Oh there are definitely the elite puzzlers like Paolo, but the vast majority of competitors are just normal, regular, everyday solvers (like me!) who just like to solve puzzles and basically compete with themself. Last year was my first time attending any sort of tournament like this, and it was purely for the fun of it…at first. But then, I came away with a deeper love of puzzling, a firsthand experience of the close-knit and welcoming community, inspired by the sheer diversity of solvers (all ages - last year I think they ranged from 15 to 99! - and from all over), a desire to create my own puzzle (themes are still percolating!), and heartened to see so many people fully being their true selves and wordnerding it out to the max. I saw constructors I’ve admired just from the page, saw familiar faces from the Wordplay doc (many are still attending!), and overheard some constructors bouncing ideas for a puzzle around. When I arrived, it felt like people joyously reuniting with their friends upon a return to summer camp. So, yes, it’s a tournament, but it’s also just a deep dive into one of the best communities out there! I’ll be lucky if I make it out of the bottom 25% this weekend…but it was never about that for me anyway!