Online sports event platform Free World Sports (FWS) has boosted the profile of professional kite surfers and windsurfers in SA.
The platform introduced a kite-surfing versus windsurfing online video contest with a prize of
R10 000. FWS has seen more than 5 300 unique users since its rollout in January this year.
FWS founder Anton van Vuuren says: “We have captured the essence of both sports in the best conditions in one of the top locations for kite-surfing and windsurfing in the world - Cape Town.”
He adds: “The online video viewership has really boosted the profile of the riders and pushed them to use their social networks to promote themselves and the brands they represent.”
The competition lets users upload their two-and-a-half minute videos onto the platform. The video that gets the most votes wins the prize money. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have driven video sharing.
“We have seen many international uploads as well as traffic from other countries and both the amateur and semi-pro sailors are getting the recognition they deserve,” notes Van Vuuren. “We are also seeing a lot of talent from amateur film enthusiasts who are collaborating with the stars to make the videos happen.”
The short-term goal of FWS is to grow the unique users through as many sports as possible and then move towards attracting the right sponsors to create sustainable online events, concludes Van Vuuren.
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