Gros Jouets à Montréal 2024

Inside the halls of the École de Technologie Supérieure, tables were lined with complex multidimensional mechanisms and digital timers as competitors took their stations across two days of focused play. The atmosphere was charged with the steady clack of plastic layers turning at top speed, bringing together 45 solvers ready to tackle the weekend schedule. Taking place over February 24 to February 25, the gathering focused on heavy machinery, demanding patience and physical endurance across 16 total rounds.

Hosted in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Gros Jouets à Montréal 2024 brought regional and visiting talent into direct contention across seven challenging events. Host nation solvers established strong momentum early, earning eight podium placements across the programme. Competitors from the United States secured seven podium finishes, while entrants representing Hong Kong claimed five, and Iran took one. The gathering showcased how versatile the modern speedcubing community has become across high-order layers.

Omar Ellabban paced the Canadian contingent by securing three major titles on the stage. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Ellabban claimed victory with an average of 49.13 seconds, backed by a fast single of 47.30 seconds. He followed with a commanding performance in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:20.58 and a single mark of 1:14.40. His dominance over the larger cubes concluded in the 7x7x7 Cube, where he sealed first place with a 2:09.27 average and a 2:02.60 single.

Burno Li Chak Kwan delivered standout performances for Hong Kong, locking down two event victories. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Li captured first place with an average of 24.33 seconds and a best single of 23.95 seconds. In the Megaminx, Li topped the field with a 33.45 winning average and a single of 32.19. Li also picked up second-place finishes in the 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 events, rounding out a productive weekend of high-order solving.

The blindfolded categories introduced pure concentration to the floor, where competitors rely on memorisation before donning blindfolds. Elliott Kobelansky earned a home victory in the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a single time of 1:21.89, outlasting Caleb Retik and Austin Reed. In the 5x5x5 Blindfolded contest, Tommy Cherry of the United States secured first place with a single of 6:19.87, finishing ahead of Kobelansky and Reed. Cherry also added podium finishes in the standard 4x4x4, 5x5x5, and 7x7x7 events.

Beyond the championship trophies, the floor was filled with personal milestones that defined the competitive spirit. Fergus Chow entered five events and recorded a massive 43 percent improvement on his 5x5x5 Cube mark with a time of 1:43.60, alongside his first official attempts at both Megaminx in 2:30.98 and 6x6x6 in 3:56.73. Marc-André Hébert improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 36.8 percent down to 57.67 seconds and logged his first 5x5x5 result at 1:40.20. Antoine Riverin took on three events, dropping his Megaminx time by 27.1 percent to 2:36.55, while Sullivan Contray carved 24.5 percent off his 7x7x7 time down to 4:33.87.

The progress continued across every tier of experience during the weekend. Brandon Chu reached eighth place in the 6x6x6 Cube while chopping 22.9 percent off his previous best with a mark of 2:22.22 across five events. Catherine Basaly cut 21.8 percent off her 4x4x4 Cube standard down to 43.09 seconds. First-time appearances brought fresh energy, with Jeffrey Vertefeuille completing his first WCA competition across three events, logging a 2:28.58 in 4x4x4, 4:28.40 in 5x5x5, and 2:47.47 on Megaminx. Manu Arcand also took part in his debut competition, recording a 58.69 single in 4x4x4 and a 2:00.30 in 5x5x5.

While enthusiasts often search for standard 3x3 results and classic Rubik's Cube showdowns, this specialised cubing competition highlighted the stamina needed for higher layer counts. Gros Jouets à Montréal 2024 proved how much technical depth exists when solvers move beyond standard speed cubing formats into the largest hardware of the sport. Every round gave competitors an arena to push personal limits as the 2024 calendar heads toward another busy stretch.