Sherri Skanes
Sherri Skanes is an American treasure hunter, artist, and semi-retired school teacher in Ventura, California, who on March 20, 2004, solved magician David Blaine's $100,000 Challenge, as published in his book Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic.
Skanes, who tested and shared many of her answers on an internet message board Devoted to the puzzle, said, “I’ve always been fascinated by puzzles and [this Challenge] was harder than I originally imagined, but when it got down to the final stretch, it became a matter of anagramming, the one puzzling skill I seem to be proficient at. It took a leap of faith when I found myself counting steps in the Hollywood Hills.”
The challenge was designed by game designer Cliff Johnson, creator of The Fool's Errand.
References
- [http://thefoolsparadise.com/db/solution.htmThe Official Solution]
- [http://thefoolsparadise.com/db/winners-tale.htmThe Winner's Tale]
- Random House press release