Red Deer Favourites 2026

The Cenovus Common at Red Deer Polytechnic buzzed with focused energy on February 14, 2026, as tables filled with timers, mats, and puzzles of every size. Competitors from across the region gathered in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada for an intensive single-day schedule. With 110 competitors registered, the atmosphere inside the hall reflected the distinct pressure of the schedule. Every entrant stepped up to the solving stations knowing that the entire tournament hinged on direct, high-stakes rounds with no second chances to climb back into contention.

A defining feature of Red Deer Favourites 2026 was its streamlined structure. Across all 12 events staged throughout the day, every discipline featured exactly one round. In standard tournament formats, competitors often use opening rounds to find their rhythm and gauge the stage conditions before reaching a final. In Red Deer, the absence of multi-round progressions meant that any mistake carried immediate finality. The single-round setup heightened the tension for both seasoned frontrunners chasing podium places and newer participants aiming for breakthroughs in speedcubing.

The main Rubik's Cube division brought out a deep field of 88 solvers, all vying for top honours in the day's largest event. Kyle Santucci handled the one-shot format with remarkable composure, taking victory in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 6.20 seconds, alongside the tournament's best single time of 4.96 seconds. Caleb dela Fuente secured second place with a 7.19 average, while Lucas Kuczaj claimed third with an 8.16 mark. These standout 3x3 results anchored a packed afternoon of classic speed cubing action.

Kyle Santucci added another title to his tally in 3x3x3 One-Handed, securing first place among 22 entrants with an average of 11.25 seconds and a single of 9.56. Leif Anvik took second place with a 14.15 average, followed by Caleb dela Fuente in third at 14.84. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Benjamin Buchner topped a field of 54 competitors with a 2.69 winning average and a single of 1.74, narrowly leading Emmanuel Fraser at 2.75 and Kyle Santucci at 2.86.

Mid-sized and big cubes also demanded peak accuracy under the strict format. Lucas Kuczaj captured the 4x4x4 Cube victory with a 27.05 average, finishing ahead of Kyle Santucci at 27.20 and Benjamin Ragan at 33.88. Lucas Kuczaj also dominated the Megaminx, winning the 10-person event with a 37.70 average. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Griffin Clem prevailed with an average of 52.76 seconds over Lucas Kuczaj at 56.10 and Benjamin Ragan at 1:01.42. The 6x6x6 Cube saw Benjamin Ragan take the top step in 1:48.69 over Griffin Clem at 1:49.54 and Micah Enns at 2:04.50, while Griffin Clem returned to win the 7x7x7 Cube in 2:10.05 against Benjamin Ragan at 2:37.65 and Micah Enns at 3:23.98.

Beyond the podium battles, this cubing competition provided fertile ground for substantial individual milestones. Zahra Fatouraei generated the largest personal drop of the weekend in 2x2x2 Cube, setting a mark of 12.00 seconds to shave 68.7 percent off her previous best. Tyler Leblanc achieved a 36.6 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.59 single, while also registering a first official attempt in the 3x3x3 Cube at 22.54 seconds. Lucas Larson cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 45.6 percent down to 7.12 seconds, reduced his 3x3x3 Cube single by 17.6 percent to 34.42, and completed a first attempt at Skewb in 36.77.

Other competitors similarly seized the single-round format to broaden their competitive profiles. Jude Xavier lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.19 seconds, an improvement of 44.8 percent, and posted maiden efforts in Clock at 18.85 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:05.54. Elias Currie delivered a 41.7 percent drop in Square-1 down to 37.14 seconds, reduced his 5x5x5 Cube time by 28.5 percent to 2:13.84, and took his first attempt at Clock in 16.42 to claim ninth place in Square-1. Franc Novoa Samaniego tackled his first attempts in Skewb at 9.71 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:07.72, alongside a 31.8 percent reduction on the 3x3x3 Cube at 22.76. Brandon Arcilla registered his first official results in Square-1 at 1:57.50 and Clock at 41.37 while taking 16 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best at 15.71, and Finnley Reimer logged debut marks in Square-1 at 44.22 and Skewb at 14.17 while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 19.4 percent to 5.54.

Specialty puzzles rounded out the Red Deer Favourites 2026 programme with sharp performances across the board. Danny Buschert earned a trio of victories, taking the Pyraminx with a 3.21 average, the Skewb with a 4.00 average, and the Square-1 in 15.70 seconds. In Clock, Azaro Gorloo secured first place with an average of 5.81 seconds, edging Max Ulan at 5.96 and Danny Buschert at 6.17 in a close top three.

When the final puzzles were locked away, Red Deer Favourites 2026 stood out as a high-efficiency WCA competition that tested adaptability and nerves from the first solve to the last. With 34 podium places captured by Canadian competitors and two by American solvers, the single-round format delivered decisive outcomes across every bracket. The gathering in Red Deer demonstrated how intense and rewarding a focused one-day schedule can be as the community looks forward to the next season on the circuit.