Vancouver Newcomers 2025

Inside the bustling rooms of the Trout Lake Community Centre, tables filled quickly with warm-up mats, timers, and puzzle bags as solvers gathered to share techniques and catch up between solves. The friendly hum of turning layers echoed across the floor throughout March 31, 2025, where newcomers and seasoned solvers alike mingled freely during practice stretches. Across two featured puzzles and three complete rounds of action, the shared enthusiasm defined the gathering as much as the numbers recorded on the scorecards.

The one-day WCA competition brought together a field of 48 competitors in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. While everyone came to test their skills against the clock, the spirit of mutual encouragement was evident at every station. Participants spent their downtime comparing turning methods, examining hardware, and supporting fellow solvers stepping up to the official timing tables for the very first time in 2025. This spirit showed why each speedcubing tournament doubles as a vital social hub for puzzle enthusiasts.

Official proceedings at Vancouver Newcomers 2025 began with the pyramid-shaped Pyraminx event, drawing 25 competitors for a single fast-paced round. Justin Hong captured top honours for Canada, delivering a winning average of 5.47 seconds along with the round best single of 4.65 seconds. The battle at the front was exceptionally narrow, as Slovenia competitor Taiyo Berčič claimed second place with an average of 5.55 seconds. Harlan Beddoes of Canada secured third position on the podium with a strong 5.66 second mark.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew the full entry list into two competitive rounds of speed cubing, showcasing depth across the 48-person field. Luke Jankowiak took victory for Canada, logging the winning average of 7.76 seconds in the final round and producing the competition best single of 6.69 seconds. Taiyo Berčič earned a second runner-up finish on the day by averaging 8.33 seconds for Slovenia, while Canada competitor Xuanyu Sun took third place with an 8.51 second average to finalise the 3x3 results.

Beyond the podium battles, Vancouver Newcomers 2025 highlighted significant personal milestones across the roster of participants. Soarin Vanden Berg delivered an extraordinary leap in Pyraminx, cutting their personal best by 49.9 percent from 13.40 seconds down to 6.71 seconds on the way to a 14th-place finish. Essa Shariff took on two events, setting a first official Pyraminx single of 14.15 seconds to place 20th while improving their 3x3x3 Cube best by 8.9 percent to 38.17 seconds. Heyson Choi tackled two disciplines as well, recording a first official Pyraminx attempt of 12.07 seconds for 17th place. Yeonseo Na showed great progress in the 3x3x3 Cube, lowering their personal mark by 18.9 percent from 43.48 seconds to 35.26 seconds.

Several other competitors marked breakthroughs across multiple categories during the tournament. Oliver Kaplan entered two events and achieved double improvements, dropping their 3x3x3 Cube record by 12.8 percent to 12.17 seconds and trimming their Pyraminx mark by 12.3 percent to 4.79 seconds to take 8th place. Trevor Choi focused on the 3x3x3 Cube, improving by 12 percent with a new best time of 13.59 seconds. Gabriel Gaza took 10th place in Pyraminx while lowering their personal best by 11.6 percent to 6.31 seconds across two events. Keith Choi entered one event and improved their 3x3x3 Cube single by 7 percent down to 42.79 seconds.

The competition also served as the debut stage for several solvers attending their very first official cubing competition. Xavier Forer, Miles Chen, Lucian Lu, and Attila Vojnits-Acun all took on both events on the schedule to open their competitive careers. Attila Vojnits-Acun posted an opening Pyraminx time of 11.71 seconds for 18th place along with a 24.10 second 3x3x3 Cube attempt, while Xavier Forer earned a 15th-place finish in Pyraminx with 12.52 seconds.

Across the two podiums, host nation Canada earned four top-three finishes alongside two podium placements for Slovenia. The smooth schedule and collaborative atmosphere ensured that Vancouver Newcomers 2025 delivered a welcoming environment for developing talent alongside top-tier solving. As competitors packed away their puzzles at Trout Lake Community Centre, the shared achievements and new friendships provided a solid foundation for the upcoming regional calendar.