Cubing Competitions - Summer 2025
Cubing competitions are a great way to meet new people that share the same unique hobby that you do! In addition, you can get official times recorded. Remember that there is no barrier to entry, and you can go no matter your experience. At competitions, the vast majority of people are simply competing against themselves, so just try to beat your old personal record. Cubing competitions have allowed me to meet other cubers and have a great time, so I would highly recommend going to one. I have been to two so far this summer and have one more planned right before the school year starts.
My first competition of the summer and my ninth overall was on June 1st in Taylor, Texas. It was held in a small convention center with the classic cubing competition setup of tables, a viewing area, and a competing area. When I walked in that morning, I was a bit late, so finding a table to sit at was difficult, but eventually, a spot opened up. There, I sat down and started solving to warm up for my rounds. My 3x3 solving that day was very mediocre, but I fortunately had lots of success in 4x4 and some in 5x5. Another thing to watch out for are the cutoff times, which are times that you must get under to complete your average, allowing the competition to run more quickly. Don’t worry if you don’t make the cutoff time, as I have failed to make it many times as well.
My second competition of the summer was held on June 15 in Summit, New Jersey. It had a similar setup to the previous competition but was held in a school cafeteria. Again, I arrived a bit late (arriving early is probably a good idea) so I struggled to find somewhere to sit, but when I did find a spot, I warmed up to get ready for my rounds. I did a lot better in 3x3 at this competition, setting a PR average twice.
Overall, I really enjoyed these smaller local competitions, improving my times and just having a good time with fellow cubers. I have another one coming up in Philadelphia right before the school year starts, and that one is a much larger competition, so I’m very excited.
