Minnesotans are top-ranked in a sport you've never heard of: Speed jigsaw. Puzzling, it seems, thrives in places where people spend a lot of time indoors. Minnesota is a powerhouse in this rapidly growing cold-weather sport. Top-ranked players come from here. The biggest competition in the country is held here. And the sport's national organization is based here.

A finished jigsaw puzzle can be a work of art—one worth framing and hanging on the wall. But that creates another set of interlocking puzzles to solve: What’s the best way to preserve a puzzle for posterity and display it for all to see? And before you get to that point, how can you safely store a puzzle in progress when you need to free up table space and don’t want nosy pets or children ruining your work?

PICTURE IT: YOU’VE HAD a puzzle on the table for a week as your family puts it together. Each of you comes and goes, contributing what you can and sharing laughs and frustrations. And when that final piece is in, everyone can celebrate. Beyond the gamified fun, though, jigsaw puzzles are beneficial for your brain. Research suggests that doing them regularly may improve visuospatial skills such as perception, speed, working memory, flexibility, and reasoning. Studies show that the effects might be even greater for kids.

Most people find jigsaw puzzles a peaceful, relaxing activity. Not Kyle Kossin and Mindy Whiting.

“When you’re racing, the pressure’s on, the heart’s going,” Kossin said.

“I do feel my adrenaline gets going,” Whiting said.

They are speed puzzlers.