People · Canada
Joshua Balec
Skewb · top 1.5% of 73,281 all-time · competing since September 2023 · 2023BALE04
Joshua Balec has been competing for 3 years. His best event is the Skewb: a personal-best single of 2.06, set at Thunder Bay 2026, puts him in the top 1.5% of the 73,281 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 18th in Canada. Until December 2014, no official Skewb solve in the world had been that fast. Across 4 competitions since September 2023, he has put 179 official solves on the record across nine events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 18% around a typical one, an early reading from 8 counted rounds. His 3×3 best has come down from 16.18 in September 2023 to 10.83, a 33% improvement. Joshua has entered four competitions, more competitions than 78% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skewb | 2.06 | 3.29 | top 1.5% | 18 / 2,907 | |
| Pyraminx | 3.92 | 5.92 | top 7.3% | 255 / 4,858 | |
| 2×2 | 2.51 | 3.92 | top 9.0% | 581 / 7,173 | |
| 3×3 | 10.83 | 12.55 | top 10.0% | 915 / 10,392 | |
| 4×4 | 44.62 | 49.32 | top 17.8% | 453 / 3,118 | |
| Megaminx | 1:26.95 | 1:50.42 | top 26.2% | 241 / 1,375 | |
| 5×5 | 1:36.15 | 1:48.79 | top 32.4% | 395 / 1,499 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 26.57 | 33.44 | top 38.3% | 847 / 2,620 | |
| 6×6 | 3:51.86 | 3:57.77 | top 62.8% | 357 / 665 |
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
- 25 Jul 2026Five personal bests in one day at Thunder Bay 2026.
- 16 Aug 2025Seven personal bests in one day at Thunder Bay 2025.
- 22 Sep 2024First sub-15 3×3: 11.74 at Cubing on Lake Superior 2024.
- 22 Sep 2024Five personal bests in one day at Cubing on Lake Superior 2024.
- 30 Sep 2023First competition: North Woods 2023. A 16.18 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Thunder Bay 2026 · 25 Jul 2026 — 5 personal bests set
- Thunder Bay 2025 · 16 Aug 2025 — 7 personal bests set
- Cubing on Lake Superior 2024 · 22 Sep 2024 — 5 personal bests set
- North Woods 2023 · 30 Sep 2023
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.
- Carter Kucala — met in 38 rounds, finished ahead once
- Jeremy Balec — met in 37 rounds, finished ahead 5 times
- Brad Balec — met in 33 rounds, finished ahead 6 times
Next targets
- A sub-2 Skewb single — 1,013 people have one; it is 0.06 away.
- A sub-3 Pyraminx single — 4,700 people have one; it is 0.92 away.
Targets move as he improves.