An arena. A hype tunnel, the kind where NBA players usually have streaks. A competitor wearing a patterned jersey with six-pack abs.

In a new piece, The New York Times brings readers to an event which the organizers call the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a 40-minute, Las Vegas-based competition with 12 contestants – all of whom solve thorny Excel puzzles. About 400 people attended the December event, which was live-streamed on ESPN3 amid “competitions like speed chess and the World Dog Surfing Championships,” the Times reported.

The event is no joke, although 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 the world’s best spreadsheet after toppling the two first. Selfies are taken.

The hope is that the prize money will eventually hit $1 million as more viewers and sponsors get involved. Meanwhile, the four-year-old event – held in person last month for the first time – is already a big hit. “You can’t see it in Google Sheets,” one contestant told the Times. “You don’t get this level of love.”