Concordia Turning Winter 2026

Elliott Perkins set the standard in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, capturing the marquee 3x3x3 Cube crown with a winning average of 8.02 seconds while securing podium finishes across five different disciplines. Held at Concordia Turners on January 10, Concordia Turning Winter 2026 brought together 92 competitors across 13 rounds of action. Perkins proved untouchable in consistency and versatility throughout the single-day gathering, delivering a 7.47 single on his way to the main title and setting the tone for a packed schedule of speedcubing excellence.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 85 entrants across three elimination rounds. In the decisive final, Perkins held off Chris Yeager, who finished as runner-up with an 8.38 average, and Zachary Johnson, who claimed third step on the podium at 8.73. The 3x3 results underlined the tight margins at the top of the standings, but Perkins maintained control through each solve to seal the central prize of this Rubik's Cube championship.

Perkins was far from finished after securing the main title. In Square-1, he added a second victory to his resume, posting a winning average of 14.37 seconds alongside a meet-best single of 12.28 across two rounds. Jeremiah Storm earned second place with a 15.42 average, followed closely by Charlie Fussell in third at 15.87. Perkins further demonstrated broad mastery across mechanical formats by picking up silver medals in 2x2x2 Cube, Pyraminx, and Skewb, cementing his position as the most dominant competitor in the venue.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw Braxton Lee Fowler produce an electric series of solves to take top honors. Fowler notched a tournament-winning average of 1.66 seconds, highlighted by a best single of 1.28 among 79 competitors. Fowler edged out Perkins, who registered a 2.19 average for second, while Edward Vakula rounded out the podium in third place with a mark of 2.38. Fowler later added another top-three finish to his day by placing third in the 5x5x5 Cube final.

Big-cube enthusiasts were treated to an impressive performance in the 5x5x5 Cube, where Zachary Johnson secured victory with an average of 58.17 seconds. Johnson registered a best single of 54.19 to finish ahead of Ethan McClain, who took second place in 1:00.29, and Fowler, who took third at 1:02.24. In the Pyraminx bracket, Josiah Bell took the top step with a winning average of 2.98 seconds, outlasting Perkins at 3.11 and Alexander Wheeler at 3.98. Skewb action concluded with Emery McFeeter taking gold in 3.99 seconds, ahead of Perkins at 4.17 and Storm at 4.65.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors delivered massive personal breakthroughs across the weekend. Kyle Kirk achieved a dramatic reduction in Pyraminx, posting a personal best of 2.57 seconds that was 65.8 percent faster than his prior mark of 7.52. Max Zvolensky recorded a 5.37 personal best in Pyraminx to go 59.5 percent faster than his earlier best, while also logging a first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:50.49 and a 14th-place Pyraminx finish. Howard Fields IV cut his Pyraminx best down by 56.4 percent to 2.21 seconds, and Logan Aiello took on five events, improving his Skewb mark by 52.3 percent to 6.19 seconds while making a first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 4:05.96.

New milestones and event debuts continued across the tournament boards. Noah Veselsky improved his Pyraminx personal best by 49.9 percent to 8.14 seconds, while Cullen Bender dropped his 2x2x2 Cube standard by 45.2 percent to 4.21. Owen Groh tackled six separate events, logging a 39.7 percent personal best of 8.15 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube alongside maiden official attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:45.14 and Square-1 at 38.73. Matthew Juelfs also expanded his portfolio with a first attempt at Square-1 in 52.54 seconds, alongside a 27.6 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube to 3.05.

First-time competitors made their presence felt across multiple formats during their maiden WCA competition appearances. Zell Phelan entered five disciplines, recording inaugural official times of 6.54 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube, 12.78 in Pyraminx, and 3:33.59 in 5x5x5 Cube. Rowan Rench completed six events, logging first attempts of 16.89 in Pyraminx, 22.78 in Skewb, and 30.64 in 3x3x3 Cube. Finnegan Whaley tackled four events with debuts of 7.48 in 2x2x2 Cube and 17.15 in Skewb, while Emmett Flowers registered first marks of 6.41 in Pyraminx and 18.40 in 3x3x3 Cube.

With eighteen podium positions swept by United States competitors across six events, Concordia Turning Winter 2026 illustrated the incredible depth of regional speed cubing. From the rapid turns of short-format puzzles to the endurance demands of the 5x5x5 Cube, the single-day gathering provided non-stop competitive drama. The 2026 winter schedule delivered a premier cubing competition atmosphere, celebrated through dominant multi-event campaigns, widespread personal bests, and an enthusiastic group of emerging talent in St. Louis.