Venue

Vancouver Hilton Airport
5911 Minoru Blvd
Richmond, BC V6X 4C7

The competition will be held in the Ellington Ballroom.

Parking

Hourly parking at the venue ranges from $4 CAD - $10 CAD, depending on the hours selected. Daily parking is $21 CAD.

If you are staying at the venue, please inquire with the Hilton about reduced parking rates.

There are additional parking options nearby.

Airport

The Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is an 8 minute drive to/from the venue, and is also easily accessible via Skytrain.

Food

CAVU Kitchen Bar is the onsite restaurant. Let them know you are with the speedcubing event to get 15% off!

Richmond Centre Mall is a 5 minute walk from the venue and it has a food court.

McArthur Glen Designer Outlet is a 10 minute drive from the venue and has food options.

If this is not your first competition, you will be assigned some judging and/or running duties throughout the event. You will only be assigned these tasks in events you are registered for. If you are not familiar with judging or running, make sure to attend the competitor tutorial at the start of the competition. We also encourage you to watch the video below in advance.

Your scheduled duties will be listed on the back of your name tag and on Competition Groups about a week before the competition (more details will be sent by email). Please check your schedule and be aware of when you are expected to help — these roles are essential to keeping the competition running smoothly and on time. For final rounds with only one group, there are no assigned duties — please help by filling any empty judging seats.

If you need assistance with any of these duties, feel free to ask an organizer or an experienced competitor — they will be happy to help.

Please help us keep the venue clean by disposing of garbage and recycling in the appropriate bins before you leave.

We look forward to seeing you at the competition!

New Competitors

For those of you new to cubing — WELCOME! This competition is open to cubers of all ages and experience levels. We just ask that you familiarize youself with a few basics before competing.

Resources

If this is your first competition, we strongly recommend reviewing the resources below. While there will be a competitor tutorial at the start of the competition (see the Schedule tab), reviewing these in advance is very helpful.

• The WCA has a Competition Tutorial and a Judging Tutorial.
• Speedcubing Canada has a New Competitor Tutorials playlist (from 2023).
• US Cubers Chris, Kit, and Lauren have a WCA Competitor Tutorial video (from 2015).

Finally, all competitors are expected to be familiar with the WCA Regulations. The resources above are meant to summarize some of the most important regulations, among other things.

Community

• Join the Speedcubing Canada mailing list for competition announcements.
• Join the BC Cubing Facebook group for BC discussion and announcements.
• Join the PNW Cubing Facebook group for PNW discussion and announcements.

FAQs

Q: What will the competition look like?
A: Competitions usually run throughout the whole day, giving cubers a chance to compete and have fun. You are welcome to come and go as you wish. You will compete in events you signed up for, and when not competing, you can hang out in the audience and interact with other cubers.

Q: Who is allowed to compete?
A: Everyone is welcome, regardless of age or experience (you just need register within the competitor limit). If you are new to cubing or competitions, don’t hesitate to sign up — we’ll be there to help throughout the day.

Q: Whose cubes do I use?
A: When competing, it is ideal to use your own cube. Make sure you have one ready to go when it is time to compete (the competition will NOT supply cubes for competitors). Please ensure your cubes comply with WCA puzzle regulations. The competition will provide other equipment, such as timers and scorecards.

Q: How do I check the results of the competition?
A: Check WCA Live and search for the competition name to see live results throughout the day. Official results will be posted within a few days after the competition ends.

Q: How do I know when I'm competing?
A: Your competition schedule, including all rounds you're competing in and any staffing duties, will be available on Competition Groups about a week before the competition.

Q: Can I judge if I have never judged before?
A: Yes! New competitors and spectators are welcome to help judge. Please watch this video in advance to learn how to judge.

Do not be intimidated by all these rules and expectations. Competitions are for everyone to have fun. If you have questions at any time during the day, feel free to ask an organizer or other competitors.

If you have any questions or concerns before the competition, go to the "General Info" tab and reach out via the "Contact" section. We look forward to seeing you at the competition!

WCA Requirement

Starting January 2, 2027, the World Cube Association (WCA) requires the implementation of 4-pad mode for all official speedsolving attempts. This is the first competition in British Columbia that will implement the new timer configuration in accordance with this requirement.

What is 4-Pad Mode?

Timer configurations in WCA competitions have traditionally used just two hand sensors (2-pad mode), whereas 4-pad mode adds two thumb sensors. This means competitors must place both thumbs and fingers on their respective sensors before starting a solve and return them to those sensors to finish the solve as well.

The exact mechanics of how to use 4-pad mode when solving will be covered extenstively in the tutorial at 9:30 AM. We strongly recommend attending the tutorial if you are new to this timer configuration.

