Waterloo Favourites B 2023

Inside RIM Park on February 19, 2023, the hum of turning plastic and the click of digital timers set the rhythm for a full day of puzzle action. Staged in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, the single-day gathering drew a dedicated field of 136 competitors ready to test their skills across 12 disciplines. The tournament hall bustled from early morning as participants calibrated their hardware, inspected tension settings, and paced through warm-up solves. For fans following the cubing competition circuit in 2023, Waterloo Favourites B 2023 offered a packed schedule of 16 rounds running across multiple puzzle sizes and formats.

The morning schedule moved quickly into early heats, establishing the competitive tone across the arena. The classic Rubik's Cube drew the largest group of the day, bringing 125 entrants to the tables over two intense rounds. Early 3x3 results saw contenders pushing the pace, but the sharpest performances emerged in the afternoon finals. Canadian competitor Leo Min-Bedford took top honors on the main stage with a winning average of 9.01 seconds and a best single time of 7.00 seconds. Ezra Shere of the USA secured second place with an average of 9.02 seconds, edging Canada's Jeremy Anderson who took third with an identical 9.02 average.

Beyond the traditional three-layered puzzle, the morning and early afternoon sessions showcased diverse events and varying puzzle geometries. Min-Bedford put together a dominant run across multiple brackets at Waterloo Favourites B 2023, capturing four tournament victories throughout the day. In Skewb, Min-Bedford posted a winning average of 2.58 seconds ahead of Max Murphy at 4.21 seconds and Declan O'Leary at 8.84 seconds. In Pyraminx, Min-Bedford earned first place with a 2.86 average, while Ezra Shere finished second at 4.56 and Max Kaloshi claimed third at 5.21. Min-Bedford also captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed event with an 18.06-second average.

The short-format speed cubing events delivered tight finishes and impressive turn rates. In the 2x2x2 Cube, an 80-competitor field battled through two rounds to settle the podium. Max Kaloshi secured victory with a 3.27-second average, followed closely by Guanlin Zhou in second with 3.30 seconds and Weston Law in third with 3.47 seconds. In Clock, Declan O'Leary secured the top spot with a 6.96 average and a best single of 6.36 seconds across 11 competitors. Meanwhile, Ruichen Wang showed mastery on specialty puzzles, claiming the Square-1 title with an 18.23 average and adding a Megaminx victory with an average of 1:09.94.

Away from the top of the podium, Waterloo Favourites B 2023 provided a stage for individual progression across the field. Liam O'Leary took on four events, making a first ever attempt at Clock with a mark of 10.75 seconds while achieving a fourth-place finish, improving his Pyraminx personal best to 6.02 seconds for a 69.5 percent drop, and cutting his 4x4x4 Cube best to 1:42.50. Ayden Cappuccitti completed four events, recording a first ever attempt at Skewb in 21.98 seconds, a first 4x4x4 Cube try in 2:55.01, and dropping their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 5.68 seconds, 30.4 percent faster than before. Daniel Shen logged three events, trying 4x4x4 Cube for the first time at 2:52.65, 2x2x2 Cube at 12.03, and setting a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 24.23 seconds, a 30.4 percent improvement. Andrew Marin entered four events, earned 10th in Skewb with a personal best of 10.48 seconds that was 30.1 percent faster, and posted first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.50 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:07.35.

The surge of personal milestones continued throughout the midday rounds of the WCA competition. Q Sperske competed in four events, recording an eighth-place finish in Square-1 with a first attempt of 31.15 seconds, a first 4x4x4 Cube mark of 1:03.57, and improving their 2x2x2 Cube best by 26 percent to 4.43 seconds. Alexander Seungu Hu took on four events, logging first attempts in Pyraminx at 9.26 seconds and Skewb at 11.66 seconds alongside a 4.53-second personal best in 2x2x2 Cube. Paxton Badger entered four events, securing 14th in 4x4x4 Cube with a 55.42-second personal best that was 23.4 percent faster, alongside first tries in Pyraminx at 7.00 seconds and 2x2x2 Cube at 3.49. Dominic Johnson contested four events, cutting their Skewb mark to 12.36 seconds for a 72.6 percent improvement and posting a 21.50-second personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube.

As the afternoon advanced into the big cube categories, Omar Ellabban produced an exceptional sweep across all four multi-layer events. Ellabban started the run in the 4x4x4 Cube, winning with a 30.56 average and a best single of 29.13 seconds among 45 competitors. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Ellabban took first place with a 53.73 average, finishing ahead of Max Sun at 1:05.86 and Liam Orovec at 1:19.14. The dominant form continued through the largest puzzles on the roster, with Ellabban securing the 6x6x6 Cube title with an average of 1:33.65 over Max Sun's 2:10.68 and Michael Rose's 2:48.25, before closing out the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:31.45 winning mark.

The busy schedule concluded in the late afternoon as the final awards were distributed and competitors packed up their gear. In the overall medal count across events, Canadian solvers earned 33 podium spots, while the United States claimed two and India took one. With high participation across 12 distinct events, Waterloo Favourites B 2023 demonstrated the continuing strength of regional speedcubing in Ontario. As the equipment was packed away, solvers turned their focus toward upcoming fixtures on the regional calendar, eager to carry their momentum forward into the next round of competition.