Action Sport Cameras and Live Events

The Industry Leaders : Contour, GoPro, Liquid Image

Technology and Action Sports have been growing wildly over the last couple years.  People are able to share their experiences with millions of other people and everyone can share a moment.  That is what it is all about. A moment.  Technology has almost caught up with life. You used to have had to be at an event to experience it. Then it evolved to being able to relive an event via recordings.  Very quickly we are watching THAT change.

With the rapidly evolving technology that has married actions sports, I see a whole new experience on the horizon.  GoPro, Contour and Liquid Image are all working on wi-fi technology with their cameras.  These industry leaders have allowed everyone to relive and share amazing moments.  From sky diving to nascar, skateboarding to dirt biking the dunes..... these tiny cameras can capture shots that we never knew existed a few years ago.  With the introduction of wi-fi to these cameras, we can now check the image on a smart phone.  Ok, so that's cool.....what's that really mean?

I see it as a step towards a new experience.  Imagine being at a major action sport event.  SnoCross, MotoCross, Nascar, The Olympics.  Imagine being able to view what the athletes see via your smart phone.  You choose the way you experience the event.  Watch from the stands, ride along with a rider, check alternative angles from the track, or be live in the pits.  I think that it will change the way that you watch these sports at the live event.  I imagine all of this being accessible whether you are at the event or not.  You could be on a train commuting home from work as you ride with Shawn White at the Winter X Games.....live!

While this technology is just coming out, it won't be long before you control your programming.  The biggest question and challenge will be for the sponsors and advertisers... how do you commercialize when you no longer own the media channel?  That will be one to watch.

  

Liquid Image's "Ego" camera

Watch out GoPro and Contour, there is a new adventure camera coming to the market in June.  Liquid Image will be releasing their Ego video camera in the Spring.  The camera will record video in 1080 HD, take 12mp stills, and will have a 136 degree lens.  It will also allow you to stream LIVE to a smart phone via wifi.  Now, these features are nothing new for the evolving extreme sport camera industry. GoPro has already announced and Contour has already introduced live streaming.  The fact that Ego is waterproof is nothing that hasn't been done before either..... so whats the hype?  The Ego will come in 5 colors, be 1/2 the price of the current cameras, and is 1/2 the size.  It's lighter, smaller, and cheaper.  I think those are 3 reasons that Liquid Image is going to shake the industry when it is released.  Suggested retail on the Ego will be only $150.

Boggin' Out: Pol-Cat

Tremor in Mchenry County, not really a Quake

At about 10 pm Monday January 30th, 2012, many residents in Mchenry county and surrounding areas claimed to have felt a mini quake.  Witnesses stated that windows rattled and china clinked as the rumble lasted for about 3 seconds. One resident claimed that it was enough to open the garage door on his home in Lakemoor, IL. 

While there was record of a movement of plates in the area, the cause was not natural.  After investigating, it was found that hundreds of unhappy Ditch Bangers fired up their snowmobiles at 9:56pm last night in disgust and frustration.  

The lack of snow has caused a bottling of much anticipated riding energy.  "I gave my sled one got blip of the throttle just to get that pressure out of my soul" said one snowmobiler.  "It's been too long.  24 hrs of open trails locally was not right.  Mother nature really stuck it to us this year, so I rev'd my sled in protest and retaliation."

While the mass 'rev' lasted but a few seconds, the result was heard and felt for miles away.  It seems that the ditch bangers got their sucker punch in to mother nature. Now they wait to see what comes next.

Frisby lands it!

Well the hype of Frisby attempting the first ever front flip came to a head Sunday night.  It was eerily quiet as Heath Frisby executed the first ever snowmobile front flip in competition.  Unlike powering through a backflip, Heath had to stop the track and blindly flip the sled forward.  Like any trick, the landing is the hardest part. Heath kept it together and landed the front flip smoothly. With a front flip, he almost had to over rotate to make sure that the skis came down first.  If he had under rotated, the track would have hit first and the front end would have been force to the ground hard.  Frisby made it look effortless and awesome!  

Congrats Frisby!

Health Frisby to break out the First Ever Sled Front Flip @ X Games

Watch for Heath to bust out the first ever Snowmobile Front flip at the Winter X Games tonight on ESPN.

Snow Report: Day 22