West Coast Cubing Tour: Berkeley 2025

Fifty-nine competitors gathered on June 25, 2025, to test their speed and nerves across nine rounds of play at the Tilden Room in Berkeley, California, USA. The one-day WCA competition delivered a clinic in discipline, where raw single solves took a back seat to repeatable execution over complete averages. From the short-burst puzzles to the grueling big-cube events, every champion proved that staying composed across every turn is what earns titles on the grand stage.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest served as the ultimate proof of steady hands under pressure. Alexey Tsvetkov claimed victory in the marquee Rubik's Cube category with a commanding 6.49 winning average, highlighted by the round's best single of 5.68 seconds. Over two rounds and among fifty-nine entrants, Tsvetkov kept his composure to fend off Gurshan Singh, who secured second place with an average of 7.73, while Randy Zhong finished third on an 8.21 average in the final 3x3 results.

Alexey Tsvetkov demonstrated the same unyielding pace in the 2x2x2 Cube, sweeping the short-format division with an exceptional 1.42 winning average and a 1.06 single. Ezra Severson took second place on a 1.77 average, while Stanley Tran joined them on the podium in third with a 2.03 mark. The competition featured fifty-one entrants in the event across two rounds, underlining how razor-thin margins reward consistent precision on the smaller puzzle.

Big-cube dominance belonged entirely to Kevin Hays, whose mastery of long solves defined the upper tiers of the schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Hays captured the title with a 49.56 winning average and a 43.54 best single, holding off Emily Nguyen in second at 51.71 and Paul Mahvi in third at 52.17. Across two rounds and forty-four competitors, Hays kept his turn efficiency steady from start to finish.

Hays extended his command into the 6x6x6 Cube, logging a winning average of 1:23.31 and a low single of 1:19.74 to take top honours ahead of Paul Mahvi, who posted 1:36.07, and An Le, who claimed third in 1:42.76. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Hays completed a clean sweep of the heavy hardware with a 2:05.66 winning average and a 1:58.54 single, once again followed by Mahvi in second at 2:19.89 and Le in third at 2:40.62.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers delivered major breakthroughs across their personal timelines. Miguel Diaz took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube of 3:38.62 for a 17th-place finish while lowering his 6x6x6 Cube personal best to 2:11.54, which was 35.7 percent faster than before. Colin Hartman entered four events and cut his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 28.8 percent down to 1:23.00, while Roei Hammel tackled five events, finishing 8th in 6x6x6 Cube and setting a 7x7x7 Cube personal best of 3:10.11.

The energy of rapid improvement continued with Justin Ma, who dropped his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 30.3 percent to 8.20 and improved his 3x3x3 Cube time by 10.9 percent to 26.08. Avery Lucas Christian reduced their 2x2x2 Cube best by 40.6 percent to 6.72, while Daniel Tsai entered three events, recording a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 1:51.61 alongside a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 6.01. Emmett Milch took part in five events, logging a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 7.74 and a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 36.17, while Tobias Lin recorded a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 17.86.

Throughout the schedule, the cubing competition showcased how rigorous preparation separates podium contenders from the chasing pack across all five events. United States solvers locked down thirteen podium positions, while Russia earned two behind Tsvetkov's dual triumphs. The high level of speed cubing on display set a strong standard for the community as the season moves ahead.

As the final timers stopped, West Coast Cubing Tour: Berkeley 2025 concluded as a masterclass in calm, mistake-free execution. From lightning-fast scrambles on the 2x2x2 Cube to marathon solves on the 7x7x7 Cube, the tournament rewarded the solvers who put five great solves together when it mattered most. The speedcubing circuit now looks forward to the next stops with this standard of excellence firmly established.