The ‘Ban Peg’e’ puzzle competition returned for its second edition on October 25, attracting more participants and introducing two new categories. Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, organizers expanded the competition to allow puzzle enthusiasts to compete individually, in pairs, or in teams of four.
According to founder and organizer Rachelle Goedgedrag, the positive response to the first edition encouraged her team to broaden the event’s format and make it accessible to more participants.
The inaugural competition featured only a four-person team category, with 20 teams taking part. This year, that number increased to 22 teams, while the newly introduced pairs and individual categories attracted eight pairs and five contestants, respectively.
A race against the clock
Participants gathered on October 25 to put their speed, concentration, and patience to the test as they raced to complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle.
Each individual, pair, or team was challenged to finish as quickly as possible, with organizers recording their completion times. Contestants had a maximum of two hours to complete the puzzle, although Goedgedrag noted that experienced participants can finish in approximately 40 minutes.
Organizers also had the option of allowing additional time in the event of a tie or if a winner could not be determined within the allotted period.
Winners of the second edition
Prizes were awarded to the first- and second-place finishers in each of the three categories.
The official results were as follows:
Pairs category
- Faviënne Thodé and Monique Plaza – 79 minutes, 18 seconds
- Inge Yarzagaray and Julia Vogelaar – 84 minutes, 52 seconds
Individual category
- Rebecca Maduro – 91 minutes, 8 seconds
- Melanie Lopez – 105 minutes, 24 seconds
Teams of four
- Yomina Sint Jago, Letizia Maduro, Luisa Kusmus, and Celia Kusmus – 40 minutes, 20 seconds
- Rebecca Maduro, Victor Maduro, Tara Maduro, and Kaylon Schwengle – 56 minutes, 26 seconds
Looking ahead to future editions
The growing number of participants and the introduction of new categories reflect increasing interest in Ban Peg’e. What began as a competition exclusively for four-person teams has developed into an event that welcomes puzzle enthusiasts with different preferences and levels of experience.
Goedgedrag and her team hope to build on this momentum in future editions, continuing to bring people together through an activity that combines entertainment, concentration, patience, and friendly competition.
