VIC Side State Championship 2025

The competition floor at the Foundation Learning Centre buzzed with focused energy as 45 competitors settled in for a packed weekend of specialty disciplines. Staged across June 14 and June 15 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the VIC Side State Championship 2025 shifted the spotlight away from standard solving to test deep versatility. Across 10 distinct events and 15 rounds, solvers faced everything from complex mechanical puzzles to silent memory challenges, turning the venue into a proving ground for dedicated puzzle specialists.

Progress defined the atmosphere from the opening round, with competitors unlocking major developmental breakthroughs on the stage. While general speedcubing often focuses on flagship events, this dedicated cubing competition celebrated rapid individual progression across side disciplines. Solvers logged personal bests by massive margins, proving that careful preparation pays off when tackling non-standard formats under strict tournament conditions throughout the 2025 season.

A standout example of progress came from David Clarke, who shattered his previous mark on the 7x7x7 Cube with a personal best of 3:33.30, a massive 30.4 percent drop from his previous 5:06.54 best, while also logging a first attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded of 2:55.61. Aiki Yaginuma cut 45.9 percent off their Square-1 personal best with a time of 29.18 and improved in 3x3x3 Blindfolded to 1:01.94. Nate Leitch delivered a 22.7 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves down to 34 moves, alongside a 3:15.63 on the 6x6x6 Cube. Hugo Hodges knocked 19 percent off his 6x6x6 Cube mark to record 4:51.19 and dropped his Megaminx best to 1:35.57.

The ambition continued as competitors embraced entirely new formats at this WCA competition. Ryan Seacroft took on nine separate disciplines, recording a successful first attempt in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind of 4/5 in 49:48, alongside initial official attempts in 4x4x4 Blindfolded and Fewest Moves. Alexander Jelavic took on four events, completing his first attempts in Megaminx in 1:16.47, 6x6x6 Cube in 2:50.56, and Square-1 in 29.48. Darby Lee logged an initial 4x4x4 Blindfolded time of 16:18.00 and dropped 16.4 percent in 6x6x6 Cube to 1:56.90. Killian Heanue took on his very first speed cubing event, finishing 12th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:05.01 single.

At the sharp end of the results table, Michael Tripodi assembled a historic sweep across every blindfolded discipline on the schedule. Tripodi claimed victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning single of 21.71, took the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a 1:29.37 single, and secured the 5x5x5 Blindfolded win in 4:52.30. In the demanding 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, Tripodi resolved 36 out of 41 puzzles within 58:14. These blindfolded events, requiring intense memorisation and spatial execution, solidified his dominance across memory disciplines.

Firstian Fushada delivered a magnificent display across multiple puzzle categories at the VIC Side State Championship 2025. Fushada collected the Megaminx championship with an average of 34.25 and a best single of 30.50, outlasting Darcy Way at 36.82 and Feliks Zemdegs at 38.80. Fushada also secured the Clock title with a 4.19 winning average and won Square-1 in 8.65 ahead of Auric Cui and Zayd Chaudhry, bringing his total individual event titles to three for the weekend.

In the big cube divisions, Feliks Zemdegs proved untouchable with two commanding victories. Zemdegs captured the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:16.08 average and a best single of 1:09.26, finishing ahead of Fushada at 1:21.13 and David Epstein at 1:32.80. Zemdegs doubled his gold tally in the 7x7x7 Cube final, averaging 2:02.45 to edge out Fushada, who finished in 2:03.23, while Ryan Driscoll placed third with 2:25.74.

Strategy and efficiency ruled the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest, where solvers search for shortest solutions rather than racing raw turning speed. David Epstein secured first place with an exceptional average of 22.33 moves and a single of 20, matching Fushada on a 22.33 average while Tommy Kiprillis secured third place at 27.00. While the classic Rubik's Cube was solved without speed-focused 3x3 results in standard brackets, its algorithmic complexity was fully on display.

The concluding awards ceremony at the VIC Side State Championship 2025 marked the close of a thrilling weekend in Melbourne. Australian competitors collected 20 podium places across the ten events, while Indonesian solvers earned 10 podium spots. Between dramatic blindfolded feats, multi-event triumphs, and massive personal record drops across every round, the gathering showcased the rising technical standard of side-event solving heading into the next chapter of the season.