Hurry Up Hutt Valley 2026

Inside the Epuni Community Hall, the rhythmic clicking of plastic mechanisms filled the air across two days of intense competition. Tables were arranged precisely beneath the venue lights as 35 competitors took their places on January 10 and 11, focused on turning rapid finger movements into stable results. The weekend in Lower Hutt, New Zealand proved that victory in speedcubing rarely comes down to a lone lucky attempt. Instead, it was steady execution across every round that defined the podium standings at Hurry Up Hutt Valley 2026.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a full field of 35 competitors through three demanding rounds. While the single solves drew plenty of attention, the standard Rubik's Cube title went to Dwyane Ramos, who demonstrated unmatched control across the entire final. Ramos logged a standout single of 6.01 seconds, yet his winning average of 6.95 seconds truly separated him from the chasing pack. In the 3x3 results, that unwavering consistency ensured he finished comfortably ahead of the competition across five solves.

Ramos extended that rock-solid standard across several complex categories throughout the 2026 fixture. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, he captured first place with an impressive 9.32-second average to accompany a best single of 8.31 seconds. Transitioning to the larger puzzles, Ramos secured top honours in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:25.55 average, beating Australia's Sora Sato at 1:31.55 and New Zealand's Liam Wadek at 1:58.83. Ramos then added the 7x7x7 Cube title with a 2:18.36 mark, again ahead of Sato, before closing out Square-1 in first place with a 9.98-second average.

Alexander Vujcich delivered an equally disciplined masterclass across multiple disciplines at this cubing competition. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Vujcich secured victory with a crisp 1.82-second average and a single of 1.13 seconds across three rounds. He doubled down in 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 23.20 seconds against 26 challengers. Vujcich also claimed the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 45.08 seconds, narrowly holding off Ramos at 46.61 and Sato at 47.66, before sealing the Megaminx crown with an average of 29.61 seconds.

Away from the top steps, substantial progress unfolded across the floor as competitors shattered their previous standards. Jigs Ibarra took on six events and improved their Pyraminx personal best to 3.55 seconds, an impressive 51.7 percent faster than their previous benchmark, while also registering a first career Skewb mark of 7.08 seconds. Hanson Xu made big strides across five events, dropping their Pyraminx personal best to 4.02 seconds for a 50.6 percent cut and achieving a best finish of 10th in 3x3x3 Cube. Joshua Mackersy posted a Clock result of 28.63 seconds in their first ever attempt at the puzzle and lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best to 16.33 seconds, a 23.9 percent improvement. Lucas Chin entered six events, reaching 19th in 4x4x4 Cube with a new personal record of 47.90 seconds, 26.7 percent faster than before.

Veteran competitors and absolute newcomers made their presence felt in equal measure at the venue. Andrea Cochrane reduced their Pyraminx mark to 7.95 seconds, a 41.2 percent improvement, while also carving 38.7 percent off their Skewb best with a 10.23-second solve. Fletcher Johns entered five events, slicing 14.9 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube time to hit 19.30 seconds. Devon Scott took part in their first WCA competition, logging initial marks across five events including a 24.17-second 3x3x3 Cube effort. Conan Thingba also experienced their first WCA competition, recording first-time results in five categories including a 12.75-second 2x2x2 Cube solve.

Short-puzzle specialists and blindfolded solvers produced thrilling moments of their own. In Clock, Lachlan Gibson delivered a winning average of 2.57 seconds, edging Jack McDougall at 4.51 and Numair Malik at 4.92. McDougall bounced back to claim the Skewb title with an average of 3.19 seconds. Dylan Himmelfarb claimed top honours in Pyraminx with a 3.18-second average, holding off Ramos at 3.38 and McDougall at 3.52. In blindfolded disciplines, Tom Nelson took first place in both 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 25.37-second single and 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 2:18.78 solve.

Across 14 events and 30 total rounds, Hurry Up Hutt Valley 2026 illustrated that composure under pressure remains the ultimate decider in high-level speed cubing. Competitors from New Zealand claimed 34 podium positions alongside eight for Australia, completing a memorable weekend of competition in Lower Hutt. As equipment was packed away and timers were switched off, the focus on reliable, repeatable execution stood as the defining theme of the tournament.