An area. A hype tunnel, the sort by means of which NBA gamers usually streak. A competitor wearing a jersey patterned with a six-pack abs.
In a brand new piece, the New York Instances takes readers to an event that organizers name the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a 40-minute, Las Vegas-based competitors that includes 12 contestants — all of them fixing thorny Excel puzzles. Some 400 individuals attended the December occasion, which ESPN3 live-streamed in between “competitions like pace chess and the World Canine Browsing Championships,” reviews the Instances.
The occasion was no joke, even when the self-described nerds concerned have a wholesome humorousness. In response to the story, the winner – a Toronto-based monetary advisor – walked away with a $5,000 prize, a wrestling-style championship belt, and the title of world’s greatest spreadsheeter after two front-runners stumbled. Selfies have been taken.
The hope is that the prize cash will ultimately hit $1 million as extra spectators and sponsors get entangled. Within the meantime, the four-year-old occasion – held in particular person final month for the primary time – is already an enormous hit. “You’d by no means see this with Google Sheets,” one contestant informed the Instances. “You’d by no means get this degree of ardour.”
