Turns out, you really can make a competition out of almost anything.
A recent The New York Times piece peeled back the cover on the e-sport you didn’t know you were missing: the Microsoft Excel World Championship.
The world’s greatest Excel-er
Last month in Las Vegas, 12 men ran through a pro sports-style entrance tunnel at an e-sports arena, took the stage in front of a cheering crowd, sat at desktop computers, perused a seven-page instruction book, and began — furiously pecking away at Excel spreadsheets.
Their goal? To win $5,000, an actual championship belt, and the title of world’s greatest Excel-er.
Also: How to create a drop-down list in Excel – quickly and easily
The actual competition involved solving complex puzzles, navigating mazes, and completing themed challenges, some of which required contestants to work on a rotated spreadsheet. The final centered around World of Warcraft, with the contestants designing an Excel spreadsheet to track vital signs for 20 different avatars and progressing through a simulated game. Players with the lowest score were eliminated every five minutes, keeping the action going.
So, who won?
Michael Jarman, a Canadian, emerged as the winner, defeating the three-time reigning champion.
LinkedIn says Jarman is the director of modeling at Operis, but he’s already updated his profile to reflect his new status as “Microsoft Excel World Championship,” putting his newfound title before his actual job. He explained in a LinkedIn post that competitive Excel is nothing new, and added that the WWE-style belt was “the most important improvement” in the competition’s history. (He may be on to something there, as I won $5,000 in gift cards to a local restaurant chain last year, and a photo op with a title belt draped over my shoulder was indeed a highlight.)
The event’s organizer, Andrew Grigolyunovich, has big goals for his competition. He told the NYT that his ultimate vision includes larger crowds, sponsors, and even a million-dollar prize.
How to watch the competition
If you’re interested in seeing the action, there’s a seven-hour livestream — but it’s worth checking out for the opening theme song alone.
Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
