Cubing at Hampton Beach 2025

Winter along the Atlantic coast set a sharp backdrop inside Ashworth by the Sea as competitors gathered for a day of intense speedcubing. The hall buzzed with the rhythmic clatter of plastic layers snapping into place, warm lighting cutting through the ocean chill just beyond the glass. Every station saw focused hands turning puzzles with measured precision, while score sheets and stopwatches kept pace with a packed schedule. Hosted in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA on January 18, 2025, the gathering brought together 81 solvers ready to test their speed across six distinct puzzle categories and ten rounds of play.

The 2025 gathering at the oceanfront hotel provided an energetic start to the regional circuit. Operating as a full WCA competition, the event offered classic three-layered challenges alongside larger multi-layered cubes and unconventional geometric shapes. From early morning heats to the tense concluding rounds, the tournament maintained a brisk rhythm. Spectators and peers filled the space around the solving tables, watching standard Rubik's Cube solvers adjust finger positions in real time.

The main event spotlight fell on the 3x3x3 Cube, where 80 competitors battled through three grueling rounds to secure a place in the finals. Derek White delivered a clinical series of solves to claim the championship with a winning average of 7.78 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.04 seconds. The final 3x3 results saw Jacob Schwartz secure second place with an 8.09 average, while Daniel Gutierrez took third on an 8.15 average. White balanced rapid lookahead and smooth turning to stay ahead of a fiercely competitive field.

Daniel Gutierrez enjoyed an exceptional outing across multiple events, capturing two titles during the tournament. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Gutierrez took victory with an average of 2.53 seconds, holding off Saisabari Ramesh, who posted an identical 2.53 average, while Jacob Schwartz claimed third with 2.73. Gutierrez then translated that rapid pace to the twelve-sided Megaminx, winning with a 47.71 average and a tournament-best single of 43.19 seconds. Ramesh took silver on Megaminx with 53.91, followed closely by Schwartz at 57.84.

The larger puzzles demanded both physical stamina and deep spatial recall. Jonah Crosby rose to the top in the 4x4x4 Cube, compiling a 30.29 winning average and a sharp single of 25.94 seconds to finish ahead of Derek White at 32.49 and Chandler Pike at 33.14. Pike quickly answered in the 5x5x5 Cube, taking the crown with a 57.40 average and a 52.12 single. Crosby finished second in the five-layer division at 1:04.86, while Schwartz picked up another podium finish with a 1:06.53 average.

Specialty mechanical puzzles added further variety to the contest floor. In Square-1, a puzzle known for changing shape during mid-solve algorithms, Will Russo earned first place with an impressive 10.02 average and a low single of 8.97 seconds. Saisabari Ramesh secured second place at 14.16, narrowly edging Alex Cohen, who registered a 14.18 average for third place. The technical demands of the shape-shifting puzzle drew close attention throughout the single-round bracket.

Beyond the top podium steps, significant individual progress defined the day for numerous participants. Aaron Farago delivered one of the steepest drops of the meet, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 49.7 percent down to 1:12.65, while also trimming his 3x3x3 mark to 11.30. Nathanael Bettis logged a remarkable 52.2 percent improvement on 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:06.51 personal best and chopped 41.9 percent from his 5x5x5 Cube best to finish at 2:25.94. Hugo Overmars shaved 44.5 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a time of 26.11 seconds, alongside a 23.9 percent drop in 2x2x2 to 4.98. Thomas Lomanno also surged, cutting 42.6 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube mark to hit 1:37.98 while improving his 4x4x4 best to 47.78 seconds.

First attempts at unfamiliar disciplines brought additional milestones across the floor. Caleb Scherzo took on six events at Cubing at Hampton Beach 2025, logging a 21.4 percent personal best of 1:11.97 in 4x4x4 Cube while tackling his first official attempts in Square-1 at 1:06.14 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:19.33. Liam Andrew Alexander O'Toole also completed a six-event workload, recording initial marks of 54.74 in Square-1, 2:01.22 in Megaminx, and 2:35.29 in 5x5x5 Cube. In his first career speed cubing appearance, Nolan Pageau took on two events and posted an initial 12.35 in 3x3x3 Cube and 23.39 in Square-1 to finish 11th. First-timer Owen Silvia made his debut across three events, logging a 1:51.81 in 4x4x4 Cube, 6.29 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 26.18 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

As the final timers stopped, Cubing at Hampton Beach 2025 concluded a full day of high-level competition by the sea. Solvers across every tier walked away with verified times, sharper personal bests, and valuable table experience. The gathering reinforced the steady growth and competitive depth that continue to shape the regional cubing competition circuit as the year gets underway.