West Coast Cubing Western Championship 2026
- Date
- May 23 - 25, 2026
- City
- Riverside, California, United States
- Venue
- Address
- 3637 5th St, Riverside, CA 92501
- Details
Ben H. Lewis Hall - Exhibit Hall A and B
- Contact
- Organization team
- Organizers
- Abhimanyu Singhal (अभिमन्यु सिंघल), Alex Lehman, David Karalli (داود قراعلي), Dylan Govic, Hamza Hafeez, Jacob Marinas, Mia Sponseller, Muhtasim Al-Farabi, Ruby Lu (卢红), Shane Grogan, Sherry Tao (陶心仪), and West Coast Cubing LLC Treasurer
- WCA Delegates
- Abhimanyu Singhal (अभिमन्यु सिंघल), Alex Lehman, Andrew French, Chris Martin, David Karalli (داود قراعلي), Dylan Govic, Franklin Pham, Hamza Hafeez, Jacob Vincent Vicente Mangosing, Jaden Thompson, Jason Chang (章維祐), Jason Ostdiek, Kaoushik Murugan, Matthew Dickman, Mia Sponseller, Michael Larsen, Michael Young, Mitchell Lane, Nolan Yiu, Ruby Lu (卢红), Ryan H. Lee, Samuel Martin, Shane Grogan, Sherry Tao (陶心仪), and TJ Kelly
- Download all the competition's details as PDF .
- Information
West Coast Cubing welcomes you to Riverside for Western Championship 2026!
Please visit the Key Information tab for an overview of everything Western Champs 2026!
The highest-placing competitor from the Western Region in each event at this competition will be recognized as the Western Champion! Check out the Eligibility tab for more information.
This competition is recognized as an official World Cube Association competition. Therefore, all competitors must be familiar with the WCA Regulations. If you are new to competing, please refer to the New Competitor section on the FAQ tab.
Spectators can attend for free and can come and go as they please! No registration or check-in process is needed for spectating.
This competition is organized by West Coast Cubing and supported by our sponsors.
- Events
- Main event
- Competitor limit
- 350
- Number of times bookmarked
- 68
- Registration period
-
Online registration will be open from to .
- Registration requirements
-
Create a WCA account here if you don't have one.
If this is not your first competition, associate your WCA ID to your WCA account here.
Register for this competition here.
There is a competitor limit of 350 competitors.
The base registration fee for this competition is $85 (United States Dollar).
The registration fee has to be paid through Stripe here once registered.
If your registration is cancelled before you will be refunded 75% of your registration fee.
Registrants on the waiting list may be accepted onto the competitor list until .
If you are a registered competitor you may change your registered events until on the Register tab.
No on the spot registrations will be accepted.
Any spectator can attend for free.
Registration Process
- Wait until registration opens on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM PST. You cannot register prior to then. You cannot register after Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT. No exceptions to these will be given. If deemed necessary, we may close registration early.
- If you have not competed before, create a WCA account here.
- Go to the Register link on the competition website.
- Fill out the events you will be competing in, any comments you may have about your registration, and press register.
- Pay the registration fee via Stripe on the competition website.
Competitors MUST pay their registration fee before being eligible for a spot in the competition.
Waitlist
Once the competitor limit has been reached, new registrations will be added to a waitlist and sorted in the order of payment.
Waitlisted competitors will be fully refunded if new spots are not available by Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT.
You can see your position on the waitlist on the Register tab.Registration Changes
If you would like to cancel your registration and receive a 75% registration refund, email the organization team before Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT.
If you would like to edit your registered events or listed guests, you may do so on the Register page before Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT.By registering, competitors agree to the information in the Key Information tab under Policies and Procedures.
Quick Links
Competition Groups
Live Results
Live Stream - CubersLive
Important Dates
| Event | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Period | Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM PDT | Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT |
| Staff Applications (Rolling) | Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM PDT | Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT |
How to Stay Notified
You'll see more about our upcoming Westerns Championship through our WCC Instagram account and WCC Community Discord server!
Upon registration approval, you'll receive important updates in your emails in the coming weeks leading to Westerns, so check your emails often! Including:
- Updated venue information (parking, venue maps, etc.)
- Changes to the competition schedule and rounds
- Additional activities for competitors and spectators to participate in
- And many more!
Schedule
The full schedule is can be viewed from the Schedule tab. The schedule will be updated once registration numbers are determined. Any updates will be communicated clearly, but events will remain on their scheduled day wherever possible.
Prize Pool
TBD
Procedures and Policies
As this competition is officially recognized by the WCA, all competitors are required to understand and follow the WCA Regulations and Guidelines.
Group Announcements: At times, groups may not be announced over the PA system. Instead, a "chime" will play, similar to what one may hear at a train station. Competitors are expected to pay attention to this chime and keep track of the current group. Current events and groups will be projected and visible from the entire main room.
