stepping past standard puzzles into larger formats. Managing centre pieces, pairing edges under pressure, and executing parity algorithms require sustained tactical discipline. Pahl set the pace across the entire field, demonstrating how control over complex hardware can define a tournament. It established a high benchmark for the day, anchoring a packed one-day schedule full of competitive drama across five events and eight rounds.

Across the broader weekend, Carberry Open 2026 brought together 46 competitors to test their skills at an official WCA competition. Beyond the larger puzzles, the event showcased classical Rubik's Cube mastery, blindfolded navigation, and short-format sprint puzzles. Canadian athletes dominated the prize tables throughout the meet, earning 14 of the 15 available podium positions across all events. The solitary international podium place went to Coolidge in the 4x4x4 contest, leaving the remaining silverware in the hands of Canadian contenders.

In the 3x3x3 Cube event, three rigorous rounds tested 44 entrants before Keith Wierckx emerged victorious. Wierckx posted the definitive 3x3 results of the tournament, winning the final with an average of 8.64 and logging an event-best single of 8.19. Raphael Fast captured second place with an average of 9.16, while Aaron Cox secured another top-three finish with a 9.95 average. The 3x3x3 bracket demanded clean transitions and composure across multiple heats, setting the standard for speedcubing in the region throughout 2026.

Raphael Fast orchestrated a dominant showing across short-format puzzles, taking titles in both 2x2x2 Cube and Pyraminx. Fast won the 2x2x2 event with an average of 1.94 and a single of 1.71 across two rounds, outpacing Aaron Cox at 2.64 and Wilmer Daniel Almazan Cabrera at 2.87. In the Pyraminx, Fast secured another gold with a 4.04 average and a 3.54 single, narrowly edging Cox who finished right behind at 4.07, while Cabrera placed third with an average of 6.61.

The mental marathon of the day came in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where eleven solvers tackled the task of total memorisation followed by sightless execution. Deven Huard-Bernuy claimed the victory with a standout single solve of 1:39.80, outpacing Rex Kotovich who took second place in 2:38.78. Sean Thorsteinson joined them on the podium in third place with a time of 2:46.66, completing an exacting test of memory and tactile precision in front of the assembled field.

Beyond the podiums, the official scorecards at Carberry Open 2026 revealed remarkable personal breakthroughs from solvers making immense progress. Cain Robert Garrett registered a major stride in the 2x2x2 Cube, delivering a personal best average of 6.23, which was 62.3 percent faster than his prior mark of 16.51. Sef Duhaylungsod tackled four events, slashing 51.9 percent from his 4x4x4 Cube personal best down to 1:52.12 and cutting his 3x3x3 mark by 33.9 percent to 20.82, while also posting a 16.22 in his first ever Pyraminx attempt. Evan Thomas improved his Pyraminx personal best by 54.3 percent to reach 13.25.

First-time attempts and versatile entries expanded throughout the day. Judah Heppner contested five events, establishing a 56.36 in his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 51.2 percent to 3.14. Lauren Charest took on five events and posted a 5:55.45 in her first ever 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve to finish fifth, while dropping her Pyraminx personal best by 40 percent to 7.04. Jude Kneeshaw recorded his first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube with 1:11.24 and Pyraminx with 6.72, and Isaac Johnson marked his first 4x4x4 attempt with 1:33.18 alongside a 36.6 percent drop in 2x2x2 to 3.22. First-time competitor Hyunwoo Lee made a strong debut across three disciplines, clocking 5.03 in 2x2x2, 8.83 in Pyraminx, and 18.39 in 3x3x3.

The depth of competition throughout Manitoba highlighted the continuing vitality of local speed cubing, pairing elite podium performances with personal milestones across every tier of the field. From the endurance required in Mia Willow Pahl 4x4x4 victory to the quick-turn sprints of Raphael Fast, the tournament delivered high-quality racing at every turn. As the 2026 calendar continues, the community departs Carberry with fresh benchmarks established across the board.