Holiday Speed Puzzling
A Festive Race Against Time: Speed Puzzling in Da Nang
Written by Kicka Odisea / December 21, 2024 / Main Photo: Team Red during the Speed Puzzling Competition
Puzzles weren’t always on my radar. One hot and stifling day, uninspired by work and craving an escape, I stumbled into the world of puzzling almost by accident.
A bumbly happenstance actually, sparked by befriending a puzzle aficionada.
My journey started with a simple gesture: ordering a puzzle from Soonness as a gift for my mother. The joy and calm it brought her sparked my curiosity. Could puzzles be more than just a pastime?
Not long after, I found myself at the Da Nang puzzle meetup on that smothering afternoon. I did not expect anything. I went out of curiosity for a friend’s passion, and I really needed to get away from work. It was a good excuse. What I discovered was nothing short of mystical: a quiet space filled with laughter and like-minded people connecting one piece at a time, one smile at a time. In a vibrant city, it was a low-energy zone through immersion. The puzzle itself was stunning, gathering intricate pieces of unique art, with vibrant multicolored straws.
What struck me most was the perfect blend of relaxation and focus.
It was as if time slowed down, the outside world did not exist. Every piece I placed brought a little more clarity to my overloaded brain. The puzzle drew me in, quieted the frenzy of the city and of the mind, kept me in a meditative state while at the same time, I connected with my co-puzzlers. An easy little happiness found in a simple, mindful moment.
So when I heard about the Speed Puzzling event in Da Nang, there was no hesitation. I was thrilled: “That’s absolutely so cool, I want to be there”. A week later, I was braving the rainy season, riding my motorbike for 30 minutes through the wind and pouring rain, like I was chasing flying pieces. I went as an observer, as the two competing teams were already assembled, with 5 members each. It was an opportunity to witness the community pieced together in unity, but with a healthy dose of competition and high holiday spirit!
The gathering storm
December 15, 2024. The Create Art Space in Da Nang buzzes with anticipation as participants flock in, shaking off raindrops from their helmets and jackets. The sky is a moody gray, the rain a muted, steady percussion: the perfect day to puzzle.
Team Green and Team Red face off under the gaze of a generous Christmas tree, placed between the two competing tables. A single 1,000-piece puzzle, titled Space Life, lays sealed in a cardboard box on each table. The rules are clear: the first team to place the last piece of this little universe is the winner.
At precisely 10:00 am, the organizer’s countdown rings out: “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”
The art of strategy
From the moment the boxes are opened, the teams begin to hurry. They take different approaches. Team Red sorts the pieces into sections, assigning each member a specific area of the puzzle to focus on. Team Green sorts their pieces by color, and shapes small clusters of hues that would guide their progress. From the sidelines, we notice how these strategies reflect the groups’ dynamics: Team Green’s method seems collaborative and precise, while Team Red works in bursts, occasionally stalling before boosting and speeding again.
Midway through the session, the telescope and helmet, seemingly the puzzle’s easiest sections, begin to take shape on both tables. As Team Green methodically works through their clusters, their lead becomes apparent. Each piece finds its place with a strong confidence. Their communication is seamless. Team Red wrestles a bit with scattered gaps, some members pause as others push forward. We are watching two bands perform the same symphony with their own musical touch: one measured and harmonious, the other uneven and bold.
The momentum of tension
We reach the competition’s dramatic moment when Team Green decides to rotate their puzzle. The shift disrupts their flow, but the move sets them up for success. Around the same time, both teams tackle the left section of the puzzle, inhabited by a purple monster. Team Green’s progress is swift, completing the segment “Hey, Come Skate with Me”. Team Red is unfazed. They exude calm, like perfect little disciplined elves. Team Green, by contrast, seems like agitated Grinches.
By 11:20 AM, the middle-right section of Space Life, a patchwork of shifting colors, poses one of the final challenges for Team Green. Team Red, still trying to fill in the upper-left quadrant, finds their rhythm again, though gaps remain visible. The tension in the room is unmistakable! Does every piece tied down feel like a small triumph and every misstep a setback? Team Green seems the most pressured by the little funny comments of the organizer, while Team Red keeps their laid-back poise.
A triumphant finish
A few minutes later, Team Green enters a decisive phase. With only 30 pieces left (or so we thought, but it was all a lie as at least double of that were still spread on the table), they work with laser focus and a very palpable urgency. The final stretch poses a specific challenge: all the pieces are blue, in varying shades. Fingers and hands move frantically over the Space Life board. Team Red enters a state of fever pitch as they sense the upcoming rise of the little Grinches.
At the 11:31 mark, a collective cheer erupts as one member lays down the last piece, a beautiful square of pale blue - a fragment of the starship’s wing. They, at last, can launch themselves up to the galaxy.
Team Red is undeterred because puzzlers never give up and always finish a work! They race to complete the Space Life at 11:40, earning admiration for their determination and good-natured fair-play. Both teams finished with only a 9 minute difference (1:31 & 1:40).
The room fills in with laughter once again. Of course, we take pictures to share the accomplishment, satisfaction and gratification. Completed, the puzzle is an electrifying depiction of cosmic wonder, populated by funky creatures and dancing comets. The finished artwork is both teams’ testament to precision, focus, communication and trust. Space Life is given two new lives. Art lives on, through the empowering magic of puzzling.
A sweet, warm prize
The rain is still falling, a bit more gently. The Christmas tree stands over the two whole puzzles. It’s warm. Over pic shots and more laughters, the winning team receives their prize: a $100 voucher.
Some of us, puzzlers, organizers and observers, decide to retreat to a nearby restaurant for a hot meal. The warmth of the stew mirrors the camaraderie of the day. It’s a day of contrast: the competition was fierce and the weather is cold; but the stew is warm and the hearts even warmer, through the gentle ways that puzzling connect us all.
The winners keep this legacy perfectly, embodying what it is to be a community of puzzlers: “Regarding the prize, what if we buy a puzzle together?”
Everyone agrees. “Everybody can have the joy of puzzling”. This is what it is about: spreading the joy of puzzling.
I have to ride back home with the wind hitting my motorbike more intensely. It’s a long stretch of straight road so I have time to reflect on the day. And I think, that day has been designed just for this: to bring us together, to share not only pieces of cardboard but also, pieces of ourselves, not always perfectly, not always as speedily, but always beautifully.
A quick note: a tradition in the making?
The organizer has hinted at the possibility of making the Speed Puzzle Competition an annual tradition. Judging by the enthusiasm and energy on display, it’s easy to imagine this festive puzzling showdown becoming a much anticipated holiday event. So, stay tuned, whether you’re a seasoned puzzler or a casual enthusiast, events like this remind us of the simple joys of coming together, embracing challenges, and celebrating connections. Here’s to more pieces falling into place, both in puzzles and in life.
Photos by: Soon Cho & Kesinee Intaraksa
Get to know the Author: Kicka Odisea
Kicka is a writer with an inclination towards poems, lyrical prose and travel storytelling. A curious explorer of cultures and art, she finds inspiration in coffee shops and nature retreats. Drawn into the world of puzzling through the nomad community, she revels in its meditative focus, weaving creativity and connection into every piece. She loves puzzling the most when sharing the space with others. Fascinated by planes and languages, she's also fond of asian food, and relates a lot with sloths and turtles.