Imbabura Open 2025

Seven victories across sixteen events defined an extraordinary weekend in Ibarra, Ecuador, as Luis Fernando Aldás Cuestas orchestrated a masterclass across nearly every corner of the schedule. Staged across January 25 and January 26, 2025, at Unidad Educativa San Francisco, Imbabura Open 2025 brought 31 competitors together across 20 rounds of high-intensity puzzle solving. Aldás Cuestas set an unmatchable standard by collecting titles in blindfolded disciplines, side events, and one-handed solving, anchoring a gathering that celebrated both versatility and raw speed.

The centerpiece of any cubing competition remains the classic 3x3x3 Cube, where 30 competitors battled through three rounds for the top podium spot. Sebastián Joel Herrera Manangon emerged as the premier solver of the weekend, capturing the title with a tournament-winning average of 11.47 seconds after delivering a best single of 9.73. Emilio Andre Garzón Labre secured second place with an average of 12.32, while Ariel Vacacela claimed third with 12.76. The 3x3 results served as the focal point of the main stage, showcasing fierce precision on the standard Rubik's Cube.

Garzón Labre enjoyed his own moment at the top of the podium in the 2x2x2 Cube, an event featuring 21 competitors over two rounds. He captured the championship with an exceptional final average of 2.98 seconds, backed by a best single of 2.79 in the final round and a 2.72 effort earlier in the event. Jeremias Hidalgo Viveros of Colombia took second place with a 3.55 average, while Aldás Cuestas earned third on a 4.24 mark. The event sparked rapid times across the roster, including personal highlights from competitors representing both Ecuador and Colombia.

While sprint events brought rapid-fire action, Ariel Vacacela established an absolute grip over the large cube categories. Vacacela swept the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 47.17 seconds, outlasting Aldás Cuestas who recorded 50.27 and Garzón Labre who finished third at 1:00.23. Vacacela then expanded his supremacy by winning the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 1:29.43, the 6x6x6 Cube in 2:38.98, and the grueling 7x7x7 Cube with a 4:18.27 mark. His big cube sweep cemented his status as one of the standout performers of Imbabura Open 2025.

Even with Vacacela sweeping the large hardware, the defining storyline of this WCA competition belonged to Aldás Cuestas. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, he edged out Vacacela by eleven hundredths of a second, clocking a 26.32 average against Vacacela's 26.43, with David Alejandro Ibarra Marin finishing third at 28.22. Aldás Cuestas went on to secure titles in Clock with a 9.22 average, Skewb with a 5.68 average, and Megaminx in 1:21.50. His unmatched stamina carried over to specialty events, where he claimed first in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 44 moves, 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:32.37 average, and 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by solving 4 out of 4 cubes in 13:20.

Beyond the championship trophies, this speedcubing weekend provided a platform for notable individual breakthroughs across the ranks. Juan Manuel Ruano Viveros took on 5 events and posted a massive 42.7 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 3.33 seconds, alongside an 8.82 in Skewb that was 40 percent faster than his previous best. Abril Cabezas Moreno entered 8 events, cutting 54 percent off his previous best in Skewb to hit 9.46, lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 27.4 percent to 32.99, and attempting Clock for the first time with a 19.39. Mateo Jose Montenegro España improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 35.5 percent to 14.31, while Marcelo Gabriel Torres Garrido tackled 5 events, cutting 18.3 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to post 15.62.

First-time achievements continued to elevate the energy throughout the venue. Alan Ismael Chandi Jara competed in 4 events, recording his first Clock attempt at 12.42 to finish 7th while notching a 6.73 in Pyraminx that was 7.8 percent faster than before. Inti Kenai Landázuri Tobón shaved 18.3 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 16.87 seconds, while Juan Guillermo Freile Navas trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube best by 7.1 percent down to 17.79. Meanwhile, Ian Josué Peñaloza Zumbana attended his first WCA competition, establishing his baseline in 3x3x3 Cube with a time of 37.44.

The remaining rotation rounded out an extensive program of speed cubing excellence in the Imbabura province. Ivan Alexander Bonilla Morales captured the Pyraminx crown across two rounds with a winning average of 5.99 seconds, while Steven Daniel Dueñas Anisete clinched the Square-1 championship with a 19.87 average. Across all events, competitors from Ecuador earned 40 podium spots, alongside 4 for Colombia. As the final puzzles were locked away, Imbabura Open 2025 concluded having displayed an extraordinary demonstration of range, dedication, and precision.