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.

Jim Stracka, President of StrackaLine

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Rick is joined this week, by Jim Stracka, President of StrackaLine.

The company is most known for its laser-scanned greens guides that are used on every major professional tour and by more than 250 Division I college teams, professionals and tournament players.

StrackaLine, one of golf’s leading technology companies, vaulted to prominence in 2017 as leading players on every major professional tour and 250+ collegiate teams began using the company’s laser-scanned greens guides.

Utilizing patented technology, StrackaLine creates topographical greens maps that are accurate down to the millimeter. The greens maps, which feature easy to read arrows, allow players to view contour and fall lines, in addition to slope percentage, anywhere on the green.

StrackaLine now has 700+ courses scanned, including some of the nation’s most prominent layouts. Use of the greens guides at the highest levels of the game surged throughout 2017, and the company now counts nearly every Division I golf program, including last year’s national champions, among its users.

“StrackaLine Greens Guides are leading the game forward, allowing players of all skill levels to better read putts and improving pace of play,” company president Jim Stracka said. “The use our greens guides receive on professional tours across the globe is a testament to the quality of StrackaLine, as is the usage by more than 250 college teams. We look forward to helping even more players properly read greens on their favorite courses in 2018.”

“The books are awesome,” a top 100 men’s college coach said. “Kids that wouldn’t even look at their yardage books are using them on every green.”

Professional usage has helped drive interest in the StrackaLine Greens Guides, and the technology is just as valuable to “regular” amateur golfers hoping to improve their score.

The greens guides can be purchased in book form ($97/each) or accessed via the StrackaLine smartphone app ($179/course).

For golf course owners and operators, the technology can be used to improve pace of play and help ensure quality course conditions. For players, the results can come right away. StrackaLine offers hole location software that allows superintendents to utilize a proprietary algorithm to help set hole locations.

StrackaLine will continue to add to its library of golf courses throughout 2018. It takes just eight minutes to scan and capture an entire green and the StrackaLine team can complete an 18-hole course and practice green in five hours without disrupting play.

For more information on how to order a greens guide or have a course scanned, go to www.StrackaLine.com

Usain Bolt, 8-Time Olympic Gold Medalist

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It was great to have the opportunity to spend some time with the legendary Olympic sprinter, Usain Bolt.

Bolt joins Rick on “Tech of Sports” discussing his passion for music and favorite products at the Gibson tent at CES 2018.

He was insightful, representing Philips Bass +  new Headphones at the show. In addition to his countless accolades on the track, the last six or so years has introduced the world to not just Usain Bolt the Olympic medalist, but also a regular guy who’s passionate about music and likes to DJ around his races.

An eight-time Olympic gold medalist, Bolt won the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games, although he subsequently forfeited one of the gold medals (as well as the world record set therein) nine years after the fact due to a teammate’s disqualification for doping offences. He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times. Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016); this is a feat referred to as the “triple double” that will be very difficult for anyone to duplicate.

He now turns his attention to music and talks with Rick!

Episode 200, Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq)

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Tech of Sports, Episode 200! We made it!

So a special guest is on order and we have, Shaq.

Shaq’s individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 14th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O’Neal also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O’Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.

TNT commentator Shaquille O’Neal – also known as “Shaq” – announced at CES’ TNT Inside the NBA broadcast that he has been given a new title, joining Carnival Cruise Line as their newly appointed “CFO.”

The announcement was made with a tongue-in-cheek video that features Shaq and Carnival President Christine Duffy but omits one minor detail: CFO stands for “Chief Fun Officer,” personifying the cruise line’s newest brand campaign, “Choose Fun,” which launched earlier this week.
As the newly appointed “CFO,” O’Neal has partnered with the cruise line, lending his fun, larger-than-life personality and playful spirit to inspire America to Choose Fun with Carnival when planning their next vacation, and in their everyday lives.

Shaq’s role will be brought to life via engaging video content, social media and experiential activations, beginning today.
In the first piece of advertising that introduces Shaq as Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer, he takes viewers on a whirlwind 30-second tour of Carnival Vista, showing his playful self as he enjoys the ship’s many attractions and experiences, including SkyRide, Havana pool, Cloud 9 Spa, a burger at Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint and, of course, the basketball court.

“We are very excited to have Shaq as part of the Carnival team! He will serve as a great ambassador ensuring everyone knows all about our one-of-a-kind brand of fun,” said Duffy. “We’re confident that his embodiment of our brand values will inspire America to Choose Fun and discover the authentic, participatory and social atmosphere that Carnival offers.”

“In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to choose fun, especially when everyone is busy with work, family, and life in general,” says O’Neal. “So, I’m honored to be appointed the Chief Fun Officer at Carnival – a company that lives and breathes fun.”

Carnival Cruise Line is the largest brand in the Carnival Corporation portfolio with a fleet of 25 ships designed to deliver fun and memorable vacation experiences at a great value. It is the world’s most popular cruise line carrying five million guests a year and catering to a wide consumer demographic, appealing to families, couples, singles and seniors. Carnival carries more children and military personnel than any other cruise line. In spring 2018, the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon will debut as the 26th ship in the fleet.

For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit http://carnival.comcarnival.com. Carnival also can be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Great to have Shaq on “Tech of Sports” this week.

Jason Simmons, DeadSoxy

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Rick is joined this week, by Jason Simmons of DeadSoxy.

Socks may literally be the most boring article of clothing…but DeadSoxy is changing this opinion one step at a time by reinventing the underrated apparel.

After years of searching for the perfect sock, creator Jason Simmons (a sock and fashion enthusiast from birth) was disappointed with what he found.

“It didn’t matter if I spent $2 dollars or $200, my socks would eventually get holes, lose stretch, or slip off my heal…even when they were no slip! I realized that if I wanted my dream socks, I’d have to make them myself,” says Simmons.

“People think I’m crazy but I engineered these socks to have literally everything you could possibly want.”

WHY ARE THESE SOCKS SO AMAZING?

The Feel: Uber-soft, high-end yarn enables a cool and dry environment for your feet and means no shrinking

The Look: Superior dyes keep socks from fading and the distinct patterns give your outfit an extra dose of style

The Design: Engineered in a U.S. knitting mill to create a unique technical design that no other sock on the market has

The Magic: These technical specifications keep our socks, whether crew or no show, from slipping or falling; so you get a comfortable wear & put-together look ALL day

The Deal: They are THE ONLY company ever to offer a money back guarantee if they slip off your foot.

PGA Tour’s Austin Cook

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Austin Cook is a University of Arkansas graduate and PGA Tour Rookie currently ranked 144th in the World and currently ranked 3rd in the Fed-Ex Cup Standings. A month ago, Cook captured his first career win in his 4th PGA Tour event as member. He emerged victorious with a four-stroke win at the RSM Classic; located at the Seaside Course in Sea Island, Georgia.