Use Hurricane Time to Rediscover Hobbies You Love
Another hurricane season is upon us , and we have already had two storm days with closed courts , schools , and caseloads to manage . Since Hurricane Ian last year , I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about activities to occupy not only my time but also my children ’ s time if we enter another period with no electricity and sheltered at home . I fell back into several of my old favorite hobbies . I have multiple puzzles and several types of Rubik ’ s Cubes at my disposal whenever I need a distraction . However , I am usually not content with just the meditative qualities of deciphering the solution to a puzzle . I enjoy delving deeper into how people challenge themselves to do more than solve the mystery . How do people compete against each other to demonstrate their skills and dedication ? Therefore , I want to highlight the unique world championships that provide a deeper meaning to these hobbies , beginning with the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship .
The World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship is an annual competition held in Spain ’ s “ Millennium Dome ,” which hosts people from all over the world congregating to see the world ’ s fastest humans at solving puzzles . With their country ’ s flag in tow , these individuals race to solve puzzles that take the average person roughly 4.5 hours to solve and solve the puzzles in around 30 minutes . Additionally , the World Jigsaw Championship has a group division that requires participants to solve a 1000-piece puzzle together in the same amount of time . Indeed , you can pick up new and exciting strategies to solve puzzles and improve your time by watching singles or group play . And even more exciting than improving your time is anxiously waiting to see which puzzles will be used in the competition . Except for the grand finals , which are unreleased puzzles that no one has seen before , all other puzzles are available for purchase . Usually , they are quite a challenge due to their layout . The layout requires you to think about strategy , and the difficulty is usually enough to keep you interested . I enjoy purchasing these cubes and comparing my time to the world ’ s elite . Suffice it to say that I still need much practice , but puzzles remain a hobby whose mysteries bring me back to watching the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships every year .
Another hobby I enjoy is the Rubik ’ s Cube . During a stressful day , I will find a few minutes to work on one to calm me down . Many people are unable to solve a Rubik ’ s cube . Most begin by fidgeting with one at a family member ’ s house for a few minutes and ultimately walking away out of frustration . However , there is a very vibrant subculture associated with these puzzles . It is called “ speed cubing ,” and there are multiple categories that people participate in . The first step is learning to solve
by Daniel P . Lewis Esq . Persson , Cohen , Mooney ,
Fernandez , & Jackson , P . A .
the puzzle , and there are several strategies people can follow to solve it . Using guides is encouraged to learn this step . Once you have familiarized yourself with one of the methods , you pick your specialty division . The most renowned division focuses on how fast you can solve the cube . The current world record is 3.13 seconds . Granted , the sheer skill , mental acuity , and focus required of these participants cannot go understated , but maybe even more important than the participants themselves is the environment around the spectacle .
Take the world championship , for example , where Max Park set the current world record . It happened in a school gym where the majority of spectators were children . When the previous record of 3.47 seconds fell , all the children became overly excited . Yes , Max Perk shaving tenths of seconds to become the fastest solver of Rubik ’ s cubes worldwide is extraordinary , but the kids ’ excitement made that experience much more special . Regardless , don ’ t just stop at the speed competitions ; multiple competitions occur at the World Championship . This includes the blindfold solve , one-handed solve , and fewest moves solve . Moreover , specialty cubes are used for these events , which move smoother and faster than the traditional Rubik ’ s Cube , adding to the challenge .
Today , I keep one of these specialty cubes in my office . Since becoming engulfed in the culture of Rubik ’ s Cubes , I ’ ve found that looking at one from time to time in my day can be freeing . A puzzle that had always frustrated me and was always around became something different . Solving it by yourself was not the point ; there was something else to strive for , and what mattered was working hard at it . I am in the process of introducing both of these hobbies to my children in the hopes that they will enjoy it as much as I do . But also , there are some selfish reasons as well .
See HOBBIES , page 30
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