Mahalo iā Maui 2025

Inside the peaceful grounds of the Paia Mantokuji Soto Zen Mission, the steady click of rotating puzzle layers and the slap of hands hitting timing mats filled the room. Solvers gathered in Pāʻia, Hawaii, USA, on November 8, 2025, taking their seats at the tables for an intensive single-day schedule. Across 16 rounds of action, competitors pushed their turning speed to the limit, setting a determined pace right from the morning scramble.

The most dramatic battle of the weekend came down to a razor-thin gap in the Clock event. Evan Liu secured first place with an average of 5.52 seconds, but Chris Martin stayed right on his heels, posting an average of 6.76 seconds to capture second place by just over one second. Benjamin Knutsen locked up third place with a 13.35 average, capping off a tense podium race that kept judges glued to the timers until the final solve was logged.

That clock duel proved to be one of 14 victories for Evan Liu during an extraordinary performance across every discipline at Mahalo iā Maui 2025. In the classic Rubik's Cube, Liu delivered standout 3x3 results by capturing the title with an 8.56 average and a sharp 7.23 single across two rounds of play. His versatility was evident from the start, as he dominated short-format sprint puzzles alongside the most mathematically taxing events on the schedule.

Liu maintained that commanding form in the smaller formats, taking top honors in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.64 winning average and a 2.13 single over nine competitors. In Pyraminx, Liu finished atop the standings with a 5.33 average, while recording a 6.14 average in Skewb ahead of Shain Papalotl Longbehn at 9.87 and Benjamin Knutsen at 11.27. Square-1 saw Liu take first in 14.92 seconds, and he secured 3x3x3 One-Handed with a clean 14.81 mark.

Away from the main table victories, several solvers achieved breakthrough marks that the final podium standings often conceal. Ethan Leonard took on seven events at the cubing competition, producing a 39.8 percent improvement on his 2x2x2 Cube personal best with a 4.40 single, trimming his Square-1 best by 9.7 percent to 45.55 on his way to sixth place, and notching a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a time of 12.34. Aiden Leonard entered four disciplines, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 21.8 percent to 21.32, slicing 22 percent off his Skewb mark down to 16.98, and recording his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 25.80 to claim eighth place.

First-time entrants also made an immediate impression during their opening appearance at a sanctioned WCA competition. Steven M. Reiri tackled eight events in his debut, securing a fourth-place best finish in Skewb, and logging his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:07.80, Pyraminx in 6.97, and Skewb in 8.22. Moku Iwami Nikolao Dochin entered five events at Mahalo iā Maui 2025, placing fourth in 2x2x2 Cube while recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube in 13.59, Megaminx in 1:52.71, and 5x5x5 Cube in 2:40.04.

The big cubes featured grueling endurance tests where Liu continued his sweep against persistent opposition. In 4x4x4 Cube, Liu claimed victory with a 31.37 average, followed by Jaden Matsunaka in second at 50.06 and Shain Papalotl Longbehn in third at 55.12. The same trio formed the top three in 5x5x5 Cube, where Liu won in 57.21 ahead of Matsunaka at 1:28.13 and Longbehn at 1:33.73. In 6x6x6 Cube, Liu topped the board in 1:48.88 over Matsunaka at 2:45.50 and Longbehn at 3:32.16, while in 7x7x7 Cube Liu posted 2:36.65 ahead of Matsunaka at 4:20.60 and Longbehn at 4:56.63.

Megaminx saw Liu win with a 59.28 average, leading Matsunaka at 1:43.23 and Martin at 1:51.77. In specialized disciplines, Liu achieved the best 3x3x3 Fewest Moves result with a single of 26 turns across four solvers. The mental challenge of 3x3x3 Blindfolded, requiring total recall under memory pressure, ended with Liu capturing first place with a single of 1:10.20, Matsunaka earning second at 2:46.95, and Longbehn taking third in 3:48.29.

All 42 podium positions throughout the speed cubing tournament went to United States competitors, reflecting a concentrated display of regional talent. By the conclusion of Mahalo iā Maui 2025, nine dedicated solvers had pushed through 16 rounds of elite speedcubing across every official puzzle category. The compact, high-energy event in Pāʻia offered a complete showcase of speed, focus, and puzzle mastery.