CuBeaulieu Craze Comeback 2025

Sixty competitors assembled at Beaulieu Preparatory School across March 29 and March 30 for CuBeaulieu Craze Comeback 2025, taking on 17 rounds across nine distinct disciplines. Speedcubing events demand immediate kinetic execution, where fingers move without pause under the ticking timer. That high-octane pressure stood in sharp contrast to the cerebral patience of slower disciplines, yet the weekend in Midrand, South Africa proved that versatility remains the ultimate currency on the tournament floor in 2025.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a tournament-high 57 competitors across three rounds of intense action. Daniel Rush captured first place on the podium with a decisive winning average of 6.68 seconds, backed up by the event's best single solve of 5.77 seconds. Shivaan Harichander secured the runner-up spot with an 8.10 average, while Juandré Jacobs rounded out the top three with a mark of 10.14. The official 3x3 results solidified South African dominance at the front of the pack throughout the entire bracket.

Daniel Rush was relentless across the schedule, claiming victory in eight of the nine categories staged. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Rush took top honours with a 2.01 average, narrowly besting Ruben Grobler at 2.44 and Shivaan Harichander at 3.05. Grobler, however, delivered one of the weekend's major highlights during the contest by setting an African record average of 1.75 seconds on the 2x2x2 Cube alongside a single solve of 1.63 seconds, demonstrating blistering speed in the fast-paced format.

The single-handed and specialty puzzles saw similar command from the top seeds. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Rush edged out Osman Badroodin with a winning average of 14.47 to Badroodin's 14.53, while Harichander took third at 17.03. Rush also clinched the Clock division with a 9.96 average and a single of 6.44, finishing ahead of Marike Faught at 12.72 and Ian Luies at 12.89. In Skewb, Ruben Grobler halted Rush's clean sweep by taking the title with a 4.77 average and a 3.58 single.

The big cubes showcased endurance and deep technical planning across grueling solves. Rush swept the larger hardware, posting a winning average of 27.93 in 4x4x4 Cube ahead of Grobler's 34.75 and Harichander's 35.74. He continued his run in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 49.03 average over Grobler at 59.49 and Badroodin at 1:01.59, followed by triumphs in the single-round 6x6x6 Cube at 1:26.81 and 7x7x7 Cube at 2:19.67 to cap a historic performance at CuBeaulieu Craze Comeback 2025.

Behind the podium battles, several competitors achieved meaningful milestones across their personal progression. Ethan Pillay cut his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 58.7 percent down to 39.06 seconds while registering his first ever attempts in Clock at 41.24 and Skewb at 16.42. Jason Sudhakaran delivered massive breakthroughs, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 46 percent to 9.69 and his 3x3x3 Cube best by 20.6 percent to 34.78. Heinrich Hechter took on seven events, slicing his Skewb time by 39.9 percent to 8.90 and 3x3x3 One-Handed by 32.1 percent to 38.80 alongside a first ever attempt in 5x5x5 Cube at 3:32.34. Davin Sudhakaran tackled six disciplines, highlighted by an 11th-place finish in Skewb and debut attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:22.72, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 33.92, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:34.99.

Fresh faces and multi-event regulars expanded their repertoires with equally ambitious schedules. Matthew Stott made his first WCA competition appearance, taking on four events and recording initial benchmarks of 3.71 in 2x2x2 Cube, 20.20 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 46.25 in 3x3x3 One-Handed on his way to 23rd place in 2x2x2. Annabel Agapitus also debuted on the circuit with four events, logging 24.39 in 3x3x3 Cube, 1:21.82 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 2:47.00 in 5x5x5 Cube. Ruben van Niekerk recorded a personal best of 9.88 in 3x3x3 Cube to place sixth and logged a 5x5x5 Cube best of 1:38.27 alongside a first 6x6x6 Cube try at 4:35.09, while Cameron Lochrie Mcleod secured 10th in 7x7x7 Cube and improved his 5x5x5 Cube best to 2:34.58.

With 27 podium positions awarded to South African solvers, the gathering highlighted the broad talent pool active in the region. Whether executing rapid turns on the classic Rubik's Cube or managing the marathon concentration demanded by large puzzle arrays, the weekend gave every participant a true test of nerve and preparation. The speed cubing community in Midrand closed out CuBeaulieu Craze Comeback 2025 with memorable milestones, setting a high standard for each cubing competition ahead.