Frost-Free Favorites AZ 2025

Seventeen rounds across thirteen official disciplines defined the single-day schedule as 27 competitors gathered in Chandler, Arizona, USA on December 20, 2025. Held at the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church, the tournament presented a rigorous test of endurance and tactical pacing. With four events featuring multiple rounds and nine running as straight finals, participants had to adjust their approach quickly, balancing the measured strategy required for multi-round progression against the all-or-nothing pressure of single-round shootouts.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest, the main draw of the cubing competition, offered a classic two-round structure that rewarded consistency. Jeremy Bulambot navigated both rounds flawlessly, ultimately capturing the title with an impressive winning average of 6.21 seconds and a best single time of 5.58 seconds. Bulambot finished ahead of runner-up Jesse Gonzales, who logged an average of 7.28 seconds, and third-place finisher Nathan Miles, who posted an average of 9.16 seconds. The final 3x3 results underlined how multi-stage rounds allowed top performers to find their rhythm as the day progressed.

Bulambot proved nearly unstoppable across the short-format and specialty events that provided second rounds. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Bulambot posted a 2.21-second winning average alongside a best single of 1.61 seconds to secure first place. Turning to the mechanical dials of Clock, Bulambot claimed another victory across two rounds with a 6.37-second average, holding off Emmett Galli, who took second with 7.25 seconds, and Jett Morine in third at 7.78 seconds. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which also featured a preliminary cut, Bulambot won with an average of 27.44 seconds.

The single-round events created a completely different dynamic, forcing competitors to deliver without the benefit of a warm-up phase. Bulambot added a fifth victory in the direct final of 3x3x3 One-Handed, averaging 10.91 seconds with a single of 9.25 seconds. In Skewb, Sean Paul Dominguez captured the win with an average of 3.92 seconds and a best single of 2.73 seconds, while Quintin Audisho took the Pyraminx title with a decisive 3.10-second average. In Square-1, Galli earned the top spot on the podium with a 20.86-second average, finishing ahead of Avyukth Vaddi at 28.92 seconds and Kyle Green at 1:23.64.

Big cubes demanded intense concentration under the direct final format, where Nathan Miles swept the larger puzzles. Miles took the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 55.74 seconds, ahead of Audisho at 1:08.63 and Samuel Phillips at 1:23.60. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Miles won with a 1:46.71 average, followed again by Audisho at 2:14.13 and Phillips at 2:36.09. Miles completed the big-cube treble in the 7x7x7 Cube final, averaging 2:29.31 to best Phillips at 4:21.08 and Mia Sponseller at 4:31.62. Sponseller earned a victory of her own in Megaminx, winning with a 54.89-second average.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their scheduled events. Vincent Baldassarre took on five events and posted a 39.1 percent improvement on his 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube mark with a new personal best of 14.03 seconds, while also recording his first ever attempts at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.42 single and Skewb with 15.06 seconds. James Wilding entered five events and improved his 3x3x3 best to 18.20 seconds, a 24.1 percent drop, alongside first-time marks of 16.52 seconds in Skewb and 6:57.63 in the 6x6x6 Cube. Austin Lee Gagnon lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 28.5 percent down to 2.68 seconds and posted a Megaminx best of 2:26.29. Jonathan Phillips made huge strides in Clock with an 8.65 personal best, marking a 27.7 percent improvement, while finishing fourth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

Other athletes embraced the challenge across multiple disciplines with notable breakthroughs. Noah Kim contested three events, shaving 21.6 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 33.55-second solve and setting an 18.38-second Pyraminx mark. Brendan McConkey took on five events and registered his first official Clock solve at 44.09 seconds while placing sixth in the 5x5x5 Cube. Joey G. David dropped his Pyraminx personal best by 19.0 percent to 12.10 seconds and his Clock best by 17.7 percent to 26.80 seconds. In their first WCA competition, Eirik Hinds logged three first-ever event attempts, posting 31.61 seconds on 3x3x3 Cube, 9.56 seconds on Pyraminx, and 6.59 seconds on 2x2x2 Cube.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event provided a pure test of memory and nerve in a single-round setting. Matthew Low claimed the title with an average of 1:29.07 and a fastest single of 1:11.12. Audisho took the second-place spot on the blindfolded podium with an average of 1:34.58, while Seth Wilding rounded out the top three with an average of 3:49.15. Solving without visual feedback in a direct final allowed no room for error, rewarding those who executed their memorization sequences with precision.

The action at Frost-Free Favorites AZ 2025 showcased the depth of local speedcubing talent in Chandler. Across seventeen rounds of varied formats, athletes navigated the contrasting demands of multi-round progression and high-stakes single finals. With five titles for Bulambot, a big-cube sweep for Miles, and standout personal achievements throughout the 27-person field, this speed cubing gathering closed the year with a comprehensive exhibition of puzzle-solving skill.