Gravilias Open 2025

Eight distinct events across nine rounds delivered a full spectrum of mechanical puzzles to the tables at IBBG on May 17, 2025. A dedicated roster of 37 competitors gathered in Desamparados, San José, Costa Rica, testing their skill across varied formats that ranged from the rapid turns of the standard Rubik's Cube to the complex geometry of dodecahedrons and non-standard polyhedra. The one-day cubing competition offered a showcase where adaptability proved just as crucial as pure turning speed, challenging entrants to reset their focus across multiple platforms throughout the single-day gathering.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew all 37 competitors through two tense rounds of speedcubing. Christian Rodríguez secured the victory with a winning average of 9.14 seconds, bolstered by a best single solve of 8.10. The 3x3 results showed an exceptionally close finish at the top, as Carlos Andres Gonzaga took the second spot with a 9.18 average. Michael Zúñiga Meléndez rounded out the podium in third place with an average of 9.37, concluding an intense duel where fractions of a second separated the top three finishers.

Fast-paced formats kept the pace swift at Gravilias Open 2025, starting with the 2x2x2 Cube where 34 entrants competed. Daniel Sibaja Salazar claimed the top position on the podium with a 2.90 average and a best single of 2.07. Michael Zúñiga Meléndez followed in second place with an average of 3.12, while Kyle McDonald Trejos took third at 3.17. The side events brought further variety as Isaí Abarca Smith captured the Pyraminx title with a 2.78 average, finishing ahead of Fabricio Guerrero Villalobos at 3.65 and David Calderón Arce at 4.10.

In the Skewb division, Dagne Poveda navigated 23 competitors to take first place with a 3.95 average and a 2.95 single. David Calderón Arce secured second place with 4.49, while Andres Sanchez Ponce earned third with 4.76. Sanchez Ponce found the top step of the podium in Square-1, prevailing among 10 contenders with a winning average of 15.94. Jose Daniel Solano Rodríguez finished second in Square-1 with 16.82, and José Gabriel Madrigal took third place with a 17.98 average.

The larger puzzles demanded immense endurance and technical precision from the field. Michael Zúñiga Meléndez earned victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 34.76 average, edging out Kyle McDonald Trejos at 35.18 and Sebastián Herrera Pomares at 35.44. In the 6x6x6 Cube, McDonald Trejos reversed the order to take the win with an average of 1:40.00, while Zúñiga Meléndez placed second with 1:43.83 and Herrera Pomares finished third with 2:06.20. David Calderón Arce conquered the 12-sided Megaminx, winning the event with a 39.89 average ahead of Dagne Poveda at 47.90 and Isaí Abarca Smith at 53.38.

Beyond the top podium spots, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the spotlight. Fabián Alonso Madriz Chaves entered all eight events, posting an official first attempt in 6x6x6 Cube at 2:45.59 while setting a Square-1 personal best of 53.20, which was 67.8 percent faster than his prior record. Gonzalo Truque took on Pyraminx for the first time with a 22.53 and sliced his 3x3x3 Cube best down to 23.77, an improvement of 53.4 percent. Mathias Coto Díaz made substantial progress in 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.07 personal best, improving by 63.3 percent, while Emiliano Hernández Solano logged his first official 2x2x2 Cube solve at 12.51 alongside a 24.8 percent reduction in his Pyraminx best at 5.47.

New milestones continued across the floor at Gravilias Open 2025 as David Palomo Bonilla registered a first Skewb attempt of 6.86 and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best by 22.7 percent to 20.54. Juan Diego Romero tackled 4x4x4 Cube for the first time with a time of 1:41.16 while competing in five events. Fresh faces also embraced the arena, with Alessandro Gonzalez Araya stepping up for his first WCA competition across five disciplines, highlighted by a 5.66 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 14.92 in 3x3x3 Cube. Sebastián Vega Brenes also attended his debut WCA competition, recording initial marks of 19.38 in 2x2x2 Cube, 33.30 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 20.91 in Pyraminx.

The diverse lineup of events ensured that every competitor at Gravilias Open 2025 experienced the full breadth of modern speed cubing. With all twenty-four podium places claimed by Costa Rican solvers, the single-day gathering in Desamparados demonstrated the depth of the local community across both classic and specialty formats. As the 2025 season progresses, the versatility demonstrated across eight distinct puzzles sets a strong benchmark for the regional community heading into upcoming fixtures.