Category Archives: Tech of Sports

From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.

Pete Charleston, Co-founder, President of Golflogix

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Rick is joined by a great guest this week on “Tech of Sports.

Golflogix Co- founder/President, Pete Charleston. Prior to GolfLogix, Charleston co-founded Premium Cigars International and helped take the company public on the Nasdaq. Charleston served as vice president of sales for Premium Cigars International, where he successfully launched an in-store humidor program in over 10,000 retail outlets, negotiating contracts representing over 25,000 retail locations and managed 50 sales reps. Charleston now leads GolfLogix’s marketing, sales, and business development efforts and helped successfully negotiate the acquisition of GolfLogix by Emigrant Capital Corp. in 2014. Having been in the golf GPS business since its inception in 1999, Charleston is one of the most experienced executives in the Golf GPS industry.

Founded in 1999, GolfLogix is the world leader in Golf GPS technology, was the first to introduce handheld GPS to the golf industry, and holds a patent on wireless Golf GPS. GolfLogix has been professionally mapping golf courses for over 12 years and is proud to have the largest, most up-to-date golf course database in the world. All of our maps have been verified by millions of rounds of golf played by our members.

We talk about the new Putt Line feature. The long-anticipated update to the innovative app shows the exact read for distance and line, taking the guesswork out and allowing users to see exactly where to aim their putts.

GolfLogix is the only on-course app that shows you the exact line of your putt to the hole, along with break, change in elevation and the speed of the green.

Now the regular golfer can use GolfLogix to get the same information that the pros have on tour.

With one simple swipe, golfers can easily:

Get the exact read for distance and line
Determine the optimal aimpoint of each putt
See the elevation change from the ball to the cup
Read the changes in speed with the color-coded putt line
View contour lines, arrows, and the slope grid
Set the green stimp
Use the animated putt line to see how the ball will break into the cup
Sink more putts!

Through 2005 GolfLogix developed proprietary software and maps for a Garmin co-branded handheld GPS device that was featured at thousands of prestigious golf courses all around the world. In 2006, the USGA and the R&A officially sanctioned the use of Golf GPS and many companies scrambled to develop GPS solutions for golfers; but GolfLogix was already there. In 2007, the company launched the GolfLogix GPS-7 handheld waterproof consumer unit and based on the company’s mantra of “keep it simple” it was adopted by golfers around the world with incredible success. GolfLogix followed up with a launch of the GPS-8 unit including a full 30-minute TV infomercial campaign featuring Gary McCord and Peter Kostis which captured the attention of millions of golfers worldwide. Today, the GPS-7 and GPS-8 units still lead the pack in being the most reliable and easy-to-use golf GPS system ever produced.

In 2009, seeing the rapid advances in Smartphone technology, GolfLogix quickly captured the market with a golf application that provides precise GPS distances plus keeps score and tracks stats and uploads them to our online clubhouse community where golfers can share and compete with millions of golfers worldwide. Now available on over 60 different Smartphone models, with new phones being added monthly, the GolfLogix Golf GPS application has become the No. 1 Golf App across all Smartphones.

Great to talk with Pete and continued success to Golflogix.

Harry Patz, Sr. Vice-President and GM at Samsung America

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Sports, video displays and Samsung this week at Rick is joined by Harry Patz on “Tech of Sports.”

Patz is the Sr. Vice-President and GM of the B2B Display Division at Samsung America.

Rick caught up with Patz and the Samsung team as Samsung is responsible for all the displays in the new Chase Center in San Francisco.

Patz is responsible for sales, customer and product marketing, business development and channel for a wide range of products such as digital signage, hospitality displays, LED signage and integrated display solutions across multiple industries and verticals.

It was great to see all the Samsung displays being used all over and around the grounds and inside the Chase Center.

First of all, Samsung and the Warriors ventured outside the arena to install the first-ever full outdoor LED display in San Francisco. Fastened to the outer wall of Chase Center’s west entrance, the eye-catching display provides a preview of the technology that is located inside. The superior image quality of Samsung’s 10mm LED video display is clear and vibrant. The displays are built to withstand any weather or environmental elements.

Once inside any the arena, there are over 1100 video displays giving directions, information or offering entertainment content.

