Weston-super-Mare Winter 2025

Memorising twenty-one scrambled cubes before donning a blindfold demands unflinching mental discipline, and Ben Stokes delivered exactly that on the Somerset coast. Stokes solved 18 out of 21 cubes in 59:04 to take the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind title, before clocking a rapid 16.50 single to win the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest. Across two days of high-stakes speedcubing, his double victory without sight set a formidable tone for an intense weekend on the pier.

Held across January 4 to January 5, Weston-super-Mare Winter 2025 drew 78 competitors to the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, United Kingdom. The coastal WCA competition featured 9 events across 18 rounds, offering everything from rapid sprints to deep tests of endurance. Speed cubing enthusiasts gathered early in 2025 to test their algorithms and reaction times across standard Rubik's Cube categories and specialised formats alike.

Stokes was not done with his blindfolded exploits, also charging through three rounds of the 2x2x2 Cube to take gold with a winning average of 1.80 seconds. In that same final, Jacob Sherwen Brown finished second on a 2.08 average, while Cham J. Chambers captured third place with 2.27. Stokes added a silver medal in the main 3x3x3 Cube event, proving that tactile precision translates across both sighted and blindfolded disciplines.

The premier 3x3 results went to Danny Morgan, who secured the classic 3x3x3 Cube crown with a winning average of 8.11 seconds after pacing a field of 73 entrants through three competitive rounds. Stokes followed in second place with 8.68, while Chambers claimed bronze with 9.23. Morgan also displayed supreme mastery over the larger layers, winning the 5x5x5 Cube final with an average of 48.58 seconds, holding off Chambers at 53.04 and Jake Brown at 53.29.

Chambers put together a commanding performance across the big cubes at Weston-super-Mare Winter 2025. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Chambers claimed victory with an average of 1:41.09, beating Morgan to second on 1:45.00 and Poland competitor Bart Sekulski on 1:46.30. Chambers then completed the big-cube double by taking the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:24.76, while also securing silver in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 47.45 single.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their chosen events. Oliver Lampard tackled eight disciplines and made his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 3:07.44, while slicing his 2x2x2 personal best down to 1.69 seconds, an improvement of 44 percent. Samuel Watson-Priest entered five events, logging his first attempts at Skewb in 10.94 and 5x5x5 in 3:08.80, alongside a 38.2 percent personal best reduction in Pyraminx with an 8.26 mark. Max Joseph made maiden attempts at both 7x7x7 in 3:26.09 and 6x6x6 in 2:06.97. Ashley Hatch entered nine events, posting a personal best single of 7.19 in 3x3x3 and cutting his blindfolded best by 11.3 percent to 1:45.77.

Other competitors delivered equally impressive turnarounds across the weekend. Charlie Cosslett chopped 43.3 percent off his Skewb personal best with a 12.16 single, alongside a 38.5 percent improvement in 2x2x2 with 6.77. Alex Pennington contested nine events, achieving a 40.7 percent personal best drop in 2x2x2 down to 1.59 seconds. Jonathan Pugsley improved his 2x2x2 record by 38.4 percent to 2.15 seconds on his way to eighth in the 7x7x7 final. M. Omar Niaz completed their first WCA competition, logging initial marks in three events including a 27.61 single in the standard 3x3x3 Cube.

The side events rounded out an exhilarating programme at Weston-super-Mare Winter 2025. Matt Stephenson won the Skewb final with a 3.53 average, narrowly edging Tom Nugent on 3.55 and Jacob Sherwen Brown on 4.22. Blue James led the 58-competitor field in the Pyraminx, taking first place with an average of 3.17 seconds ahead of Rufus Cripps on 3.44 and Danny Morgan on 3.47.

With 25 podium spots staying with United Kingdom competitors and two going to Poland, the cubing competition delivered a fantastic exhibition of focus and variety. From Morgan and Chambers dominating the multi-layered cubes to Stokes commanding the blindfolded disciplines, Weston-super-Mare Winter 2025 proved to be an unforgettable start to the competitive year on the Grand Pier.