ʻEwa Beach Liʻi Malaki 2026

Forty-seven competitors gathered at Honouliuli Middle School on March 28, 2026, creating a spirited day of speedcubing across eight rounds and six official disciplines. As the action unfolded in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, USA, dexterity and tactical control were pushed to their limits. High-speed solving demands acute finger independence, efficient lookahead, and mechanical fluency, qualities that defined the showdowns across every bracket at ʻEwa Beach Liʻi Malaki 2026.

The flagship 3x3x3 Cube drew the entire forty-seven-player field across two competitive rounds. Yuki Nomura delivered exceptional consistency to seize the top step on the podium, logging a winning average of 8.81 seconds alongside the tournament's fastest single solve of 7.59 seconds. Theo Masahiro Hirano took the runner-up position with a 9.62 average, while Anthony Carrillo rounded out the podium at 9.89 seconds. These 3x3 results highlighted the caliber of solving that set the pace throughout the single-day gathering.

Nomura also excelled in the larger puzzles, capturing first place in the 5x5x5 Cube with a sub-minute winning average of 59.34 seconds and a best single solve of 46.77 seconds. Kolby K. Odo secured second place in the event with a time of 1:10.61, followed by Enzo Xuan in third at 1:24.73. Nomura added silver finishes in Megaminx, Pyraminx, and 2x2x2 Cube, bringing a total of five podium finishes back for Japan during the competition.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw a fierce battle across two rounds among forty-two entrants, culminating in a victory for Theo Masahiro Hirano. Hirano logged a decisive 2.88 winning average and a single of 2.11 seconds in the final, having also posted times of 2.68 and 2.92 during the contest. Yuki Nomura took second place with an average of 3.58 seconds, edging Anthony Carrillo who matched the 3.58 average on the scoresheet. This cubing competition featured rapid executions from top to bottom.

In the side events at ʻEwa Beach Liʻi Malaki 2026, Enzo Xuan mastered the dodecahedral Megaminx, taking first place with a 50.91 average and a 46.65 single. Jack Okazaki earned third place in Megaminx with 1:14.21 before claiming the Pyraminx title outright with a 4.60 winning average. Anthony Carrillo took third in Pyraminx with a 6.36 average. Meanwhile, David Akamine conquered the memory-intensive 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, winning with a single of 1:00.86 ahead of Preston Chambers at 2:34.86 and Jack Okazaki at 4:35.72.

Behind the trophy presentations, numerous athletes registered major personal milestones that defined the depth of the weekend. Walid Immanuel Hamzeh posted massive drops, improving his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 8.48 seconds, which was 54.4 percent faster than his prior mark, while trimming his Pyraminx best by 48.3 percent down to 10.24 seconds and taking twelfth overall. Ka'ilihau Panquites took on four separate events, logging a tenth-place Pyraminx debut in 9.38 seconds, a first 5x5x5 Cube mark of 3:06.22, and cutting 20.3 percent from their 3x3x3 Cube best with a 15.36 average.

Other competitors seized the opportunity to test new puzzles or lower longstanding marks across multiple events. Rynn Yanes made first career attempts in Pyraminx with a 12.02 and 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.92, while dropping their 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube time by 23.4 percent to 17.82 seconds. Julian Dior Egante slashed 44.1 percent off their previous 2x2x2 Cube mark to finish at 8.82 seconds. Rohan Sudagar dropped their Pyraminx best by 35.2 percent to 8.86 seconds and cut 34.2 percent in 2x2x2 Cube to hit 4.71. Landon Luna tackled Pyraminx for the first time with an 11.72 to place thirteenth, alongside a 16.8 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube down to 4.81.

First-time entrants also made their official marks on the circuit during this WCA competition. John Bayse completed his first official tournament by entering three events, recording debut marks of 17.88 in 2x2x2 Cube, 51.56 in 3x3x3 Cube, and a twenty-first-place 17.78 in Pyraminx. Dylan Hart registered initial official marks across two events, completing a 7.94 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 35.49 in 3x3x3 Cube. These breakthrough efforts brought palpable excitement to the tables across the entire schedule.

With thirteen podium placements for competitors representing the USA and five for Japan, ʻEwa Beach Liʻi Malaki 2026 offered a comprehensive showcase of local and visiting talent. From the meticulous coordination required in blindfolded solving to the frantic pace of short-puzzle finals, speed cubing in the islands demonstrated remarkable depth as competitors look forward to carrying their personal records into the next season.