Chase Center Digital Signage:

Seating Bowl, West Vomitorium, Club Displays (5) – 10mm – 4ft-3in wide x 2ft-2in high
Lower Bowl, East and West Vomitorium, Courtside Lounge Bulkhead Displays (4) – 10mm – 3ft-11in wide x 2ft-3in high
Lower Bowl, West Vomitorium, Courtside Club Displays (4) – 10mm – 9ft-9-3in wide x 2ft-3in high
Floor Vomitorium, Corner Tunnel Displays (1) – 10mm – 5ft-6in wide x 2ft-2ft high
Floor Vomitorium, Corner Tunnel Displays (1) – 10mm – 16ft-4in wide x 2ft-2ft high
Floor Vomitorium, Corner Tunnel Displays (1) – 10mm – 16ft-4in wide x 2ft-2in high
Floor Vomitorium, Corner Tunnel Displays (1) – 10mm – 5ft-5in wide x 2ft-2in high
Main Concourse, North Vomitorium, Lower Extension Bulkhead Center Display (1) – 10mm – 15ft-2in wide x 2ft-2in high
Main Concourse, North Vomitorium, Lower Extension Bulkhead Side Displays (2) – 10mm – 15ft-2in wide x 2ft-2in high
Seating Bowl, End Bowl Sponsor Displays (2) – 10mm – 31ft-5in wide x 2ft-2in high
Seating Bowl, Upper Wall Corner Displays (4) – 10mm – 10ft-10in wide x 2ft-2in high
Suite Level, Fascia Display (1) – 10mm – 711ft wide x 2ft-6in high
Upper Suite – 400 Level, Fascia Display (1) – 10mm – 631ft-11in wide x 2ft-6in high
Upper Concourse, Bridge Display (1) – 10mm – 128ft-11in wide x 4ft in high
Scorer’s Table Displays (4) – 24ft wide x 4ft high
Basketball Goal, Stanchion Displays (4) – 46in wide x 12in high
Theatre, North Facing Displays (2) – 10mm – 30ft wide x 7ft-10in high
Theatre, South Facing Displays (2) – 10mm – 30ft wide x 7ft-10in high
Theatre, Halo East Facing Display (1) – 10mm – 80ft wide x 7ft-10in high
Theatre, Halo East Facing Display (1) – 10mm – 80ft wide x 7ft-10in high
Post-Game Interview Room Display (1) – 22ft wide x 8ft-10in high
Main Concourse, Lobby Display (1) – 33ft wide x 7ft-1in high
Plaza Entrance Display (1) – 10mm – 74ft wide x 42ft high
Theatre Entrance Display (1) – 10mm – 141ft wide x 2.7ft high
Gatehouse, Ribbon Display (1) – 10mm – 100ft wide x 3ft high
Ticket Window Displays (1) – 5mm – 20in wide x 5in high
Locker Room Game Clocks (38) – 20in wide x 8in high
Fixed Digit Scoreboards (4) – 6ft wide x 3ft-6in high
Samsung SMART Signage Professional Displays (1,100)

Then there’s the centerhung scoreboard. Amazing to look at.

Patz is a big sports fan, so a great guest to talk about all sorts of topics, here on “Tech of Sports.”

Tom Cox, President and CEO of Golfballs.com

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Rick is joined by Tom Cox of Golfballs.com this week.

A country club manager turned internet entrepreneur in 1995, Tom Cox has been involved launching and helping to start businesses for 25 years. Married to Susan (also an entrepreneur), father of Thomas, a 2-year old.

Tom is the President & CEO of Golfballs.com, a business he co-founded in 1995, and notably was one the first ecommerce businesses in golf. Golfballs.com has been named by Inc Magazine to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America 8 times.

Tom is co-founder and volunteer President of Opportunity Machine, a business accelerator. Tom is also a limited partner in Tectonic Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on technology companies with high growth potential.

Tom is a former member of the editorial board of Internet Retailer Magazine and has been a featured speaker at its world conference on topics like social media and employee recruiting.

Tom is a past chairman of Lafayette Economic Development Authority, past chairman of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, past Vice Chairman’s of the Louisiana Immersive Technology Enterprise Center, past Vice President of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and past member of the Louisiana Innovation Council.

Great to talk with Tom. Golfballs.com is a growing company and much can be learned from Tom.

