Pickering Favourites Fall 2025

Inside the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, the distinct rhythmic clacking of turning plastic filled the air as solving mats lit up across the competition floor. On November 1, 2025, a total of 151 competitors gathered in Pickering, Ontario, Canada, bringing energy to the tables from early morning practice solves to the final decisive rounds. For many stepping up to official timing gear for the very first time, the day began with the quiet focus of cube inspection, learning the cadence of the judges, and experiencing the unique buzz of an official cubing competition.

Stepping onto the stage at a sanctioned WCA competition brings a memorable mix of nerves and excitement, especially for newcomers testing their skills under tournament conditions. Across 12 distinct events and 13 rounds of play, solvers navigated everything from high-speed face turns to complex spatial puzzles. The one-day gathering captured the full spectrum of speedcubing, offering newcomers an arena to post their first official marks while seasoned contenders pushed for podium positions throughout the 2025 season fixture.

The spotlight shone brightly on solvers making huge strides and tackling fresh challenges across multiple disciplines. Elliot Leung entered four events and delivered a massive breakthrough in Square-1, dropping his personal best to 14.32 seconds to finish 66.5 percent faster than his prior mark of 42.69, while also notching a 15.7 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube at 42.32 and taking his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:35.99. Isaac Shuen-Hang Chan took on four events and earned a 25th-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 18.89 personal best, cutting 66.2 percent off his previous 55.92 record, alongside a 3.40 in 2x2x2 Cube and 13.63 in 3x3x3 Cube.

Other competitors marked significant milestones by diving into new puzzles with great success. Matthew Inkim took on four events, securing 17th place in Megaminx with a debut 2:09.01 single and making his first ever attempt at Skewb in 15.64 while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 36.1 percent to 8.79. Jayden Ng logged four events, achieving an 18th-place finish in Pyraminx with a 5.66 personal best, down 44.2 percent, posting a 6.77 in 2x2x2 Cube that improved his previous best by 56.4 percent, and taking his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed. Alexander Paykin recorded a personal best 15.62 on the 3x3x3 Cube, an improvement of 31.3 percent, alongside debut marks in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.50 and Megaminx at 3:22.02.

Progress continued across the field as Ryder Krishnan entered four events, posting an 18.84 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube to improve by 52.1 percent, a 6.28 in 2x2x2 Cube, and an opening effort of 50.56 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Sebastian Narvaez took 22nd place in 5x5x5 Cube, notched a personal best 13.63 in 3x3x3 Cube with a 26.8 percent drop, and completed first-time official attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 52.79 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 29.46. Meanwhile, Maxwell Raynor tackled the biggest puzzles, claiming 5th place in 7x7x7 Cube with a debut 3:34.67 single, logging a first attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 2:23.98, and dropping his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 17 percent to 1:08.84.

At the head of the classic Rubik's Cube category, the 3x3 results delivered high drama over two rounds featuring 138 contenders. Bill Wang secured the top step of the podium with a winning average of 6.42 seconds and a best single of 5.72. Morgan Yeh claimed the silver medal with a 6.88 average, while Ryan Wu took the bronze position averaging 7.07. Wang also demonstrated his command of larger puzzles by winning the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 43.50 and a single of 40.39, finishing ahead of Caleb Chang and Morgan Yeh.

Burno Li Chak Kwan enjoyed an exceptional campaign across multiple heavy-rotation disciplines, securing triple victories. Li took first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 24.01, ahead of Bill Wang and Morgan Yeh. He then captured the Megaminx title with a 34.04 average, followed by Max Xiong and Alvin Hiu Yeung Cheng, before concluding his sweep by capturing the 6x6x6 Cube with a mark of 1:26.67. In the largest puzzle of the day, Nathan Chiem triumphed in the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:28.49 average.

The shorter events featured lightning-fast turns across the tables. Ryan Wu earned victory in the 2x2x2 Cube with an average of 1.96 seconds, leading Andrew Mao at 2.15 and Sihan Fu at 2.39. Mao responded with a win of his own in Pyraminx, taking first place with an average of 1.69 seconds over Kayden Park and Nicholas Patterson. Patterson subsequently claimed gold in Skewb with a 3.55 average ahead of Shek Ho Hin and George Scholey. In Clock, Jonathan Wang posted a winning average of 3.21, and Matthew Lee captured two individual titles, winning 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 10.48 and Square-1 with a 10.93 mark.

The memorable action at Pickering Favourites Fall 2025 showcased the depth of local speed cubing talent, with Canadian competitors capturing 26 podium spots alongside eight for Hong Kong and one each for China and the United Kingdom. From ambitious first-timers logging their initial official solves to seasoned champions delivering razor-thin victories, Pickering Favourites Fall 2025 offered an inspiring display of focus, community, and personal milestone moments across every single bracket.