Super Duper San Diego 2026

Inside the competition halls at UC San Diego, the atmosphere carried the focused intensity of a major championship weekend. Across tables packed with timing mats, displays, and judges, 189 solvers gathered from January 9 to January 11 to test their preparation under strict tournament conditions. The three-day schedule demanded endurance and versatility, bringing together a vast field to battle through 29 rounds of high-stakes play. Every solved state represented months of dedicated preparation meeting the unforgiving pressure of the stage clock.

The 2026 calendar gained immediate momentum at Super Duper San Diego 2026, where fifteen distinct events tested competitors across standard cubes, side events, and complex blindfolded disciplines. Staged in San Diego, California, USA, the gathering served as a premier cubing competition where elite specialists and broad-event contenders shared the floor. With multi-round qualification paths standing between the opening heats and the finals, consistency across rounds served as the decisive factor throughout the weekend.

Max Park delivered an extraordinary series of performances across multiple disciplines, headlining the traditional speedcubing events with authority. In the standard Rubik's Cube final, Park captured victory with a 5.75 winning average and a round-best 5.17 single to lead the 3x3 results ahead of 181 entrants. Park extended that mastery into 3x3x3 One-Handed, securing the title with a 9.25 average and a 7.70 single, and swept through the larger puzzles with first-place finishes in 4x4x4 Cube at 20.03, 5x5x5 Cube at 36.09, 6x6x6 Cube at 1:10.26, and 7x7x7 Cube at 1:41.50.

The speed cubing action remained equally fierce across the shorter sprint formats and side events. Dominic Shoji took first place in 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid 1.95 average and a 1.20 single, overcoming a field of 157 participants. In Pyraminx, Roy Chandler topped the podium with a 2.77 average, finishing ahead of Preston Schwartz at 3.15 and Franklin Pham at 3.24. Skewb produced a tight finish where Dean Jacob Adamo Susskind claimed victory with a 2.80 average, matching the 2.80 average posted by runner-up Sid Shivnath while Andy French placed third at 4.03.

Technical mastery shaped the specialized events across the schedule. Jacob Nokes earned the Square-1 championship with a 9.03 winning average, leading Jack Flynn Stewart at 9.69 and Reed W. Richardson at 11.17, while also securing podium finishes in 4x4x4 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, and 6x6x6 Cube. In Megaminx, Michael Muething posted a 34.94 average to take the crown. Yunhao Lou (娄云皓) topped the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with a 24.00 average, recording a best single of 23 moves across the single-round trial.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, Super Duper San Diego 2026 provided a stage for breakthrough milestones across the broader roster. Ely Yehuda Shemer delivered an enormous surge in 2x2x2 Cube, recording a personal best of 2.85 that improved upon an earlier mark of 13.65 by 79.1 percent, alongside initial official attempts in Pyraminx at 21.20 and Skewb at 16.64. Ethan Jay Adams took on 13 separate events, earning a 20th-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, achieving a Square-1 personal best of 22.38 that was 69.1 percent faster than a previous 1:12.36, and completing first-time official results of 53 moves in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves and 9:23.36 in 7x7x7 Cube.

Other competitors similarly expanded their tournament repertoire across diverse categories. Yuyang Zhang (张语洋) tackled 10 events, notching first official marks in Skewb at 6.93, Megaminx at 1:43.22, and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:35.13. Luke Parker entered 8 events, establishing debut results of 56.83 in 4x4x4 Cube, 1:55.18 in 5x5x5 Cube, and 52.83 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. FuNing Sleipnes took on 8 events with first attempts of 33.65 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 9.54 in Pyraminx, and 2:47.44 in 5x5x5 Cube. Robert Kim recorded inaugural results of 7:19.93 in 6x6x6 Cube, 3:50.34 in 5x5x5 Cube, and 4:44.94 in Megaminx across a 10-event slate. Donovan Brandon added debuts in Pyraminx at 14.05, Megaminx at 2:43.41, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 47.58, while Noah Socks stepped into 7 events with first attempts of 1:49.04 in 5x5x5 Cube, 9.58 in Pyraminx, and 2:05.02 in Megaminx.

The memory events demanded total concentration, and Graham Siggins delivered a commanding sweep across the blindfolded program. Siggins won 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully resolving 57 of 66 cubes within the exact 1:00:00 time limit. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Siggins posted a winning 1:43.38 single, ahead of Kate Grahame at 5:59.78 and Preston Hoing at 6:16.85. Siggins completed the triple crown in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 3:33.03 single, while Grahame placed second at 20:02.00.

With 53 podium placements claimed by United States competitors and one by China, this WCA competition concluded three full days of high-intensity solving in Southern California. The wide assortment of formats showcased both elite dominance and remarkable personal progression across every tier of the roster. Super Duper San Diego 2026 demonstrated the depth of the sport, establishing a demanding standard of execution as competitors look ahead toward the remainder of the racing season.