North Battleford Cube Day 2025

Inside the halls of the Western Development Museum North Battleford, timers were set, inspection mats were smoothed down, and display cubes rested under plastic covers ready for action. The single-day schedule gathered speedcubing enthusiasts from across the province and beyond, eager to test their turning speed and pattern recognition in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. As judges took their seats and scramblers received the initial puzzle sets, the room settled into the rhythmic click-clack of plastic layers shifting at lightning speed.

Held on May 17, 2025, North Battleford Cube Day 2025 featured 29 competitors tackling six official disciplines across nine total rounds. The busy Saturday program offered a complete tour of the World Cube Association roster, balancing short-format sprints alongside heavy algorithmic battles. As the morning rounds got underway, it quickly became clear that this cubing competition would showcase top-tier consistency across varied puzzle geometries.

The morning slate kicked off with the technical challenges, where Danny Buschert staked an immediate claim on the weekend. In Square-1, an event known for its shape-shifting permutations, Buschert secured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 13.35 seconds, supplemented by a 11.39 single. Zach Ramer finished second with an average of 16.30, while Benjamin Ragan rounded out the podium at 16.52. The round set a competitive standard that reverberated through the rest of the schedule.

The schedule then transitioned to the twelve-sided Megaminx, providing a lengthy test of stamina and lookahead. Vianne Chang delivered a standout display across the round, capturing first place with a 1:01.58 average and the day's best single of 55.61 seconds. Benjamin Ragan kept pace to secure second place with a 1:03.16 average, while Danny Buschert placed third at 1:07.04. The event demonstrated the remarkable depth in Canadian speed cubing, with Chang holding off aggressive pursuit until the final solve.

Buschert quickly returned to the spotlight in the side events, capturing two rapid-fire victories before the afternoon break. In Skewb, Buschert topped the standings with a decisive 3.10 winning average and a 2.26 single, finishing ahead of Nicolas Gravel at 5.99 and Benjamin Ragan at 6.41. The momentum carried directly into Pyraminx, where Buschert secured yet another victory with an average of 3.13, holding off Zach Ramer at 5.06 and Ragan at 5.91.

Beyond the championship podiums, the event highlighted tremendous personal growth from competitors across the field. Austin Lysager achieved a massive breakthrough in Square-1, shaving 56.2 percent off his personal best to finish at 24.15 seconds, alongside a 24.8 percent improvement in Skewb with a 4.40 mark. Elliott McLeod took on four events, securing an 8.98 personal best in Skewb that was 27.5 percent faster than before, a 6.36 best in Pyraminx, and a first ever Megaminx attempt of 5:14.40. Porter Cockburn trimmed his 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube best by 14.3 percent to 21.96 while logging first-time attempts in Megaminx at 3:39.69 and Skewb at 10.78. Roland Dutrisac dropped his Pyraminx mark by 32.8 percent down to 7.47 seconds and recorded a debut 5:17.23 in Megaminx.

Several newcomers and versatile solvers also reached new milestones during the weekend. Blayze Braaten tackled five events in a debut WCA competition, recording first-ever official marks of 11.27 on 3x3x3, 24.56 on Square-1, and 6.53 on Pyraminx to earn a 4th-place event finish. Carson Johnson took on five disciplines, setting debut marks of 2:29.93 in Megaminx, 41.86 in Square-1, and 12.21 in Skewb. Kesenia Mansuy took on four events, setting maiden competition times of 8.32 in Skewb, 1:56.12 in Megaminx, and 9.93 in Pyraminx. Meanwhile, Tran Minh Khoi entered five events, logging first-ever attempts in Pyraminx at 6.20, Skewb at 7.77, and Megaminx at 3:02.02.

The afternoon drama reached its peak with the 3x3x3 Blindfolded round, where competitors rely purely on memory and tactile execution. Danny Buschert mastered the complex memorisation phase, putting up a winning single solve of 1:12.01 to claim his fourth individual gold of the day. Zach Ramer finished in second place with a time of 1:53.21, while Rex Kotovich claimed the third podium position with a 2:07.20 solve.

The tournament concluded with the classic 3x3x3 Cube final, wrapping up the premier 3x3 results of the day. Benjamin Ragan seized the championship with a blistering 9.26 winning average, supported by a rapid single of 7.47 in the round. Danny Buschert capped a stellar multi-podium performance by taking second place with a 9.62 average, while Alexander Preece earned third with a 10.39 mark. The collective effort across all nine rounds brought North Battleford Cube Day 2025 to a thrilling close as competitors look forward to the next season.