Vancouver Fall Fest 2023

Seventy-one competitors converged on St. George's Senior School as the speedcubing season reached Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on October 14 and 15. The two-day gathering offered a packed program of 17 rounds across 10 separate disciplines, but the sprint events delivered the sharpest drama from the outset. With fast-paced scrambles and razor-thin margins defining the schedule, the cubing competition rewarded precision and consistency under intense tournament conditions.

The 3x3x3 Cube tournament went the full distance through three demanding rounds, drawing the entire 71-person field into the weekend's flagship contest. Canadian competitor Luke Jankowiak set the benchmark during the final with a winning average of 8.35 seconds, backed by an event-best single solve of 6.40 seconds to secure the gold medal. Greyson James of the United States finished close behind in second place with an 8.75 average, while Kenny Zhong claimed third place for Canada with an 8.78 average, completing a tight set of 3x3 results at the top of the standings.

The rapid-fire action moved even quicker in the 2x2x2 Cube event, where 59 competitors contested two rounds of lightning finishes. Greyson James captured first place with a decisive 2.55-second winning average, bolstered by a 0.74 single that stood as the fastest solve across all disciplines at Vancouver Fall Fest 2023. Canada's Dilshawn Sidhu earned the runner-up spot with an average of 2.84, just ahead of compatriot Peter Barnwell, who took the third podium step at 2.87.

Jankowiak added a second championship title to his collection in the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 38.37 seconds and the event's best single of 32.24 across the single-round contest of 45 solvers. Jayce Li took second place with a 40.25 mark, while James collected another medal in third with a 41.57 average. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed division, Kenny Zhong navigated through 43 competitors over two rounds to finish first on a 14.36 average, followed by Kevin Lê in second at 17.92 and Peter Barnwell taking third at 17.96.

James continued a prolific run across the weekend, taking the top spot in both Pyraminx and Megaminx. In Pyraminx, James secured victory among 55 entrants with an average of 4.28 seconds, while Ethan Chen of Canada placed second at 5.06 and Elise Ho of Hong Kong finished third at 5.12. James then led 28 entrants in the twelve-sided Megaminx with a 1:07.63 average, edging Canadian competitor Vianne Chang at 1:07.81 and Barnwell at 1:10.31. Over at the Clock station, Dilshawn Sidhu took top honours with a winning average of 4.34 ahead of James at 5.49 and Wesley Haas at 6.33.

Beyond the finals and podiums, speed cubing tournaments regularly produce substantial personal milestones across the full roster of participants. Daniel Yu took on eight separate events at Vancouver Fall Fest 2023, highlighted by a 5.28 Pyraminx personal best that improved his previous standard by 47.1 percent, a 25.3 percent improvement in Clock down to 23.75, and a first ever Square-1 attempt of 52.76. Kevin Wu entered six events and chopped 41.8 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 2.96, while also trimming 18.4 percent from his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:04.42 and debuting on Pyraminx at 18.21. James Streeter improved his 4x4x4 Cube time by 37.8 percent to 1:42.21, dropped his 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube best by 28.3 percent to 24.13, and completed a maiden Pyraminx solve of 13.07. Nico Rain Mons lowered his Pyraminx record by 36.2 percent to 6.97, dropped his 2x2x2 mark by 30 percent to 3.71, and registered a first attempt in Skewb at 6.38.

That same drive to expand repertoires was evident throughout the hall as competitors tested themselves on unfamiliar puzzles. Thomas Abresch contested eight disciplines, lowering his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 32.7 percent to 1:07.66, improving his one-handed time by 14.4 percent to 1:02.23, and posting an 18.26 in his first Skewb attempt. Yoann Aulard-Macler logged a 31.2 percent jump on 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.43 solve while debuting on Skewb at 19.05 and one-handed at 56.33. Jacob Hobbs tackled eight events, setting marks in his first attempts at Megaminx in 1:52.63, Pyraminx in 7.25, and Square-1 in 50.75. Joey Hobbs also took on eight disciplines, logging first attempts in Clock at 28.54, Megaminx at 2:03.97, and Pyraminx at 3.40.

Specialist categories rounded out the remaining brackets in Vancouver. In Square-1, Wesley Haas topped a field of 25 competitors with an average of 9.74 seconds and a single of 6.91. The Skewb event concluded with Kevin Lê capturing the title on a 4.21 average across two rounds of 50 solvers. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, where competitors memorise the puzzle before solving without sight, Jayce Li earned the win among 12 entrants with a single time of 33.87 seconds, ahead of Kevin Matthews at 37.77 and Vianne Chang at 3:56.64.

Across the two days of competition in 2023, Canadian competitors captured 22 podium positions, alongside seven for the United States and one for Hong Kong. From the rapid turns of 2x2x2 and 3x3x3 to the extended endurance of Megaminx and the concentration of blindfolded solving, Vancouver Fall Fest 2023 delivered a comprehensive showcase of modern speedcubing at every level of the official WCA competition circuit.