At the Microsoft Excel World Championship, selfies and a “hype” tunnel.

An arena. A hype tunnel, the kind NBA players typically go through. A contestant dressed in a patterned shirt with six-pack abs.

In a new piece, the New York Times take readers to an event which the organizers are calling the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a 40-minute competition, based in Las Vegas, with 12 competitors – all solving thorny Excel puzzles. About 400 people attended the December event, which ESPN3 broadcast live between “competitions like speed chess and the World Dog Surfing Championships,” the Times reports.

The event was no joke, although the self-described nerds involved had 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 they stumbled. Selfies were taken.

The hope is that the prize money will eventually reach $1 million as more spectators and sponsors participate. Meanwhile, the four-year-old event — held in person last month for the first time — is already a huge success. “You’ve never seen this with Google Sheets,” one contestant told the Times. “You will never have this level of passion.”