Melbourne Summer 2025

A razor-thin margin of just three hundredths of a second decided the premier 3x3x3 Cube title, setting a high standard for the year ahead. Seth Ferry claimed victory in the marquee final with a 6.74 second average, narrowly edging out David Epstein at 6.77 seconds and Firstian Fushada at 6.78 seconds. Ferry also produced a sharp 6.09 single during the contest. The high-calibre duel immediately established the tone for the new speedcubing season as competitors returned to the tables ready to test their early form against top-tier rivals.

Staged from January 24 to January 26 at Diamond Creek Community Bank Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Melbourne Summer 2025 served as a major early-calendar fixture. A massive turnout of 389 competitors gathered across three days of intense action, tackling 17 events over 36 rounds. The expansive program tested both sprinters and endurance specialists, ensuring that the 2025 schedule opened with comprehensive tests across every standard discipline. Australian competitors earned 35 podium positions over the weekend, while Indonesian entrants secured 11 places, alongside podium finishes from Poland, New Zealand, India, and China.

The 3x3 results formed only a portion of a relentless schedule of standard twisty puzzles. In the traditional Rubik's Cube category, 380 entrants navigated four rounds of cuts before Ferry earned the top step. Meanwhile, Antoni Stojek captured the 2x2x2 Cube title with a brisk 1.52 average, backed by a 1.17 best single. In the shorter puzzle formats, Sebastian Lee secured the Pyraminx crown with a 1.62 winning average, while Max Parris claimed the Skewb championship with an average of 2.60 seconds, ahead of Fushada and Ziqi Ding.

Big cube events featured dominant displays from Feliks Zemdegs, who collected four separate victories across the weekend. Zemdegs won the 4x4x4 Cube with a 23.61 average, topped the 5x5x5 Cube roster with a mark of 40.51, took the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:21.44, and completed the large-cube sweep by winning the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:01.17 average. His consistency across the heavier hardware kept him ahead of strong podium challenges from both Epstein and Fushada in multiple finals during the WCA competition.

Beyond the standard rotation, alternative events tested specialised skill sets. Antoni Stojek picked up a second title by winning Clock with a 3.28 average, finishing ahead of Kyle Jones and Alex Butera. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Dwyane Ramos prevailed with a 9.87 average, while Jacob Joshi locked down the Square-1 title in 8.50 seconds. Jamie Otsu paced the Megaminx field with a 35.47 average, and Jayden McNeill won the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with a 21.67 mean, highlighted by a single solve of 20 moves.

Away from the top of the podium, Melbourne Summer 2025 provided fertile ground for personal milestones across large multi-event schedules. Neel Mukund entered four disciplines and delivered a major breakthrough, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.95 seconds, an improvement of 78.7 percent compared to his prior 18.58 mark, while also recording a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 9.30 seconds and Skewb in 9.54 seconds. Joseph La Gamba tackled 13 events, logging a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube with 4:08.22, Square-1 in 21.60, and Megaminx in 1:48.55. Arta Pilehforoushha also completed 13 events, securing a best finish of 20th in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind alongside a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 46.44 seconds and 5x5x5 Cube in 3:54.78. Jasper Warner took on 11 events, logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:58.24, Square-1 in 38.55, and a 52 in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves.

The depth of the field was equally evident as other participants expanded their competitive repertoire at the cubing competition. Oscar Niizeki entered 12 events, achieving a best finish of 13th in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a first ever attempt result of 3/4 in 26:16, accompanied by a first Clock effort of 8.82 seconds. Nicholas Allen Crow contested 11 events, registering a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 4:24.20, 6x6x6 Cube in 4:39.91, and 7x7x7 Cube in 5:56.93. Luke Cameron balanced 13 disciplines, recording a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:05.29, 6x6x6 Cube in 4:31.87, and 7x7x7 Cube in 8:09.49. Oscar Hahnel rounded out an ambitious nine-event slate with a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:26.33 and Square-1 in 22.45 seconds.

Memory-based disciplines required intense concentration as the weekend concluded. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Charlie Eggins won with a single time of 16.08 seconds across two rounds of solving. Michael Tripodi proved unbeatable across the remaining memory challenges, securing victory in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by resolving 32 of 41 cubes in 53:58. Tripodi extended his run to the complex blindfolded puzzles, winning the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event with a 1:33.19 single and taking the 5x5x5 Blindfolded competition in 3:17.74.

With 36 rounds completed and dozens of personal benchmarks set, the gathering provided an extensive snapshot of regional form. The blend of seasoned champions holding off determined challengers and competitors venturing into unfamiliar events made for an energetic start to the speed cubing calendar. As the season moves forward from Diamond Creek, the benchmark times recorded in Melbourne establish a demanding standard for the tournaments to follow.