People · United States
David Samuel Surls
Skewb · top 8.0% of 74,164 all-time · competing since October 2025 · 2025SURL01
David Samuel Surls has been competing for a year. His best event is the Skewb: a personal-best single of 3.53, set at Amman Spring B 2026, puts him in the top 8.0% of the 74,164 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,251st in the United States. Until February 2014, no official Skewb solve in the world had been that fast. Across 8 competitions since October 2025, he has put 239 official solves on the record across eleven events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, steadier than 92% of the 36,406 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 25.16 in October 2025 to 10.67, a 58% improvement. David has entered eight competitions, more competitions than 90% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skewb | 3.53 | 4.84 | top 8.0% | 1,251 / 19,164 | |
| 2×2 | 2.52 | 3.37 | top 9.2% | 3,653 / 41,674 | |
| 3×3 | 10.67 | 13.30 | top 9.5% | 5,259 / 60,666 | |
| Pyraminx | 4.66 | 5.59 | top 11.2% | 2,962 / 29,168 | |
| Megaminx | 1:08.28 | 1:16.85 | top 14.6% | 1,012 / 8,026 | |
| Clock | 8.25 | 9.72 | top 16.3% | 1,269 / 9,172 | |
| 4×4 | 48.90 | 1:00.09 | top 23.4% | 3,610 / 19,354 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 23.82 | 30.43 | top 31.1% | 4,071 / 15,900 | |
| Square-1 | 25.42 | 35.26 | top 40.1% | 2,640 / 6,846 | |
| 3×3 blindfolded | 2:42.91 | — | early days — 1 solve | 1,035 / 2,128 | |
| 5×5 | 2:02.81 | 2:19.12 | top 51.1% | 4,360 / 9,537 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 3×3. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 3 Jul 2026Three personal bests in one day at Amman Side Events 2026.
- 18 Apr 2026First sub-15 3×3: 12.81 at Amman Spring B 2026.
- 18 Apr 2026Four personal bests in one day at Amman Spring B 2026.
- 31 Jan 2026First sub-20 3×3: 15.72 at Irbid Winter 2026.
- 31 Jan 2026Three personal bests in one day at Irbid Winter 2026.
- 11 Oct 2025First competition: Jubilee Open 2025. A 25.16 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Jordan Nationals 2026 · 9 Oct 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Irbid Master I 2026 · 22 Aug 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Irbid Summer 2026 · 11 Jul 2026 — 2 personal bests set
- Amman Side Events 2026 · 3 Jul 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- Amman Spring B 2026 · 18 Apr 2026 — 4 personal bests set
- Irbid Winter 2026 · 31 Jan 2026 — 3 personal bests set
- Amman Mental Breakdown II 2025 · 28 Nov 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Jubilee Open 2025 · 11 Oct 2025
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Ahmad Al-Masalmeh — met in 56 rounds, finished ahead 43 times · head to head
- Zakarya Otair — met in 54 rounds, finished ahead 9 times
- Othman Saleh — met in 51 rounds, finished ahead 17 times
Next targets
- A sub-3 Skewb single — 3,709 people have one; it is 0.53 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 9,039 people have one; it is 0.52 away.
Targets move as he improves.