Utah Snowball Bash 2025

Twelve distinct rounds of competition tested stamina and precision as 91 competitors gathered at the Sorenson Student Center on December 13, 2025. The Utah Snowball Bash 2025 brought together solvers from across the region to tackle six official events under a demanding round format. With field sizes tapering from broad opening heats into razor-thin final showdowns, the structured progression placed severe pressure on every turn. Competitors in Orem, Utah, USA faced strict cutoffs and multi-stage brackets that rewarded consistency above all else, setting the tone for an intense day of tournament speedcubing.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event spanned three complete rounds, filtering a starting lineup of 87 solvers down to a hyper-competitive final. The 3x3 results at the top came down to mere hundredths of a second. Canyon Pettitt secured the victory with a winning average of 8.28 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 7.29. Eric Pesci applied continuous pressure through the final stretch, claiming the runner-up spot with an 8.31 average. Ty Baird completed the podium in third place with a 9.04 average, concluding an exhausting triple-round marathon on the classic Rubik's Cube.

Pettitt duplicated that multi-round dominance in the 2x2x2 Cube, which also featured three rounds of escalating stakes for 84 entrants. Pettitt captured gold with an even 2.00 average, posting a best single of 1.74 along the way. Miles LeBlanc earned second place with an average of 2.56, while Pesci locked in his second podium of the day by taking third with 2.73. The deep progression format ensured that only the most consistent starters reached the concluding five solves, turning the small cube into an uncompromising speed cubing sprint.

Unlike the multi-stage puzzles, the 3x3x3 One-Handed event gave its 45 competitors exactly one round to deliver their best work with no margin for error. Pettitt once again topped the standings, logging a winning average of 11.83 seconds and a best single of 10.25. Wilson Hettinger pushed the champion to the edge, finishing just behind with an 11.88 average for second place. Elliot Pimentel rounded out the top tier, securing third place with an average of 16.22 in a tense single-stage battle.

The single-round pressure was equally fierce in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, where 17 solvers tackled memorization and execution without the safety net of subsequent rounds. Pettitt captured his fourth victory of the Utah Snowball Bash 2025 by delivering a best single of 1:04.87, finishing ahead of Ty Baird who placed second with a 1:16.06 solve. Gavin Tenney earned third place with a time of 1:45.72, highlighting the immense concentration required to secure a podium under the one-round blindfolded format.

Beyond the championship battles, the tournament floor was defined by immense personal milestones across the board. Matthew Velasco tackled five different events, logging a Megaminx personal best of 1:31.49 to improve on his previous mark by 46.4 percent, while also recording his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 23.89 single and his first ever attempt at Square-1 at 36.83. Deacon Blanchard delivered substantial gains in both of his events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.98, an 81 percent improvement, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 25.87 that was 34.2 percent faster than his previous standard. Tristan He posted a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 42.14 while setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.93, which was 35.3 percent faster. Andrew Seeley entered four events, posting his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 53.53 and cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 6.08, a 34.9 percent drop.

The progress continued with Jake Ryker Nelson taking on five events, establishing a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 38.29 while improving his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 12.34, a 30.5 percent reduction. Eric Vissepo contested five events and delivered a Megaminx personal best of 2:05.04, improving by 50.2 percent over his previous record. For newcomers, Harrison Challis took the floor for a first WCA competition, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 32.47, a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 10.33, and a Megaminx mark of 2:55.22. Adam Bellows also made his tournament debut at this cubing competition, putting up a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 29.62, a 2x2x2 Cube time of 9.62, and a 49.91 single in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The twelve-round schedule concluded with two distinct side events that featured preliminary cuts into decisive finals. In the Megaminx, Pettitt secured his fifth win of the day across two rounds, averaging 52.14 seconds with a 41.75 single. Ty Baird took second place with a 59.78 average, while Pimentel finished third in 1:02.18. Pimentel then claimed top honors in the two-round Square-1 event, winning with an 8.49 average and a 6.65 single. Hettinger finished second with 9.73, and Pettitt concluded his busy afternoon in third place with 10.49, bringing the Utah Snowball Bash 2025 to an eventful close.