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

An arena. A syringe tunnel, the kind that NBA players usually drive through. A patterned jersey competitor with six-pack abs.

In a recent article, The New York Times takes readers to the event Organizers call it the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a 40-minute, Las Vegas-based competition featuring 12 contestants — all of whom solve Excel puzzles. About 400 people attended the December event, which ESPN3 aired live between “rapid chess-like events and the World Dog Surfing Championships,” the Times reported.

It was no joke, even if the self-described nerds in attendance had a healthy sense of humor. According to the story, the winner – a Toronto-based financial advisor – walked away with a $5,000 prize, a wrestling-style championship belt and the title of world’s best spreadsheet after the two front-runners stumbled. A selfie was taken.

The hope is that as more spectators and sponsors participate, the prize money will eventually reach $1 million. Meanwhile, the quadrennial event, held in person for the first time last month, is already a huge hit. “You’d never see that with Google Sheets,” one contestant told the Times. “You can never buy that much passion.”