Post Hunt draws thousands, crowns one (solo) historic winner The sixth annual Post Hunt, a celebration of the confounding, the bewildering and the oblique, drew thousands of would-be puzzle solvers Sunday to Freedom Plaza and sent them scouring the streets of downtown D.C. seeking answers. Ultimately, this hunt had a historic finish: For the first time, there was a single, solitary winner - as opposed to the traditional team approach - upending decades of conventional wisdom. Sean Memon of Arlington was the first individual to win a hunt, either in Washington or in South Florida, where the event originated. "I just came out here for the fun of it," said Memon, 35, a lawyer. He reacted to the experience of winning - the loud applause from the crowd, the oversized check for $2,000, the fact that he alone was first - with the calm, appreciative, pleasantly surprised air of someone who had just received a really nice and unexpected compliment, rather than someone who had just out-thought thousands of dedicated competitors. Each puzzle begins in the pages of The Washington Post Magazine, which contains clues, a colorful map and, if you speak the very particular language of hunters, a type of nirvana. The first hunt, hosted by the Miami Herald, was held in South Florida nearly three decades ago. Journalists Dave Barry, Gene Weingarten and Tom Shroder eventually imported it to the District. Weingarten is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer at The Post, and Shroder is a former editor of The Washington Post Magazine. "The first hunt was in Miami and I really can't believe nobody died," Barry said. It covered three counties and it involved driving. The three began planning this year's hunt in January, coming up with concepts that evolved into clues brought to life in McPherson Square and Pershing Park. Each hunt is funded by sponsors and basically breaks even, said Julie Gunderson, general manager of The Post Magazine. It's a very grass-roots event. Many still-active Herald Hunt participants make the trip to Washington to join the D.C. edition. "It's not really a scavenger hunt," said Mike Licht of Pembroke Pines, Fla. It's a puzzle. And it's always a good time. Licht, who estimates that he has participated in about 20 hunts, came to Sunday's event with his wife, his son and his son's girlfriend. "The whole spirit of this thing is so great because people are with us," Shroder said. It is almost like a joint work of performance art we all are participating in together. The Post Hunt is like " "National Treasure" and "The Amazing Race" combined," Arielle Davis of Miami said. She and five other women interning in the District formed a team to get familiar with the city. Players study for the Post Hunt, cramming as if for a final exam. People such as Rob Pavosevich and Sharon Belliveau of Northwest Washington, who teamed with another couple; they spent a couple of hours and "a couple of bottles of wine" Friday night reviewing some old Post Hunts for clues, themes and guidance.