At the Microsoft Excel World Championship, selfies and a ‘hype’ tunnel

An arena. A hype tunnel, the kind through which NBA players typically streak. A competitor dressed in a jersey patterned with a six-pack abs.

In a new piece, the New York Times takes readers to an event that organizers call the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a 40-minute, Las Vegas-based competition featuring 12 contestants — all of them solving thorny Excel puzzles. Some 400 people attended the December event, which ESPN3 live-streamed in between “competitions like speed chess and the World Dog Surfing Championships,” reports the Times.

The event was no joke, even if the self-described nerds involved have a healthy sense of humor. According to the story, the winner – a Toronto-based financial consultant – walked away with a $5,000 prize, a wrestling-style championship belt, and the title of world’s best spreadsheeter after two front-runners stumbled. Selfies were taken.

The hope is that the prize money will eventually hit $1 million as more spectators and sponsors get involved. In the meantime, the four-year-old event – held in person last month for the first time – is already a big hit. “You’d never see this with Google Sheets,” one contestant told the Times. “You’d never get this level of passion.”