Sarah Ansboury, Pickleball Professional at Palmetto Dunes

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Pickleball is hot!

And it’s even hotter at Palmetto Dunes resort on Hilton Head. Rick is joined by Sarah Ansboury, the head pickleball professional at Palmetto Dunes this episode.

The Palmetto Dunes Tennis and Pickleball Center has 16 pickleball courts and eight more on the way (all lighted for night play).

Pickleball is a sport that combines the elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong. It is played with oversized ping pong paddles and a softball-sized plastic perforated ball that travels at about one-third the speed of a tennis ball. “It’s a fun, easy sport that is great exercise, but doesn’t require a lot of skill to be an enjoyable experience” says John Kerr, Director of Tennis at the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center. We have eight pickleball courts right in front of the Tennis Pro Shop.

For most of Sarah Ansboury’s professional career she has resided in the Portland, Oregon area. As a member of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), she has benefitted from continuing education on fitness, racket sport body mechanics, instructional methods and sports psychology. She applied this education as a private tennis instructor, teaching club members and elite junior athletes, as well as a NCAA women’s tennis coach. Ansboury also competed nationally at the Open level as well as 5.5 rated leagues in the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA).

This is big. The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) and Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) have formed a strategic alliance to grow the sport of Pickleball. The new PTR subsidiary (PPR) will become the official education and certification partner of the USAPA. Ansboury has designed the PPR’s curriculum and certification programs.

Have you tried pickleball? Ansboury thinks you will love it!

Elizabeth Clark, Wine Educator at Adelsheim Vineyard

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Rick is talking about a special release of wine this week with wine educator, Elizabeth Clark of Adelsheim Vineyard.

Perfect for the start of the NBA season and the upcoming holidays:

Portland Trail Blazers and Adelsheim Vineyard Released 50th Anniversary Commemorative Wine Sept. 24

The Portland Trail Blazers and Oregon’s Adelsheim Vineyard are releasing a 50th Anniversary Trail Blazers Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It will be extremely limited and released to the public on Sept. 24th. The label is a special homage to the Blazers 50 year history including iconic images of the Coliseum, Moda Center and Rose Quarter. It also incorporates Blazers jersey designs throughout the decades. $50 a bottle. Available via https://www.adelsheim.com/blazers

Clark talks about how this all came about, the detail in the design of the label and the Blazers.

Clark is an experienced Wine Educator and Experience Curator with a demonstrated history of working in the wine and spirits industry. Skilled in Food & Beverage, Public Speaking, Customer Service, Menu Development, and Culinary Skills. Strong operations professional graduated from Apicius International School of Hospitality.

Wine down with this episode of ‘Tech of Sports.’

 

Nick Kuhns, General Manager, Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown-Pioneer Square

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Sports travel makes up a sizeable percentage of business for many hotel and resort properties around the country. So it’s time to cater to sports fans and those that work in the sports industry.

Nick Kuhns, General Manager of the new Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown-Pioneer Square agrees with that statement as he joins Rick this week to talk about his beautiful property, adjacent to the Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field. He joins Rick this week to talk about his property, sports travel and competition among hotels and resorts.

Situated in Seattle’s original neighborhood Pioneer Square, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown is the perfect hub for your next Northwest experience.

This is possibly the nicest Embassy Suites I’ve ever seen. The spacious suites offer sleeping and living areas, a queen-size sofa bed as well as a 50-inch HDTV, kitchenettes and innovative technology. The views are impressive and the staff is ultra attentive. Dine at a Seattle institution, 13 Coins, or meet friends for a hand-crafted cocktail at Zephyr Bar – located right in the lobby. When it’s time to unwind, stop by the Health Club, which includes a heated indoor pool, hot tub and sun deck.

Kuhns brings a ton of hospitality experience to the table.

With nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality and food and beverage industries, Kuhns is responsible for overseeing all operations at Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown-Pioneer Square as its General Manager, positioning the property to achieve its occupancy and revenue goals as well as ensuring maximum performance throughout each department. Prior to this appointment, he served as Assistant General Manager at Hilton Salt Lake City Center in Salt Lake City. He has also served as the Director of Food and Beverage at Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa in Clearwater, Fl.

It was a pleasure to talk with Nick and if you travels call for being in Seattle, his Embassy Suites is the place to stay.