Fastest texters in America battle it out for $50,000

The fastest texters in America put their speed, accuracy, and dexterity on display at the sixth annual national texting competition today.

Eleven of the fastest texters in America compete today (Aug. 8, 2012) for the $50,000. Here an Occupy Wall Street activist at a May 1, 2012 protest in New York texts with other activists.

Reuters

August 8, 2012

The fastest texters in the United Sates are facing off today in the sixth annual LG U.S. National Texting Competition.

Eleven contestants are coming to Times Square for the annual competition this afternoon. The winner gets $50,000. Competitors range from 16 to 24 years old. Last year's champion Austin Weirschke is coming back to defend his title.

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The competition tests three skills: speed, accuracy and dexterity. There are three rounds to the competition: texting while blind-folded, texting with hands behind their backs and Text Blitz, where phrases are shown to the contestants for a length of time and they have to copy them as fast as they can.

The competition is sponsored by LG Electronics.