Puzzlers from across Manitoba and throughout Canada convened in Winnipeg Saturday for the first-ever Manitoba Regional Speed Puzzle Competition. Around 100 participants showed up for the event, highlighting their ability to complete puzzles in lightning-fast times. Rebecca Waddell, the founder of Manitoba Speed Puzzlers, said any time under an hour to build a 500-piece puzzle is considered fast, with some of the fastest puzzlers completing them in 20 to 40 minutes. One of the competitors on Saturday finished their puzzle in 41 minutes, taking home the top prize. “There’s that subset of puzzlers who like to take something mindful and relaxing and turn it into a little bit of a stressful and exciting activity in trying to race to complete it in the shortest time possible,” said Waddell. During a competition, there are three categories: individuals, pairs, and teams. They are given a puzzle they have never seen before and sometimes don’t even have an image to reference when building it. Once the timer starts, the puzzling chaos ensues. Competitors quickly rip open the bag, flip pieces over, and start sorting and building the puzzle. Waddell said she got into speed puzzling during COVID, which led her to eventually enter her first contest in Edmonton and she has been hooked ever since. “I just love that it’s taking something that I love and adding that challenge of, ‘Can I do it faster? Can I beat my time before?’ Like you’re not trying to necessarily beat other people in the room, you’re trying to beat yourself to do better, to be faster, to hone your strategies, and I really like that part of it.” Waddell said speed puzzling is like a sport because there are ways to improve your abilities through training, drills, and repetition. The speed puzzling community in the province has grown, with Waddell saying there are almost 400 followers on the Manitoba Speed Puzzlers’ Facebook page. While the competitions focus on building a puzzle as quickly as possible, she said the group is open to anyone who likes doing puzzles. “We have all kinds of local events. You do not have to be fast to come. You just have to love doing puzzles,” she said. “Last year, we also taught three introduction to speed puzzling classes. We did two in Winnipeg and one in Brandon and they were very well received.” Waddell said the puzzling community is a welcoming and inclusive one and she encourages everyone to join in on the fun.