New Competitor FAQ
If you're a new competitor, welcome to your first competition!
We will be holding new competitor tutorials on Saturday, May 23rd at 9:30AM as well as Sunday, May 24th at 8:30 AM. We strongly recommend all first-time competitors attend at least one of these sessions! At the end of the tutorial, you'll have the chance to ask any questions you have about competing.
If you'd like to learn more about how World Cube Association (WCA) competitions work, this video by CubeHead is a great place to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSuMG--wm8
Competitions are fun for cubers of all ages and speeds, and they're a great way to meet fellow cubers and make new friends! If you're ready to compete, head over to the "Register" tab!
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I use my own cubes to compete? | Yes, you are responsible for providing your own puzzles. Be sure to review Article 3 of the WCA regulations and confirm that your puzzles are competition legal before the event. Some examples of non-legal puzzles are electronic cubes (such as Giiker, GOcube, or GAN356i), cubes with carbon fiber stickers, cubes with more than one logo, and cubes with significantly damaged or missing stickers/pieces. |
| Do I use my own timer to compete? | No, all equipment for the competition (timers, displays, etc.) is provided by the organizers/WCA Delegates. |
| How fast do you have to be to compete? | Most events at this competition are open to all competitors, so as long as you are able to solve the puzzle within the time limit, you are fast enough to compete! |
| What will the average age of competitors be? | Most competitors are between 10 and 25 years old, with the average age usually falling in the early to mid-teens. However, all ages are welcome - everyone can and should cube! |
| Are competitors divided by gender/age/experience/any other distinction? | All competitors compete on the same even playing field and are recognized in the official WCA results without any distinction. |
| How do I know when/where exactly I will be competing? | About a week before the competition, your first round assignments will become available on Competition Groups, detailing when you will compete in each of your events and on which stage of the competition. (The nametag that you receive at check-in will also list those first round assignments.) If you advance to the next round in any event, information about group assignments for subsequent rounds will be added to Competition Groups before the round begins. Please be familiar with which group you are in and be ready to compete at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time - the competition may run ahead of schedule, and you may not be able to compete if you miss your group. |
| What do I do while I'm not competing? | In addition to the groups you are assigned to compete in, you will also be assigned to judge throughout the competition. Your judging assignments will usually come immediately after you compete (though you are welcome and encouraged to judge as much as you want - it's a fun way to get right up in the middle of the action!) When you're not judging or competing, you'll probably want to hang out at the tables with other cubers and make some new friends! |
| Can I leave in between rounds/go home early for the day if I don't have anything to compete in? | We hope you're having enough fun to stay through the whole competition, but you are welcome to leave in between rounds or leave early for the day. (Please return at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the next round you plan to compete in just in case the competition is running ahead of schedule.) If you plan to leave early and are going to miss a subsequent round that you advanced to, please let the organizers know so they can accept someone else to the round in your place. |
Registration FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why am I not on the competitor list yet? I already signed up and paid! | Registrations are approved manually, so it may take some time for the organizers/WCA Delegates to see and accept your registration. If you still do not see your name on the competitor list 48 hours after submitting payment, please reach out via the contact link. Please note that if registration is already full when you register and pay, you will remain on the waiting list with a pending registration status until a spot opens up, which may take weeks or months if it happens at all. (All competitors on the waiting list who do not get a spot receive a full refund.) |
| How do I change my events or cancel my registration? | You are able to change your own registered events for this competition on the Register tab. If you need to cancel your registration entirely, please reach out via the contact link and an organizer or WCA Delegate will handle your request. Please note that no refunds, cancellations, event changes, etc. can be processed after the deadlines listed on the General Info tab under "Registration Requirements". |
| Are spectators or guests allowed to attend? Do they have to pay an entrance fee? | At this competition, there are no limits or fees for spectators or guests. You are welcome to attend as a friend/family member of a competitor or even just as a non-competitor who is interested in the event. |
Results FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where do I find my results during the competition? | During the competition, you can see results on WCA Live as they are entered. Please note that all results are entered by hand and there may be delays depending on the availability of staff to enter data. |
| How will I know if I made it to the next round? | As the results are entered on WCA Live, the competitors whose names are highlighted in dark green are the ones who will be advancing to the next round. (Names highlighted in light green are in a position to advance at the moment but still have the potential to be bumped out as more results are entered.) Please note that the advancing competitors are not 100% locked in until every competitor's results are entered - you can scroll down to the bottom of the page to see if anyone is still missing results. |
| Where do I find my results after the competition? | Within a week of the end of the competition, the results of the competition will be uploaded on the main WCA website and will appear on your WCA profile. You will receive an email notification when this happens. |
| How do I get a WCA ID? | After official results are posted after the competition (see question above), you will receive an email with information about your WCA ID. |
We are looking for dedicated staff members. We have roles for competitors and parents alike, and all staffers will receive benefits as a token of our appreciation!
