White Rock's Back to Square-1 2025

Eighty-seven competitors gathered at the Star of the Sea Parish Center on July 12, 2025, bringing exceptional energy to White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. The single-day schedule moved swiftly across 6 events and 11 rounds, featuring a roster filled with emerging talent eager to push their solve times to new limits. From the early heats of the 2x2x2 Cube to the decisive phases of the main event, the pace inside the hall was relentless, as young solvers demonstrated how rapidly the competitive landscape is advancing through diligent practice and sharper execution.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest, which drew 85 entrants through 2 rounds of intense play, concluded with Sameer Aggarwal securing first place. Representing the USA, Aggarwal produced a winning average of 7.08 seconds alongside the round single of 6.39. Ethan Rusnak took the second spot on the podium with a mark of 7.26 seconds, while Kenny Zhong posted a 7.37 average to claim third. These sharp 3x3 results underlined the high baseline required to reach the top of a modern cubing competition, where split-second pauses separate the podium places.

Aggarwal doubled his title haul in the signature Square-1 event, topping a field of 36 competitors over 3 full rounds. His decisive 4.78 average and 3.62 single paced the bracket, outdistancing Canadian finalists Bailing Hou and Wesley Haas, who earned second and third with averages of 7.76 and 8.60 respectively. The mechanical precision demanded by the shape-shifting puzzle tested every solver, yet the event delivered some of the most technically demanding speedcubing seen throughout the entire weekend.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, Dante Navarro Vera of Chile delivered a standout performance, capturing victory across 2 rounds among 77 competitors with a 1.75 winning average and a 1.41 single. Canadian competitors Achilles Standring and Kevin Lê rounded out the podium with averages of 2.05 and 2.07 respectively. Lê carried his momentum straight into Skewb, winning the event with an average of 3.51 seconds and a 2.26 single, ahead of Navarro Vera at 3.94 and Lukas Hörbach at 4.52.

Beyond the final tables, the floor showcased substantial individual progression across the schedule. Mateus Henrique Madureira Silva entered 4 events, improving his Skewb personal best to 10.85 seconds, an improvement of 47.9 percent, and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 16.9 percent to 12.42 while making a first attempt at Clock in 11.24. Jun Seo Lee shaved 47.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 5.55, took 18.5 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube mark with 17.36, and logged a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 35.34. Caden Oliver Leow cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal record by 44 percent to 4.73, while Samroz Sidhu dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 39.6 percent to 27.17 and posted a first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 7.33.

The surge of new milestones continued across several brackets. Curtis Mah reached 36th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 28.21 personal record, improved his 2x2x2 Cube time by 30.6 percent to 2.50, and completed a first attempt at Square-1 with 36.36. Rebecca Lam notched 23rd place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 25.89 mark, 38.3 percent faster than before, while also setting an initial Square-1 benchmark of 34.70. Xavier Forer cut 30.3 percent from his 2x2x2 Cube mark down to 4.56 and logged an initial Skewb attempt of 20.62. Making their initial appearance at a WCA competition, Chimdi Okam competed across 3 events, placing 33rd in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 32.30 and recording a 13.02 in the standard Rubik's Cube, while Goldon Gao took 27th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 28.12 and secured a 12.56 in 3x3x3 Cube.

Specialist categories brought additional intrigue to the afternoon. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Ethan Rusnak topped 52 entrants with a winning average of 14.06 seconds and a 12.04 single, holding off Noah Stelting at 14.31 and Kenny Zhong at 15.23 in an all-Canadian podium sweep. Clock action across 2 rounds finished with Switzerland taking the top two places, as Alex Moscibroda secured victory with a 3.40 average over Flurin König at 4.24, while Dante Navarro Vera placed third at 4.25.

Across every bracket, White Rock's Back to Square-1 2025 demonstrated the rapid pace at which dedicated solvers refine their techniques. Canadian entrants secured 11 total podium finishes, with international challengers from Chile, Switzerland, and the United States capturing the remaining honors. The blend of experienced finalists and developing newcomers made for a vibrant day of speed cubing, setting a strong standard as solvers head into their upcoming training cycles.