Corner Brook 2025

Two hundredths of a second stood between first and second place when the Pyraminx final wrapped up at Memorial University - Grenfell Campus. That razor-thin margin set the tone for Corner Brook 2025, where Damon Squires of Canada and Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu of Bangladesh engaged in an intense battle across the boards. With 24 competitors assembling for five events and 10 total rounds on March 29, 2025, the single-day gathering in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada proved that regional speedcubing tournaments can produce elite drama.

The Pyraminx showdown delivered the tightest finish of the entire speed cubing schedule. Damon Squires took the title by compiling a winning average of 6.57 seconds, bolstered by a best single of 4.97. Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu pushed the Canadian all the way through the final turn, settling for second place with a 6.59 average. Julian Kim of the United States secured the bronze position on the podium with an average of 7.07, completing an international top three where every single solve counted.

The classic Rubik's Cube main event featured three full rounds of action to narrow the field of 24 down to the ultimate contenders. In the 3x3 results, Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu dominated the final round, taking first place with a stellar 10.48 average and the competition's fastest single solve of 9.97. Damon Squires took the runner-up spot with a 15.67 average, while Julian Kim rounded out the podium in third place at 16.21 after navigating the preliminary stages.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu added another gold medal to his tally, putting together a winning average of 51.78 and a top single of 46.80 across the single-round contest. Julian Kim took second place with a 55.23 average, while Damon Squires claimed third on the podium with a time of 1:03.40. The 2x2x2 Cube final saw Damon Squires strike back to claim top honours, posting a winning average of 4.07 against Julian Kim's 4.35 and Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu's 5.34.

Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app, competed across all five disciplines at Corner Brook 2025 and reached the podium in every one of them. He captured the victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 27.08 winning average and a 22.43 single, finishing ahead of Squires at 36.52 and Rhivu at 39.45. Alongside his gold medal in one-handed solving, Kim secured silver in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.35 average, silver in 4x4x4 Cube at 55.23, bronze in 3x3x3 Cube at 16.21, and bronze in Pyraminx at 7.07.

Beyond the podium battles, this cubing competition served as an entry point for many newcomers and rising local talents. Noah Cornick entered four events and cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 39.1 percent down to 10.39, while logging his first ever attempts at Pyraminx in 11.42 and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 2:01.09. Connor James Pike showed massive progression in Pyraminx, lowering his personal best by 39.1 percent to 6.16 alongside an 11 percent drop in 2x2x2 Cube to 6.01. Oliver Tulk registered an 11.6 percent drop on 3x3x3 Cube to 19.15, an 11.1 percent personal best improvement on 2x2x2 Cube to 5.23, and tackled Pyraminx for the first time with a 6.37 mark on his way to fourth place.

For several participants, Corner Brook 2025 marked their first WCA competition. Josh Bester took on five separate events, achieving a fifth-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube alongside his first career attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:48.27, Pyraminx at 9.61, and 2x2x2 Cube at 10.76. Liam Pynn also completed a five-event slate in his debut, taking sixth place in 3x3x3 One-Handed and logging first marks in 3x3x3 Cube at 27.30 and 4x4x4 Cube at 3:12.10. Jonathan Chafe earned fourth place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an opening effort of 55.48 while also recording a 4.43 in 2x2x2 Cube. Freddie Pauley placed seventh in 4x4x4 Cube with a 2:21.52 debut single, and Scott Langford finished sixth in 4x4x4 Cube after recording 1:35.18 on his first try.

By the close of the single-day schedule at Memorial University - Grenfell Campus, the international spread across the medal table was balanced, with Canada, Bangladesh, and the USA each collecting five podium places. With new personal records logged and multiple debutants making their mark, the local community concluded an eventful 2025 gathering that showcased sharp solving and clutch performances across all five categories.