No Peeking Blind & NxN Calgary 2025

Thirty-three competitors gathered at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 286 to take on 8 events across 13 rounds of intense speedcubing. Held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, No Peeking Blind & NxN Calgary 2025 ran from January 25 to January 26, 2025, offering a dedicated stage for both big cubes and memory-intensive blindfolded disciplines. The weekend brought together experienced solvers and fresh faces aiming to push their limits on the official World Cube Association stage.

Saturday set the tone with the opening rounds of complex NxN puzzles and initial blindfolded attempts. As competitors settled into the rhythm of the cubing competition, Griffin Clem quickly established dominance on the larger layers. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Clem delivered a decisive performance to take first place with a winning average of 2:31.78 and a best single solve of 2:28.60. Benjamin Ragan took second place with a 2:38.92 average, while Lucas Kuczaj secured third on the podium with 2:52.12.

The 6x6x6 Cube followed a similar script as Clem continued his commanding run. Clem claimed the top spot with a 1:43.33 winning average and a single of 1:34.93. Lucas Kuczaj earned runner-up honours with a mark of 1:58.10, while Azaro Gorloo rounded out the top three with an average of 2:13.57. These big cube clashes set a high standard of mechanical execution and precision that resonated throughout the entire venue.

The memory events brought quiet tension to the hall, where solving a Rubik's Cube without sight demanded total concentration. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Eric Hess proved untouchable across three rounds, winning the final with a 37.41 average and registering a 34.19 single, having also delivered a 30.89 single during the contest. Elijah Mok earned second place with an average of 1:02.45, ahead of Azaro Gorloo who posted 1:09.02 for third. The traditional 3x3 results in blindfold execution set up an exciting multi-cube challenge.

No Peeking Blind & NxN Calgary 2025 saw Hess extend his mastery into the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, securing the win by successfully resolving 10 out of 11 puzzles in 49:28. Azaro Gorloo took second place with an impressive 8 of 9 cubes solved in 46:05, and Jung-Hwan Park took third by finishing 7 of 8 cubes in 43:58. The blindfold action also featured 4x4x4 Blindfolded, where Danny Buschert captured first place with a single of 5:39.50, followed by Gorloo with 8:22.53 and Marco Yang with 13:41.00.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers logged remarkable personal milestones across the schedule. Anthony Finnigan knocked 36.4 percent off his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best with a time of 3:06.68 and also took on six events. Todd Rathie dropped his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 35.3 percent to 2:28.01 and cut his 4x4x4 Cube time by 22.1 percent to 1:16.49. Nathan Hoang took on four events, improving his 4x4x4 Cube best by 31.8 percent to 1:12.02 and his 7x7x7 Cube by 15.7 percent to 8:18.42. Cole Pawliw trimmed 24.4 percent from his 7x7x7 Cube best to finish in 5:13.66.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges at this WCA competition. John Linder tackled seven events, logging his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 17:04.00, his first 3x3x3 Multi-Blind attempt with 6 of 6 in 45:56, and improved his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 21.9 percent to 1:36.34. Cache Adams improved his 7x7x7 Cube best by 17.5 percent to 6:13.59 while competing in five events. Denis Reimer logged his first official 3x3x3 Multi-Blind attempt with 2 of 3 solved in 24:25, and Daniel Welsh completed his first 4x4x4 Blindfolded solve in 19:31.00 alongside personal bests in two other events.

Sunday concluded with thrilling head-to-head battles in the 5x5x5 Cube and 4x4x4 Cube finals. Clem collected his third title of the weekend in 5x5x5 Cube, averaging 57.90 to edge out Lucas Kuczaj who finished right behind at 58.23, while Benjamin Ragan placed third with 1:04.34. Kuczaj then took the spotlight in the 4x4x4 Cube, winning the three-round event with a 27.56 average and a single of 24.27, ahead of Clem with 35.39 and Gorloo with 37.98.

The marathon 5x5x5 Blindfolded contest was won by Azaro Gorloo, who successfully solved the puzzle without sight in 22:09.00 to finish ahead of Danny Buschert at 29:36.00. Across two days of speed cubing, Canadian competitors captured 25 podium places alongside 1 podium spot for the United States. No Peeking Blind & NxN Calgary 2025 delivered an outstanding showcase of technical endurance, setting a high standard of focus as solvers look ahead to the next season.

As the tables were packed away at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 286, the weekend closed on a memorable display of big puzzle and blindfold proficiency. No Peeking Blind & NxN Calgary 2025 proved how much depth exists across the regional community, providing both seasoned champions and emerging solvers a memorable platform in Calgary.