Vegas Cubing Cup Summer 2025

Dan Tran delivered the definitive endurance masterclass of the weekend, capturing the 7x7x7 Cube title with a commanding 2:36.82 average and a scorching single of 2:24.96. Tackling the largest puzzle on the schedule demanded immense stamina, finger strength, and unwavering focus across 27 contenders. Tran finished well clear of runner-up Cy Hamilton, who posted a 2:58.49 average, and third-place Shane Grogan at 3:11.31. The single-round battle tested mental endurance at the absolute limit, establishing the big-cube contest as the defining marathon of the entire weekend.

The big-cube display set an ambitious tone for Vegas Cubing Cup Summer 2025, which gathered 111 competitors at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on August 9, 2025. Over the course of 11 rounds across six distinct events, the WCA competition offered a comprehensive test of solving disciplines. Contenders moved rapidly between the grueling piece-reduction demands of big cubes, traditional speedcubing setups, and hyper-specialized speed puzzles. Across the floor, each bracket pushed the field through high-pressure timers and strict regulation tables in front of a packed venue.

In the classic Rubik's Cube category, Ryan Ylagan produced stellar 3x3 results across three competitive rounds featuring 108 competitors. Ylagan secured the title with a tournament-winning average of 7.54 seconds, alongside a blazing personal best single of 5.71 seconds. Quintin Audisho claimed second place on the podium with an 8.33 average, while Remy Trieu finished third with an 8.65 mark. The event demonstrated the rapid-fire turn speed required to succeed at the highest tiers of 3x3x3 speed cubing under full competition conditions.

Ylagan was far from finished, doubling his gold medal tally by dominating the 2x2x2 Cube. Through two rounds of explosive turning among 94 competitors, Ylagan secured victory with an exceptional 1.88 average and a best single of 1.41 seconds. Dominic Shoji took second place with a 1.95 average, while Joel Kim earned third place at 2.45 seconds. The short-format puzzle required instant inspection planning and flawless execution, highlighting Ylagan's versatility across multiple cube formats.

Dominic Shoji rebounded with a dominant display of his own in Clock, taking the title with a 4.27 average and a 3.82 single across 56 competitors. Ylagan took silver with a 4.73 average, while Emil Lazaryev followed in third with a 5.49 mark. In Pyraminx, Preston Schwartz navigated two rounds of 79 entrants to finish first with a 3.29 average and a 2.73 single, edging Audisho at 3.38 and Shoji at 3.51. The single-round Skewb tournament went to Vincent Benites, whose 4.41 average and 3.73 single beat Lazaryev at 4.89 and Jeremy Bulambot at 4.97.

Behind the podium celebrations, the tournament floor was filled with breakthrough moments from competitors making major statistical leaps. Justin Deng logged an extraordinary weekend across five events, dropping his Clock personal best to 10.70 seconds, which was 67.6 percent faster than his previous mark, while also slashing 46.6 percent off his Skewb time down to 5.57 seconds and improving his Pyraminx best to 6.34 seconds. Braylon Webb produced a massive 51.4 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.17 result, cut 26.9 percent off his 3x3x3 time to 23.14, and logged a first ever attempt at Clock at 42.68 seconds.

The depth of personal progress continued as Tyler Hendrickson took on all six events on the schedule, setting a Clock personal best of 12.51 seconds that was 42.3 percent faster than before, while posting a 6:37.10 on his first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube and recording 9.34 in his first Skewb attempt. Ramses U. Cantu reduced his 3x3x3 Cube best by 39.3 percent down to 19.57 seconds and recorded initial competition attempts in Clock at 17.01 and Skewb at 17.66. Salvador Flores cut 30.9 percent from his 2x2x2 mark down to 6.52, while registering first attempts in Pyraminx at 7.97 and Skewb at 11.99.

Other competitors embraced fresh challenges by entering disciplines for the very first time. Jackie Seliga dropped 28.1 percent off their 3x3x3 time to record 10.65 seconds, alongside opening marks of 11.30 in Skewb and 9.26 in Pyraminx. Jasper Thomas improved their 3x3x3 time by 22.8 percent to 24.48 seconds, while setting first-time marks of 9.85 in the 2x2x2 Cube and 7.54 in Pyraminx. Ian Bagstad placed 15th in the 7x7x7 Cube with a first official effort of 5:14.14, adding inaugural results of 5.59 in the 2x2x2 Cube and 20.34 in Skewb.

From the marathon solve times of the 7x7x7 Cube to the split-second margins of the 2x2x2 Cube, Vegas Cubing Cup Summer 2025 offered a true celebration of speedcubing versatility. All 18 podium positions went to United States competitors, confirming the deep local talent across classic and side events alike. As the hardware was awarded and the scorecards were signed, the tournament closed a memorable day of racing in the heart of Nevada.