Challenge:
The challenge presented to Matthew McLemore, early in his career as Art Director at AOL's action sports brand Lat34.com, was to revolutionize the Ripcurl Masters event held at the off shore Eddie Big wave event by making it interactive and capable of real-time updates, even from remote, offshore locations around the world. This task required an innovative approach to overcome the logistical and technical difficulties of providing live data from temporary platforms in such challenging environments.
The challenge presented to Matthew McLemore, early in his career as Art Director at AOL's action sports brand Lat34.com, was to revolutionize the Ripcurl Masters event held at the off shore Eddie Big wave event by making it interactive and capable of real-time updates, even from remote, offshore locations around the world. This task required an innovative approach to overcome the logistical and technical difficulties of providing live data from temporary platforms in such challenging environments.
Process:
Matthew spearheaded the development of a cutting-edge wave tracker and scoring system specifically for the Lat34 and Ripcurl Pipeline Masters events. This system was designed to function seamlessly within the constraints of remote locations. Utilizing Flash technology, Matthew created a dynamic scoring system and wave tracker that could receive updates via satellite links. These updates were facilitated through RS feeds, which were uploaded after every heat. The data from these feeds was then read and animated in real time using Flash, ensuring that viewers could follow the event as it unfolded, no matter where they were in the world.
Matthew spearheaded the development of a cutting-edge wave tracker and scoring system specifically for the Lat34 and Ripcurl Pipeline Masters events. This system was designed to function seamlessly within the constraints of remote locations. Utilizing Flash technology, Matthew created a dynamic scoring system and wave tracker that could receive updates via satellite links. These updates were facilitated through RS feeds, which were uploaded after every heat. The data from these feeds was then read and animated in real time using Flash, ensuring that viewers could follow the event as it unfolded, no matter where they were in the world.
Results:
The implementation of this innovative technology at the Ripcurl Masters event led to unprecedented success for Lat34. The website achieved record-breaking page views and the longest session durations ever recorded for a surf contest. This milestone not only demonstrated the technical prowess and creative ingenuity of Matthew McLemore and his team that included Justin White a talented young designer marked a new era in how surfing events are experienced by fans globally. By leveraging advanced technology and real-time data, Matthew transformed the way audiences interact with and enjoy sports events, setting a new standard for live sports coverage.
The implementation of this innovative technology at the Ripcurl Masters event led to unprecedented success for Lat34. The website achieved record-breaking page views and the longest session durations ever recorded for a surf contest. This milestone not only demonstrated the technical prowess and creative ingenuity of Matthew McLemore and his team that included Justin White a talented young designer marked a new era in how surfing events are experienced by fans globally. By leveraging advanced technology and real-time data, Matthew transformed the way audiences interact with and enjoy sports events, setting a new standard for live sports coverage.
