NEW YORK >> The nation’s fastest texters are facing off in an annual texting contest.

Eleven contestants from all over the country are coming to Times Square for the Wednesday afternoon competition. 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.

The competition tests three skills: speed, accuracy and dexterity. There are three rounds: 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 it as fast as they can before the next one.

The competition is sponsored by cellphone-maker LG Electronics.