Kyle

Nationals 2026 in Atlanta! I often think back to when I showed up to the first National Championship in 2022 as a nobody three months into practice, not knowing if I was actually any good at speed puzzling or if it was something I'd still care about afterward. Little did I know how much it would change my life. Now here I am, approaching 1 million pieces assembled since then. Hundreds of races. Dozens of trips. Countless friends all around the world. It just doesn't get better than the rare weekends we have together, and this Nationals, made possible by the outstanding USAJPA board and many volunteers, was the best yet. As one of only 20 people that have competed in all 4 US Nationals, I consider myself extremely lucky. Lucky to have seen how this community has grown. Lucky to have become friends with so many incredibly cool, interesting, smart, and kind people. Lucky to keep meeting more and more at each new event. Thank you all for making puzzling what it is. I can't overstate how much these friendships mean to me. And a HUGE thank you to my teammates @matnpuzzles @puzzlemasterconner and @trauger for continuing to puzzle alongside me. What a weekend we had! Team: 1st in prelim, 2nd in final Pair: 13th in prelim, 17th in final Solo: 3rd in prelim, 57th in final Puzzle Chess: 2nd of 400

🧩 New episode of Dissectologists This week, I talk with competitive speed puzzler Kyle Kossin about what happens when you take a meditative hobby and turn it into a race against the clock. We talk about: • the visual pattern recognition behind speed puzzling • the art of “piece management” (and chaos puzzling) • how dexterity and movement affect race times • the growing community around competitive puzzling If you’ve ever wondered how someone can complete a puzzle in record time, this conversation is for you. 🎧 Listen wherever you get podcasts #dissectologists #speedpuzzling #jigsawpuzzle #puzzlingcommunity #puzzlepodcast #puzzlepeople #jigsawpuzzles #puzzleculture #puzzlelife #mindfulhobby

PuzzleTwisting,  Nuzzling, gifting 5000 gradient, advents St. Paul Carnival events Gold belt, ICE melt Games played, cards dealt Skating, figure eighting Online dating (yep, still hating)  New Year, keeping hope alive Cue deer, Best of '25 Rock band charting, family parties Code sources, fire horses Shine, pine, Valentine's New sax, new tracks, viola max Concert, cabin, Christmas lights Chapters, chatters, channel points Birthday cakes, large milkshakes The yard saw far too few snowflakes Despite the hacks and cracks and splinters Twas among the best of winters

Winter Carnival! My 5th puzzle trip to Minnesota was a lot different from all those before. It was the coldest by far in more ways than one, but the event itself was the best it's ever been. Winter Carnival continues to have the largest races in the world - 170 tables this year - and the PuzzleTwist releases get better and better. After some last-minute shifting due to unfortunate drop-outs, we still managed 3rd of 460 teams in the 500-piece, 4th of 170 teams in the 1000, 9th of 310 pairs, and 11th of 230 solo. A huge thanks to all my teammates for a fantastic time! The real highlight, though, was seeing the way the puzzling community rallied together to take care of each other throughout the weekend. With a statewide strike and ongoing protesting, extreme temperatures (down to -29° F in wind chill), and an approaching winter storm leading to flight cancelations, local puzzlers provided visitors with rides to/from the airport and a potluck dinner, with many other forms of support offered between us. I'm so impressed by my puzzling friends, and by the people of Minnesota altogether. I'm endlessly grateful that I've found my people.

My final and favorite list: the songs. (playlist in bio!) I spend so much time with music that I value this list as an overview of my life in 2025, an audial time capsule of sorts. There are countless memories attached, both highs and lows. I'm sure it reveals even more about me than I realize. The overarching theme this year is time and how it passes much too quickly. I can't overstate how much these tracks mean to me. I hope you spend a little time with them and find something you like!

For the first time, a list of the puzzles! Unlike with my other lists, I don't care about actual release year here. These are my favorite puzzles I completed for the first time in 2025. How much I enjoyed them is the main factor here, but I'm also thinking of all the fun memories with friends and in race events, as well as what many of these meant to the speed puzzling community as a whole. Had a lot of fun ranking these on stream last night. What are your top picks?

The albums! My preferred way of listening to music is a solid album front to back. This is the toughest time I've ever had narrowing down a list. I started with 133 and when I got it down to about 60, cuts were already painful. I'm still having all kinds of second thoughts, but here they are. The top 17 may give you a bit of whiplash, but it's fun to see such variety! What were your favorite albums of the year?

The EPs! Now featuring the music itself! EP = extended play, meaning extended beyond a single, but shorter than an album. It's still a common way for new artists to get their start and for everyone else to hold us over until the next big release. This list started with a whopping 111 contenders and features much of my favorite music of the year. I hope you find something you like!

The games! 2025 was the best year for gaming since I started these lists, which means a bigger group of honorable mentions than I've ever had before. I was impressed by the storytelling and innovation of so many releases this year. It's also awesome to see so many titles led by female protagonists, including my entire top 5. Full disclosure: I still haven't finished most of these, but you better believe I'll be feasting over the next few months. What were your favorites?

My 17th annual "Best Of" lists start with the movies! For most of the year, I was thinking it was a rough one for film, but then I played catch up in December (19 movies in 3 weeks!) and was happy to find myself with a very strong list in the end, and with good variety. It was a great year for animation and action, for horror and comedy, for true stories and new ideas, and even for music-centric movies, which won my year. What were your favorites?

Super Saturdays and nights, Thunderstorms and northern lights, Chasing sights: Prague's, Madrid's, Raising 2K for the kids, Trombone, blueprints, lighthouse beaming, Spooky solves and stream team dreaming, Racing, placing, hosting at home, UT, CA, roasting in the dome, The world's top ten, Of Monsters and Men, Arny, Bebe, Jeremy Shopping, poppers, confetti, Pumpkin pie and eggnog mugs, Snuggle fights and great big hugs, Ending giving thanks for it all, All to say: I've had a great fall.

Prague! The perfect pick for a quick solo trip before Worlds. This beautiful city won me over immediately and was a joy to explore. I only wish my visit had been a little longer. Guess there will have to be a next time.