People · United States
David Samuel Surls
Skewb · top 7.9% of 73,281 all-time · competing since October 2025 · 2025SURL01
David Samuel Surls has been competing for 11 months. His best event is the Skewb: a personal-best single of 3.53, set at Amman Spring B 2026, puts him in the top 7.9% of the 73,281 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,230th in the United States. Until February 2014, no official Skewb solve in the world had been that fast. Across 7 competitions since October 2025, he has put 184 official solves on the record across nine events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 11% around a typical one, an early reading from 9 counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 25.16 in October 2025 to 10.67, a 58% improvement. David has entered seven competitions, more competitions than 88% 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 7.9% | 1,230 / 18,907 | |
| 2×2 | 2.52 | 3.37 | top 9.1% | 3,585 / 40,951 | |
| 3×3 | 10.67 | 14.13 | top 9.5% | 5,162 / 59,724 | |
| Pyraminx | 4.66 | 5.59 | top 11.2% | 2,908 / 28,708 | |
| Megaminx | 1:08.28 | 1:20.83 | top 14.6% | 991 / 7,841 | |
| Clock | 8.25 | 9.72 | top 16.4% | 1,248 / 8,927 | |
| Square-1 | 25.42 | 35.26 | top 40.0% | 2,599 / 6,743 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 29.19 | 31.61 | top 44.8% | 6,053 / 15,683 | |
| 4×4 | 1:19.44 | 1:26.53 | top 55.4% | 9,494 / 19,072 |
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
- 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 43 rounds, finished ahead 33 times · head to head
- Zakarya Otair — met in 40 rounds, finished ahead 8 times
- Othman Saleh — met in 39 rounds, finished ahead 14 times
Next targets
- A sub-3 Skewb single — 3,646 people have one; it is 0.53 away.
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.52 away.
Targets move as he improves.