WCA Event Addition

Starting January 2, 2027, the World Cube Association (WCA) officially adds Face Turning Octahedron (FTO) to its list of recognized events. This is the first competition in British Columbia to offer FTO as an official WCA event.

What is FTO?

Face Turning Octahedron (FTO) is a twisty puzzle shaped like an octahedron, or an eight-sided solid. Like other WCA puzzles, the goal is to solve it by turning its faces until all pieces are in their correct positions, as quickly as possible.

As with any WCA competition, you can choose which events to compete in when registering. You are not required to compete in FTO (or any other event you don't wish to participate in).

Sponsor: TBA

1. Event Objective

The competitor must assemble a fully functional 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube from a set of disassembled pieces (provided by the organizers) in the fastest possible time.
Competitors will get ONE attempt each.

IMPORTANT: once the competitor is done with their attempt, their judge will switch spots with them and become the competitor and the competitor will become the judge. If the competitor decided not to judge their partner, both of their attempts will be DISQUALIFIED.
Please only sign up for this event if you are planning to register and attend this competition.

2. Equipment

Each attempt requires:
- 1 3×3×3 speedcube
- 1 Stackmat/WCA-style timer
- 1 timing mat
- 1 competition table
- 1 judge

IMPORTANT: Note that all competitors will use the same cube model supplied by the organizers.

⚠️ 3. Starting Configuration

Before each attempt:
The core and centers must be completely assembled and properly tensioned.
All 12 edges and 8 corners must be removed.
All 20 pieces must be placed randomly inside the competitor's designated assembly area.
The competitor may touch only the core during inspection otherwise penalties may be applied.
The competitor may inspect the pieces before starting for 15 seconds.

⚠️ 4. Starting procedure

The judge places the scrambled/disassembled pieces in the designated area.
The judge will wait for the competitor's signal to lift the cover from the pieces.
The competitor must:
- Keep both hands off the pieces.
- Only touch the core.
- Start their timer within the 15 seconds of inspection, otherwise a penalty of 2 seconds will be applied as usual.

⚠️ 5. Assembly

Competitors may:
- Assembly the cube in any order or method
- Rotate the partially assembled cube freely.
Competitors may not:
- Remove or adjust screws.
- Receive assistance from another person.
- Rotate the cube after it is done assembly.

⚠️ 6. Finishing the Attempt

The competitor's time stops when they stop the timer.
The cube must then pass the judge's inspection.
A valid finished cube must:
- Contain all centers, edges, and corners correctly positioned and oriented.
- Have no visible gaps caused by an incorrectly inserted piece.
- Turn normally without a piece immediately falling out.
You may NOT assemble it in a unsolved state and proceed to solve it; the cube must be in its solved state when you attach the final piece.

⚠️ 7. Judge Responsibilities

The judge will take the cube apart, put it in the cube cover, and may choose to shake it to 'scramble it.' Then the judge will put the cover face down on the table.
The judge will wait for the competitor's signal and lift the cover to start the 15 second inspection time.
After the competitor stops the timer, the judge immediately checks the cube.
Valid attempt: If the cube is completely assembled and functional then the time is recorded.
Invalid attempt: If the cube is not correctly assembled then a DNF (Did Not Finish) is recorded.
The competitor cannot restart the timer after stopping it.

IMPORTANT: Once the competitor is done with their attempt, the judge and the competitor will switch places, so the judge is the competitor and the competitor is the judge.

8. DNF Examples

An attempt recieves a DNF if:
- A piece falls out during inspection.
- A piece is missing, incorrectly positioned, or misoriented once the timer is stopped.
- The cube cannot be normally turned.
- The competitor receives outside assistance.
- The competitor uses an unauthorized tool.
- If a piece falls out after the competitor stops the timer.
If the timer stops during the attempt, NO EXTRAS WILL BE GRANTED FOR THIS.

If you have any further questions, please email me at youcan.cube8@gmail.com.

The sign up link can be found here.

Zimo Li is bringing 1,200 cubes to build a cube mosaic at FTO Debut in Richmond 2027!

Cubing is Zimo’s biggest passion, and creating mosaics is one of his favourite ways to bring that passion to life. This project is also a tribute to the person who first inspired Zimo to pursue cubing.

Zimo is organizing and leading this mosaic independently as part of a Grade 12 CAS project. The design, the planning, and all 1,200 cubes come from Zimo — but the mosaic can only come together with help from the cubing community!

This is an optional activity, and everyone is welcome to join in and help build this mosaic. The final design will be revealed at the competition! Each participant will solve their cubes into a set pattern, and together those cubes will form one large piece of art.