Core staff
As a core staff member, you'll be judging, running, and scrambling with a team of fellow cubers throughout the competition. You'll get several perks, including a fee reimbursement and free catered lunch! For more information, see the "Benefits" section.
Data staff
The data team will be responsible for entering data and double-checking scorecards throughout the competition. You'll get the same perks as core staffers, including a fee reimbursement and free catered lunch! For more information, see the "Benefits" section.
Parent staff
We're looking for parents to help the delegates with front desk duties, including checking in competitors, handing out nametags and swag, and chatting with competitors and other parents at the help desk. This role is perfect for parents who don't know much about speedcubing, but still want to help out! For each day you choose to staff, you'll be assigned 2-3 hours of duties, in exchange for benefits like free catered lunch and a partial hotel reimbursement (see the next section, "Benefits").
Note: While this role is designed with parents in mind, anyone who's not competing can apply for the parent staff role! We're also happy to consider applicants who would like to contribute in a way that's not described here; just fill out the application as "Parent staff" and elaborate in the comments.
Benefits
All staff (core staff, data staff, and parent staff) are eligible for all of the benefits below, unless otherwise noted.
- Free catered lunch for each day you staff*
- Exclusive staff T-shirt
- Special seating during head-to-head 3x3 finals
- For core/data staffers: Registration fee reimbursement, depending on a performance review**
- For parent staffers: Your choice of a $20 per day parking reimbursement or a $25 per day hotel reimbursement
*To accommodate parents who prefer to leave the venue to eat with their family, parent staffers will get to choose between a daily meal ticket or a partial lunch reimbursement of up to $10 per day. All other staffers will receive a daily meal ticket.
**Only staffers who are available for all 3 days of the competition will be eligible for a full $85 reimbursement. 1 day = max reimbursement of $28, and 2 days = max reimbursement of $56. Staffers are strongly encouraged to staff for all 3 days.
Application
The staff application opens Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM PST. Just come back to this page once registration opens! Applicants will be contacted with the result of their application (accepted, rejected, or deferred) on a rolling basis.
The application will be available here: https://forms.gle/2R8CHXNTKa39c4yW9
Venue
The main competition area will be on second floor in Exhibit Hall A and B of The Riverside Convention Center. Note that no outside food is allowed. You can find the venue policies here.
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Hotel
We will have a hotel block at Hampton Inn for competitors. Booking details and special rates to be announced soon. Space will be limited.
Hotel block benefits include:
- Discounted hotel parking at $19 per day per vehicle instead of $29 per day per vehicle
- Double Hilton Honors points
- Hotel block rate available 3 days pre/post competition
- Free breakfast
Travel
🚗 If you're traveling by car, you can park at Lot 33 right behind The Riverside Convention Center. It is $20 dollars per day with in and out priviledges.
✈️ The closest commercial airport is the Ontario International Airport (ONT). From there, you can connect to Downtown Riverside by:
- The Ontario-East Metrolink (check the link to see the train schedule availability). NOTE: This only operates on Monday through Friday weekdays, and the station is 3 miles away from the airport. One-way tickets are $6.50, with a discount rate for students and elderly - you can purchase online or at a machine.
- Ridesharing and splitting the costs with your peers - Uber, Lyft, etc. The estimated cost is around $30-40 one way.
There are other options, but will require much more transit time and transfers to make it to Riverside and back - RTA, Flixbus, etc. so above are the safest options.
Dining
There are many local food options within walking distance of the venue in Downtown Riverside! Some recommendations:
- Riverside Food Lab: A food court with a variety of options - pizza, burgers, ramen, Mexican, Mediterranean, boba, coffee, and more!
- Cheba Hut: Creative toasted subs (with vegan options)
- Tio's Tacos: Casual Mexican food in a unique artsy space
- Mario's Place: Italian fine dining with romantic upscale vibes and jazz music
- Gram's BBQ: Southern-style BBQ dishes, Cajun specialties & fried fish
- Saku Ramen: Build-your-own ramen and fried rice bowls
WCC Western Championship 2026 is made possible by support from sponsors and partners in addition to the speedcubing community. If you'd like to partner with us for this competition, please contact the organization team.
