Penticton Lakeside 2025

Forty-seven competitors gathered by the water as Penticton Lakeside 2025 brought eight official events and nineteen rounds of intense solving to the Okanagan. Held over May 17 and May 18 at the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Conference Centre in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, the gathering showcased the rich camaraderie that defines every WCA competition. Between scheduled heats, participants analyzed scramble patterns together, shared hardware setups, and encouraged one another through tense rounds. The atmosphere off the main stage proved just as memorable as the race for podium hardware across the two-day schedule.

Kyle Santucci produced a commanding run across multiple disciplines over the weekend, claiming three championship titles. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, Santucci secured victory with an impressive winning average of 6.39 seconds, supported by the weekend's best single solve of 5.08 seconds across three rounds of Rubik's Cube action. Lucas Kuczaj earned second place with an average of 6.93 seconds, while Callen Kleij captured third on the podium with a mark of 7.96. The 3x3 results capped a thrilling series of elimination rounds that had the venue buzzing from the opening turns.

Santucci extended his dominance into specialty categories, taking the top step in both 3x3x3 One-Handed and Skewb. In the one-handed final, Santucci recorded a decisive 11.37 average, outpacing runner-up Kenny Zhong at 13.80 and Jacob Kotai at 14.35. In Skewb, Santucci posted a winning average of 3.52 seconds, edging Kyle Van Straaten, who finished second in 3.60, while Naitik Kaushal claimed third with 5.22. The sharp turnarounds between side events highlighted the deep technical versatility required in modern speedcubing, keeping the competition floor bustling through both afternoons.

Lucas Kuczaj delivered standout performances of his own in the larger and more complex puzzles at Penticton Lakeside 2025. In 4x4x4 Cube, Kuczaj posted a 28.34 average to win the title ahead of Santucci at 30.48 and Taiyo Berčič at 31.46. Kuczaj followed up with another first-place finish in Megaminx, navigating the twelve-sided puzzle with an average of 33.43 seconds. Peter Barnwell finished second in Megaminx with 51.72, while Berčič earned third with 55.63. The demanding events tested finger dexterity and spatial awareness across two rounds each.

The 5x5x5 Cube final went to Taiyo Berčič, who logged a winning average of 56.16 seconds, accompanied by the round's best single time of 49.43. Timothy Castle finished as the runner-up with 58.33, while Kuczaj picked up third place at 58.78. In the shorter sprints, Peter Barnwell earned the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 2.55 average, followed closely by Kenny Zhong at 2.91 and Callen Kleij at 2.96. In Pyraminx, Jacob Kotai delivered a winning average of 2.49 seconds, leading Castle at 3.47 and Kaushal at 4.07 on the podium.

Away from the top steps of the podium, personal milestones and breakthroughs defined the character of Penticton Lakeside 2025. Gonzalo Jimenez delivered massive progress, lowering their Pyraminx personal best to 9.40 seconds, which was 40.2 percent faster than their prior mark. Spencer Fraser enjoyed an exceptional weekend across six events, slashing their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 13.92 seconds for a 34.7 percent improvement. Mattias Haugli took on seven events and dropped their 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 45.48 seconds, an improvement of 34.3 percent, while also securing ninth place in Pyraminx. Justin Chew tackled eight events and cut their Skewb best to 3.41 seconds, improving by 31.5 percent.

The spirit of trying new challenges was evident throughout the lineup. Marcel Rousseau lowered their Pyraminx personal best to 8.48 seconds, a 28 percent improvement. Owen Mackenzie entered five events and recorded their first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 57.32, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:28.72, and Pyraminx at 11.11. Reese Pimentel entered eight events, posting a first ever attempt in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:59.44 while lowering their Skewb personal best to 4.50. Sadie Loewen embraced their first WCA competition by taking on three events, including a first attempt of 21.75 in 2x2x2 Cube, 1:15.44 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 29.43 in Pyraminx.

Canada led the overall medal haul with seventeen podium placements, while Slovenia earned three, and the United States and India collected two each. The diverse entry list reflected the growing reach of speed cubing across regions and age brackets. From early morning warm-up tables to the final prize presentations, the shared enthusiasm for solving made Penticton Lakeside 2025 an engaging celebration of puzzle solving. Competitors packed up their timers and cubes with new personal bests in hand, already anticipating their next cubing competition in the 2025 calendar.