Cubing is back in the Copper Country! For the first time in over five years, the Rubik’s Cube competition, Copper Country Comeback, was held on Saturday, September 19, 2026. This event was the latest World Cube Association speedcubing competition in the UP. The World Cube Association (WCA) is a non-profit organization that hosts these Rubik’s cube competitions worldwide through WCA delegates like Luke Selle, a Michigan Tech junior majoring in Mathematics. According to Luke, although these are competitions by name, they feel more like a way to meet other cubers and have fun sharing a love of cubing. Of the event, Luke says, “While I’ve organized competitions back home, this was my first time holding one in the UP. It had been five years since the last Houghton competition, and I was worried that there may not be enough local interest to make future competitions feasible. Fortunately, many of the 19 competitors were from the area, and I’m looking forward to bringing more competitions to Michigan Tech and supporting the cubing community here!”
Of the 19 competitors, the Department of Mathematical Sciences was extremely well represented. Luke Selle finished in second place and Philip Cuthbertson, PhD candidate in Mathematical Sciences, finished in third place.