Skewb on the Madison Snow 2025

Ten events and 23 demanding rounds tested endurance across a packed weekend of speedcubing at Monona Terrace. Skewb on the Madison Snow 2025 welcomed 126 competitors to Madison, Wisconsin, USA on February 15 and 16, 2025. Across multi-phase brackets and unforgiving single-round finals, the structure of each bracket defined the weekend tempo. From massive preliminary fields to high-pressure finals, competitors had to manage energy, consistency, and precision across every stage of the tournament.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event featured three distinct rounds, narrowing an opening field of 125 down to the decisive final round. Brian Johnson took the title, delivering a winning average of 6.72 seconds alongside a best single of 5.59. Zeke Mackay secured second place with a 7.04 average, while Carter Kucala took third in 7.25 seconds. The 3x3 results demonstrated how navigating through three rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube rewarded stability, as Johnson steadily lowered his times through each phase of the main bracket.

Johnson continued his remarkable momentum across multiple short-format puzzles. In the 2x2x2 Cube, which also featured three rounds, Johnson claimed victory with a 1.36 average, highlighted by a best single of 1.03 seconds. James O'Connell earned the silver medal with a 2.35 mark, and Mackay reached the podium in third at 2.50. The rapid-fire format demanded flawless starts, and Johnson proved equally dominant in the Square-1 final, capturing the gold across three rounds with a winning average of 5.70 seconds and a single of 4.95.

Carter Kucala demonstrated supreme control in the event carrying the tournament name, capturing Skewb through four demanding elimination rounds. Kucala won the four-round gauntlet with a 2.88 average and a 2.22 single. Kucala also secured the top step in Pyraminx across two rounds, registering a winning average of 2.56 seconds to edge out Simon Kellum at 2.59 and Ash Black at 2.88. The deep round structure of these tilt-axis and tetrahedron puzzles gave technical specialists the volume of solves needed to establish clear authority.

Beyond the podium battles, the open rounds served as a springboard for major individual breakthroughs. Max Bier cut their Pyraminx personal best down to 8.27 seconds, an improvement of 70.4 percent over their prior mark, while trimming their 2x2x2 best by 52.8 percent to 6.46 and attempting 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 1:15.50 mark. Jarren Richmond lowered their Skewb personal best by 56.8 percent to 9.80 seconds, improved their 2x2x2 time by 21.2 percent to 4.95, and posted a first ever 4x4x4 Cube mark of 2:01.37. Travis Melnick dropped their 2x2x2 best by 52.9 percent to 3.57, took 38.5 percent off their Clock best down to 16.32, and recorded a first Square-1 result of 36.59.

Other competitors took on massive schedules across the ten available events. Wilder Mosley took on all 10 events, cutting their Megaminx personal best by 31.2 percent to 1:47.09, shaving 17.9 percent off their Skewb time to 4.94, and posting a first Square-1 mark of 34.63. August Roberts also tackled 10 events, finishing 27th in Megaminx while logging a first Clock result of 12.07, a first 5x5x5 Cube result of 2:44.04, and a 34 percent drop in 2x2x2 down to 3.75. Leah Schrader placed 43rd in 5x5x5 Cube with a debut 2:35.72, posted a first Clock result of 16.19, and improved their 2x2x2 mark by 23.5 percent to 3.59. Jackson Evan Hoey delivered a 48.38 in 4x4x4 Cube, 13.4 percent faster than before, while posting debuts of 2:05.15 in Megaminx and 1:45.62 in 5x5x5 Cube. Philip Smith logged first attempts in Pyraminx at 5.75 and Skewb at 9.00 while improving their 2x2x2 time by 18.7 percent to 6.56.

Mid-sized twisty puzzles featured intense competition in the upper tiers. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Zeke Mackay captured gold through two rounds with a 28.52 average, edging Amey Gaba of India who took second in 28.93, with Kucala finishing third in 30.03. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Brian Johnson prevailed across two rounds with a 10.54 average, followed by Kucala at 11.83 and Mackay at 12.81. Clock featured a tie at the top of the standings, with Reed W. Richardson taking the win on a 4.63 average, matching Zachary Cribb at 4.63, while Charles Bois finished third at 5.06.

Single-round formats placed a premium on immediate execution without second chances. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Johnson secured his fifth victory of the weekend with a 53.22 average, leading Gaba at 53.92 and Mackay at 54.53. In Megaminx, Mackay collected his second title, claiming the single round with a 36.56 average over Johnson at 43.41 and Kellum at 49.67. Skewb on the Madison Snow 2025 delivered a comprehensive speed cubing showcase, highlighting how varied round structures reward adaptability at every level of a premier WCA competition.

With 28 podium places secured by competitors from the USA and two by India, the winter gathering concluded after an intense schedule. As the cubing competition season moves forward, the varied cutoffs and bracket paths in Wisconsin showed what it takes to excel across both sprint events and big cubes under strict tournament conditions.