Saskatchewan Open 2023

The RCAF Astra Hall in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada buzzed with constant motion as timers clicked and plastic pieces spun rapidly across the competition floor. Solvers warmed up at practice tables, trading tips and inspecting scrambled puzzles before heading up to the official stations under the eyes of judges. On September 9, 2023, the venue welcomed a dynamic field of 76 competitors, many of them emerging young talents eager to prove how quickly their practice translates to official times on the WCA competition circuit.

The 2023 gathering brought together participants across six different events, challenging competitors in everything from lightning-fast basic puzzles to memory-intensive disciplines. Speedcubing has seen a remarkable surge in rapid development, where competitors shave massive fractions off their times from one tournament to the next. That rising standard was visible in every heat, as both seasoned contenders and fresh newcomers tested their speed across nine total rounds of tournament action.

Headlining the traditional Rubik's Cube category, Kyle Santucci delivered a standout performance to secure first place in the 3x3x3 Cube. Emerging on top after three intense rounds featuring 76 competitors, Santucci posted a winning average of 6.45 seconds alongside a tournament-best single solve of 5.88. Lucas Kuczaj claimed the second spot on the podium with an 8.21 average, while Pahul Singh rounded out the top three with an 8.96 average, capping a fantastic set of 3x3 results in Saskatoon.

Santucci was not finished with just one victory, returning to the tables to capture top honours in the 4x4x4 Cube as well. In a tightly contested single round among 46 entrants, Santucci registered a winning average of 35.00 seconds, backed by a best single of 31.91. Kuczaj pushed him to the limit, finishing just five hundredths of a second behind with a 35.05 average to take second place, while Singh earned another third-place finish with an average of 36.29.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, the heart of the speed cubing weekend was defined by dramatic leaps in personal performance from competitors throughout the roster. Pierce Starrett showed extraordinary development by dropping their Pyraminx personal best to 19.96 seconds, an improvement of 60.7 percent, alongside taking down their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 8.55 and 3x3x3 Cube best to 32.36. Tadeo Kondrak took on all six disciplines, slashing their Pyraminx best by 62.7 percent down to 10.95 seconds and cutting their 3x3x3 Blindfolded time by 50.2 percent to 11:50.00. Declan Chong knocked 46.9 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube time to hit 19.57 seconds while making their first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 12.92. Ashtyn Dueck entered five events, logging a 2.88 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube and recording first-ever attempts of 4.67 in Pyraminx and 35.74 in Square-1.

The spirit of rapid progress was equally visible among competitors exploring fresh territory for the first time. Jacob Tirao took on four disciplines, establishing a 54.35 in their first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube and chopping 32.4 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 10.93 seconds. Tanya Rathie completed four events, notching a 2:04.16 in their first 4x4x4 Cube appearance while dropping their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 4.15 and Pyraminx to 7.05. Newcomers also stepped straight into official action, with Jeremiah Grison making a debut across four events including a 12.19 in 2x2x2 Cube and 2:09.48 in 4x4x4 Cube, while Victor Ly debuted across four events by logging a 2.91 in 2x2x2 Cube, 10.06 in 3x3x3 Cube, and placing 19th in Square-1 with 24.44.

Short-format puzzles delivered thrilling moments throughout the cubing competition schedule, starting with the 2x2x2 Cube. Noah Wilde took victory across two rounds of 74 competitors, capturing first place with an average of 2.84 seconds and a single of 2.01. Danny Buschert finished in second position with a 3.04 average, followed closely by Kyle Santucci in third at 3.05. In the Pyraminx event, Sam Edwards clinched the win among 59 entrants with an average of 4.48 seconds, narrowly holding off Ethan Basanov at 4.53 and Danny Buschert at 4.55.

The specialty categories provided technical variety, led by Ryan Yasinko who triumphed in the Square-1 final with an average of 12.22 seconds and a single of 8.11, finishing ahead of Noah Wilde at 13.60 and Danny Buschert at 16.62. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Jake Klassen demonstrated supreme recall to win with a best single of 17.46 seconds among 18 competitors, while Bernabe Kondrak took second in 1:04.43 and Azaro Gorloo secured third in 1:24.28.

Altogether, Canadian competitors swept all 18 podium positions available across the six disciplines at Saskatchewan Open 2023. The single-day tournament demonstrated the incredible speed and rapid development taking place across the regional community. With dozens of competitors registering career milestones and setting new benchmarks in Saskatoon, the event established a high bar for the upcoming season.