The Battlefords: Cubers Strike Back 2024

Kyle Santucci delivered the standout performance of the weekend with a dominant 6.19 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube, capping a showcase of high-level solving at the Western Development Museum North Battleford. The single-day tournament gathered 32 competitors across six events and ten rounds of action in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada on May 4, 2024. Running a full slate of events in one day requires immense dedication behind the scenes, and the community of organizers, delegates, and local volunteers kept the entire program moving seamlessly from the morning heats to the evening podiums.

Behind every smooth cubing competition is an active crew managing scorecards, running puzzles, judging attempts, and keeping timing stations in order. The Battlefords: Cubers Strike Back 2024 ran with relentless efficiency thanks to this dedicated volunteer backbone. Speedcubing in Saskatchewan continues to thrive because these organizers build welcoming environments where both seasoned veterans and first-time solvers can focus entirely on producing their best possible times on the tournament floor.

Santucci led the 3x3 results by pairing his final victory with a tournament-best single of 5.68 in the earlier stages. He was joined on the main podium by Jonathan Petry, who took second place with a 10.16 average, and Emma Kemp, who secured third place averaging 10.20. Santucci continued his winning form in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming his second gold of the day with an 11.73 average and a single of 9.18, ahead of Dylan Vaskevicius in second at 19.30 and Alex Mutch in third at 21.33.

The Battlefords: Cubers Strike Back 2024 also highlighted the technical mastery of Jonathan Petry across the big cube categories. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Petry took the title with an average of 35.90, posting the best single of 33.36 to finish clear of Zach Ramer at 41.83 and Kyle Santucci at 43.14. Petry doubled his gold tally in the 5x5x5 Cube, winning with an average of 1:10.60 and a single of 1:06.15. Alex Mutch followed in second with 1:19.90, while Dylan Vaskevicius picked up third place at 1:21.85.

In the side events, the competition produced tight races and quick turnaround times across the brackets. Dylan Vaskevicius won the Pyraminx crown with a 5.41 average, setting the standard with a best single of 3.46. Kye Riddell took second on the Pyraminx podium averaging 7.18, while Vianne Chang earned third place at 7.52. Riddell went on to capture first place in Clock, recording a winning average of 7.04 and a single of 6.31 to finish ahead of Payton Freitag at 8.56 and Laura Plourde at 9.52.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several solvers logged exceptional personal breakthroughs that highlighted the depth of the field. Nicolas Gravel took on five events, earning a career-best seventh place in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:16.13 first attempt, logging a 50.67 first attempt in 4x4x4 Cube, and dropping his Pyraminx personal best to 6.79, an improvement of 48.3 percent. Ethan Toullelan cut his Clock best down to 12.60, marking a 49.1 percent drop. Alexander Preece tackled six events, setting a Clock personal best of 17.70, which was 47.9 percent faster than before, while also trimming his marks in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 4x4x4 Cube. Donald Sampson trimmed his classic Rubik's Cube personal best to 20.07, an improvement of 36.4 percent, while also cutting his Pyraminx mark down to 14.92.

Other competitors made memorable debuts in new events across the day. Steel Warren improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 43.38 by 29.3 percent while also taking his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 16.68. Cobin Lishchynsky registered a 16.14 in his first ever attempt at Clock and cut 29.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 28.86. Elliott McLeod made his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 10.52 and took 10.8 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 29.20. Ashtyn Dueck recorded a 9.51 in a first Clock attempt and set a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 8.32, finishing fifth overall in Pyraminx.

The Battlefords: Cubers Strike Back 2024 brought a well-rounded display of speed cubing to Saskatchewan, giving newcomers their first taste of a sanctioned WCA competition alongside seasoned podium contenders. The smooth execution across all ten rounds reflected the tireless work of the venue hosts and event crew at Western Development Museum North Battleford. As the 2024 season progresses, the strong community foundation established by local organizers ensures that speedcubing will continue to flourish in the region for upcoming events.

With Canadian solvers sweeping all 18 podium spots and competitors achieving massive personal milestones across all six events, the tournament stood as a complete success. The Battlefords: Cubers Strike Back 2024 demonstrated how a collaborative team of volunteers and passionate competitors can transform a single weekend into a premier showcase of puzzle solving skill.