Bringing the Energy: Nicholas E. Hypes Up the Sport of Speed Puzzling

Professional writer and editor Nicholas E. (he/him) lives in Indiana, where he works in higher education. He began puzzling in elementary school, passing the time waiting for the morning bus by working on Milton Bradley Big Ben 1,000-piece puzzles he’d purchased with his allowance. Since becoming a speed puzzler in 2023, he has dedicated his time to building community through content that entertains and helps puzzlers train like champions.

As founding vice president of the newly formed Indiana Jigsaw Puzzle Association (INJPA), Nicholas manages communications and co-hosts events to increase puzzling’s prominence in the state. Additionally, as a USAJPA year-round volunteer, Nicholas serves on the social media team and crafts the member newsletter’s Reading Corner, a column that delivers advice from athletic coaches, psychologists, and other leaders to speed puzzlers seeking performance-improving tactics. Rounding out Nicholas’ puzzle content work is his role as a Ravensburger brand ambassador, a gig he earned serendipitously and leverages strategically to showcase the exciting, rising energy around speed puzzling as a sport.

Q&A Time:

What is your favorite brand, type, style, or subject of puzzle?

My cubicle at Indiana University (IU) is decked out in national parks travel poster puzzles. I really like breathtaking landscapes with bold text. I also have a lot of IU puzzles on display as well as a pretty healthy collection of Ravensburger 3D puzzles.

Do you have any special puzzling habits or superstitions?

Music is a huge mindset thing for me. I need the energy to be high when I walk into the competition space. I listen to a lot of EDM mixes and recordings of DJ sets I like. I'll even play stadium sounds from football games or UFC fighter walkouts as I'm getting ready because I like the crowd noise. There might not be a quieter place in sports than a solo speed puzzling competition, and the silence just isn't my vibe.

What drew you to volunteering with USAJPA?

I think it's important to give back when you feel like something has made a significant difference in your life, and speed puzzling has introduced me to people and taken me places that I really didn't expect when I started. I've been working with the social media team to make posts and come up with ideas for content.

The Reading Corner is something I really enjoy doing. I have a background in journalism and an obsession for the kind of sports content that we don't have yet in speed puzzling. It's frustrating to search for speed puzzling tips, drills, and training programs when there really isn't that much out there because the sport is so new. But we've also reached a point where being naturally gifted isn't enough to stand out anymore. I hope that the Reading Corner encourages puzzlers to approach their training more like other sports. There isn't a professional player of anything who got better only by playing the game. At some point you need to train the specific skills, your strategy, your mindset, and your endurance to improve.

How did you become a brand ambassador for Ravensburger?

It wasn't something I was trying to do, but I naturally fell into it! My wife plays Lorcana, Ravensburger's Disney-themed trading card game, and I've been wanting to do more social video stuff as a professional development goal. There was a big Lorcana championship event in Indianapolis this summer, and I thought it would be funny to film a "speed puzzler gets lost at the other Ravensburger competition" video. Somehow, that video took off and folks from Ravensburger were wondering if they had asked me to do it! When I told them I was just doing it for fun, they asked if I wanted to be a part of the brand ambassador program. 

My favorite part of being a brand ambassador is getting to put the puzzle content that I want to see out there and reach a wider audience. When I think of puzzle content, I think of a peaceful, cozy aesthetic, and satisfying solves. That just doesn't match the energy I want to bring to puzzling.

What was it like to puzzle with Ify Nwadiwe and to capture a "Rainbow Birdies" run with the puzzle’s artist, Allegra Vernon, at Gen Con 2026?

Puzzling against Ify might be my favorite thing I've ever done in puzzling. I'm a huge Dropout fan and had just seen one of his improv performances a few hours earlier, so getting the ask from Ravensburger to puzzle against Ify and his crew was really exciting. There was a point at which I felt like if I lost this challenge on video I might have to quit pro puzzling (kidding, of course), but I nailed it and got to put on a good show. 

Doing the speed run with Allegra was a total spur of the moment thing when we found her at the Cobble Hill booth during one of their speed puzzling events. Allegra said it was her first time speed puzzling, and it was really interesting to hear how she sees her own work as the artist compared to Nathan B., Chloe G., Skye V. and myself, who all know the image well from doing it as a speed run.

What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community in your area and beyond?

It’s cool how accessible the competitive puzzling community really is. It's wild that I was watching competition videos of top puzzlers on YouTube and then a few months later I was hanging out with them at a competition in Indiana. Odds are you'll start meeting people really fast if you get into this sport because the community is really welcoming and friendly.

Tell us about a cherished or unforgettable puzzle memory.

I have so many memories of puzzling with my dad. We did tons of puzzles together (when I was) growing up, and we still do a puzzle or two when I visit home. Looking back, I really appreciate that time, with the puzzle table placed right over the heat vent in our house to stay warm in the winter. 

Are you participating in any upcoming speed puzzling competitions?

For USA Jigsaw Nationals 2027, I'll be teaming up with Kylie L., Nathan B., and Michaela K. I'm looking forward to puzzling with people who are close to where I live and can practice with me consistently.

I'm also looking at competing at Winter Carnival for the first time next year as well as the World Series if I can get into it; the demand for that event is going to be insane this year, but I was so jealous I didn't go in 2026 after seeing the livestream. I hope we're going to see more big events that follow their format in the near future!

Connect: 

You can find Nicholas on Instagram and TikTok @jigsology.

INJPA is on Instagram @indianajigsaw.