Puzzle enthusiasts showcased their skills in Dunedin’s inaugural speed puzzle competition, organized by the New Zealand Jigsaw Puzzle Association. The event, held at the South Dunedin Community Centre, witnessed participants racing against the clock to complete intricate jigsaw puzzles faster than their peers.

The atmosphere was intense, with competitors engrossed in piecing together the puzzles with meticulous precision. The competition featured individual rounds, akin to exam settings, where silence prevailed, broken only by the concentrated efforts of the puzzlers. In contrast, the group rounds fostered a more collaborative environment, encouraging teamwork among participants.

Participants faced the challenge of assembling a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in the individual category, while teams of two, three, or four members tackled a larger 1000-piece puzzle. Each round allowed a three-hour time limit for completion, testing the speed, accuracy, and teamwork of the participants.

Alison Jacobs, the reigning national champion, clinched the top spot in the individual category by completing the 500-piece puzzle in an impressive 1 hour and 19 minutes. Tash Lundin secured the second position with a time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, closely followed by Donnalouise Watts at 1 hour and 39 minutes.

The “Pakake Puzzlers” team, comprising Jacobs, Watts, Victoria Rondel, and Julia Eyles, emerged victorious in the group category by solving the 1000-piece puzzle in just 1 hour and 11 seconds. The puzzles, provided by eeBoo, featured unreleased designs, adding an element of surprise and challenge for the competitors.

The competition not only highlighted the participants’ puzzle-solving prowess but also showcased the growing popularity of speed puzzling as a competitive and engaging activity. With the success of Dunedin’s first speed puzzle competition, the event is poised to become a recurring fixture, attracting puzzle enthusiasts from across the region to test their skills and claim the title of the fastest puzzler.