Competitive Jigsaw Puzzling: Creating a Community of Enthusiasts

Though it may come as a surprise to some, there’s a growing demand for jigsaw puzzle competitions in Orange County. So longtime locals Moskowitz and Shandling set out to meet the need. They launched Orange County Speed Puzzlers to foster a sense of community among enthusiasts. They plan events, which now draw participants from all over Southern California and sell out months in advance.

What prompted your interest in puzzles?

Moskowitz: I started puzzling as a child. Growing up, my mom always had a puzzle on a table. Then as an adult, I kind of fell out of it, until COVID happened. I started puzzling while I was o work for a couple of months and fell in love with puzzling all over again. I haven’t stopped since.

Shandling: It’s very much a product of COVID, when it was safer at home. I bought as many puzzles as I could on Amazon and did them with my brother for hours upon end until puzzles started running out on Amazon.

What do you look for in a puzzle?

M: Ravensburger is my favorite brand. I like bright, vibrant, colorful puzzles that are just very attractive to the eye, that pop o the table. I do use a lot of other brands as well, as long as they’re good quality. It’s frustrating when you are literally done with the puzzle, except for one false fit.

S: For me, I also gravitate solely to Ravensburger puzzles. The feel of the pieces is very high quality—that strong cardboard. They piece together very well. The images are printed on high-quality (linen-embossed paper). It’s very predictable for me. And when I’m going to spend time puzzling, I want to be able to relax. Something that’s consistent for me is just having the same puzzle manufacturer.

What goes into planning a Speed Puzzling competition?

M: The process is first to get a sponsor, so we reach out to puzzle companies. And when they agree to come onboard, then the next step is trying to find a puzzle that, ideally, has been completed by nobody. We want that because we don’t want an advantage for anybody who’s already seen and perhaps has done it. We want something that is easy enough that they enjoy doing it, but we need to have a challenge because it’s a competition.

Why is fostering a puzzling community in Orange County important to you?

M: Because of the joy that it brings to everybody. The joy of doing something that they like, the joy of finding other people who like it just as much as they do. We’re looking for our people—to get together with, exchange puzzles with, be on teams together. Because we love doing it.

S: Jigsaw puzzles have always been seen as an individual activity. But now we’ve taken it and found ways to make it a community activity and to complete them as a community. And so now I’m traveling around doing puzzles. How cool is that?

Any tips for aspiring speed puzzlers?

S: Don’t assume that edges first is the way to go. Sometimes when you do the edges first, that locks out your puzzle pieces from being slid across your surface. You’ll see a lot of pros leave the edges for last, or one person on the pair or team will take care of the edges, but they might leave it open, so they might split it half-and-half so you can easily slide pieces in and out or move them around without having to lift.