Photos: Memory experts go head-to-head in annual competition
Seven of the eight finalists in the 17th USA Memory Championship: from left, Patrick Walsh, Livan Grijalva, Nelson Dellis, Johnny Briones, Michael Mirski, Alexander Mullen and Lance Tschirhart. In this round, they took turns remembering a list of 200 words in order. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
There were dentists, students, nurses, teachers, writers and magicians at the 17th USA Memory Championship. They ranged in age from 16 to 50, and they seemed to have little in common beyond their passion for memorization.
Nelson Dellis of Miami takes his turn. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Sue Jin Yang, one of the few female contestants, uses the “cookie crumb method”: “I imagine that I am walking a pathway ... stopping at distinct locations, dropping off ‘cookie crumbs’ of visual images.” (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Brad Zupp of Wilton, N.Y., tries to memorize a deck of cards. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Dellis works on the cards. At left is Zupp. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Dellis shakes hands with Alexander Mullen of Oxford, Miss., after Dellis won the competition for the third time. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
