Photos: Sergio Betancort
With 42 hours ahead, the nearly 80 participants of the 'Canary Challenge 2019' began last Friday the challenge of assembling a giant puzzle with 45,500 pieces of wood, made specifically for the IV National Puzzle Meeting that this year has taken place on the island of Lanzarote. The puzzle contained a collection of 91 photographs with images of Lanzarote, provided by the public institutions of the island and by several private photographers.
Ten hours before -approximately- the clock marked its end, the participants of this challenge, managed to complete the puzzle, thus reaching this Sunday, February 17, the world record in the composition of a wooden puzzle of these characteristics, with a total time of 31 hours, 26 minutes and 59.15 seconds. In addition to the audience that came in person to the Pavilion of the IES Blas Cabrera Felipe de Arrecife, where the challenge was held, it was followed live by a youtube channel and social networks of the Spanish Association of Puzzles, with more than 750 views.
The organization of the challenge, by this Association (AEPUZZ), together with the Mercedes Medina Association and the Isaac Newton Canary Association, in collaboration with the Cabildo de Lanzarote, were "very satisfied with the challenge achieved", after the one held last edition in La Palma where a puzzle of 42,000 pieces of wood was assembled.
The president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Pedro San Ginés, who attended the closing of the challenge and the award ceremony, expressed his "congratulations to these young people, who came from many places in the peninsula and the Canary Islands, to achieve this challenge that was certainly complicated, with 91 photographs and world record in completing this puzzle of more than 45,000 pieces of wood. If we also consider the reason, which are photos of the island of Lanzarote, then a promotional element is added to this Challenge for which we are very satisfied and grateful for its development within the framework of this Meeting and the I Conejera Week of Mathematics that has been held on the island of Lanzarote".
Likewise, the Minister of Education of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Carmen Rosa Márquez, and the Minister of Economic Promotion of the Institution, Ángel Vázquez, joined this congratulation of the president and highlighted the "good reception that the events and activities developed during the I Conejera Week of Mathematics" that took place during the past week (from February 11 to 17) in Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
Specifically, they reported that 15 schools and more than 1,500 students have participated in the Mathematical Commandos in the activity and mathmagics workshops, and another 100 students have toured the interpretive and mathematical routes held in Teguise and Arrecife. Another 200 people enjoyed the conferences and talks promoted in order to increase interest and knowledge of scientific culture among the population; and another 450 people attended the performances in La Graciosa and Arrecife of the Coral Carpe Diem, among other actions developed during these seven days.
The programming of this week has been organized by the Mercedes Medina Association and the Isaac Newton Canary Society of mathematics teachers, in collaboration with the Cabildo de Lanzarote, through the areas of Education, Economic Promotion and Sports, led by Carmen Rosa Márquez (CC), Ángel Vázquez (PP) and Lorenzo Reyes (PP), and town councils of the island that have ceded their public facilities for the celebration of the different activities, among other collaborators.