Sponsors
TBD
Partners
| West Coast Cubing |  |
This championship is organized by your local West Coast Cubing delegates. West Coast Cubing, LLC provides financial support to competitions throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii. |
| World Cube Association |  |
All results obtained in this championship will be uploaded to the WCA website for everybody to see! This championship will be sanctioned by the WCA, and the WCA Delegates and Volunteers from all over the Western Region will be making sure that the WCA Regulations are followed correctly! |
| Cubers Live |  |
CubersLive is a West Coast Cubing subsidiary focused on live streaming competitions in the Western region. CubersLive has produced Western Champs 2023 and 2024, and is part of the broadcast team for the World Championship 2025 in Seattle. CubersLive has additional produced tutorials, highlight videos from major championships, podcasts and more on their YouTube channel. |
The Western Championship for Fewest Moves (FMC), 4x4 Blindfolded, 5x5 Blindfolded, and 3x3 Multi-Blind will take place across multiple West Coast locations on April 25th, 2026.
Podium placements and the Western Champion for each event will be officially recognized during the Western Champs 2026 awards ceremony. Check back here for the final standings after the competition concludes!
| Event | Competition Page |
|---|---|
| Fewest Moves (FMC) | To Be Announced |
| 4x4 Blindfolded, 5x5 Blindfolded, 3x3 Multi-Blind | To Be Announced |
In addition to the official WCA events, competitors can choose to participate in a number of unofficial events. They are a fun way to enjoy other kinds of twisty puzzle solving not normally seen in WCA competitions!
You are expected to bring another individual to judge for your attempts; no staff-assigned judges will be available.
The schedule for unofficial events will be available soon.
This competition will feature the following unofficial events, with more to possibly be added:
| Event | Format | Time Limit | Cutoff | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | Ao5 | 30.00 | — | Competitors solve the 8-panel Magic Puzzle. |
| Master Magic | Ao5 | 1:00.00 | — | Competitors solve the 12-panel Puzzle. |
| Face Turning Octahedron | Ao5 | 4:00.00 | 2 attempts to get < 2:00.00 | Competitors solve a Face-Turning Octahedron. |
| 3x3 Team Blindfolded (No Inspection) | Ao5 | 5:00.00 | 2 attempts to get < 2:30.00 | Solve a 3x3x3 as a team with a solver who is blindfolded, and a caller who is not allowed to touch the cube. |
The highest-placing competitor in each event who resides in the Western region will be honored as the Western Champion!
As always, the top three overall finishers in each event will be recognized as the podium placers. In addition to these podium honors, the Western Champion title will be awarded to the top Western placer in each event.
Eligibility Criteria:
Western Regions: California, Nevada, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Eligibility is based on your state of residence as registered with CubingUSA. Residency is generally defined as the state in which you spend (or will spend) the majority of 2026.
To update your residency, please visit cubingusa.org and sign in with your WCA account. In My Settings, you can set the city and state you reside in. Please update your residency status by May 1st, 2026 to be eligible for the Western Champion title.
Note: You do not have to represent the United States in the WCA to qualify as a Western resident.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| I'm originally from Ohio but I go to college in California. Am I eligible? | ✅ YES |
| I'm originally from Nevada but go to school in Washington. Am I eligible? | ❌ NO |
| I live in Hawaii but I'm not a US citizen. Am I eligible? | ✅ YES |
| I go to college in the Netherlands but I'm a US citizen. Am I eligible? | ❌ NO |
| Can residents of other states attend and compete? | ✅YES |
| Are nonresidents eligible for prize money? | ✅ YES |
| Will 2nd or 3rd place Western residents be recognized? | ❌ Only the 1st place Western Champion will be recognized during the awards ceremony. |
| Where will Western Champions be recognized? | 🏅 On the CubingUSA site, under Competitions -> Regional Championships. |
West Coast Cubing
WCC's goal is to grow speedcubing in the American West through holding officially recognized WCA competitions, organizing and assisting with local meet ups, popularizing speedcubing on social media, and holding our annual Regional Championship.
WCC is primarily supported by the incredible community of speedcubers and their families in the West. If you'd like to donate towards our mission, you can do so via our PayPal.
Stay Connected
Looking to stay in touch with the West Coast cubing scene? Whether you're from Northern California, Southern California, Nevada, Hawaii, or Tijuana, there are plenty of ways to stay informed, meet fellow cubers, and be part of the community beyond competitions!
Join the West Coast Cubing Community Discord
Our Discord server is the central hub for real-time competition discussions, early announcements, event updates, and casual conversation with cubers across the region. It's a great place to connect with others, ask questions, and get involved.
Explore More Resources
West Coast Cubing Website
California Thread on the WCA Forum
For a one-stop hub of all things cubing on the West Coast — including links to competitions, community resources, local clubs, and more — visit:
👉 linktr.ee/westcoastcubing
Time limit
If you reach the time limit during your solve, the judge will stop you and your result will be DNF (see Regulation A1a4).
A cumulative time limit may be enforced (see Regulation A1a2).
Cutoff
The result to beat to proceed to the second phase of a cutoff round (see Regulation 9g).
Format
The format describes how to determine the ranking of competitors based on their results. The list of allowed formats per event is described in Regulation 9b. See Regulation 9f for a description of each format.