Biarritz France— With the support of the International Surfing Association (ISA), the French Surfing Federation (FFS) has unveiled a new, dedicated mobile application built specifically for the 2017 World Surfing Games, which will be held in Biarritz, France from 20-28 May.
The app, available on both iOS and Android operating systems at WorldSurfGames, will allow users to live stream the competition from anywhere in the world, and will provide Surfing fans with up-to-date news, stats, results, photos and videos throughout the week-long event.
On top of the informative features of the app, the FFS and local organizers have also launched an online boutique shop offering users the opportunity to buy merchandise and memorabilia related to the event. The boutique can be found at http://boutique.surfingfrance.com.
At this month’s ISA World Surfing Games, the globe’s top surfers will face-off for Gold Medals and the pride of representing their nations. The event returns to Biarritz this year for the first time since 1980, when legendary surfer Tom Curren launched his successful career after being crowned ISA Junior World Champion.
The news comes as the ISA continue to embrace technology to move forward as a Federation and engage young audiences. Earlier this year, they announced a new partnership with the Olympic Channel that will see the digital broadcaster also live stream the 2017 World Surfing Games and the Federation hopes to continue this trend of innovation as they move towards their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, said: “We are thrilled to support the local organizers in this key initiative. The launch of this app is a great step forward for the ISA, and how we deliver our events through contemporary media tools. This is an example of how we want to look at new and innovative ways of engaging our fan base and engaging with youth, especially as we move forwards towards Tokyo 2020.
“This app will set a new precedent of how people watch our sport. It will combine live streams with real-time updates that you need to follow the competition in as much detail as possible. We hope that this app can set a precedent for how we engage digitally moving forward and in Tokyo.
“It will also help us to get more fans interested in our sport in non-traditional surfing nations. By providing the live stream, content, and information in one, digestible app, competition will be easier to follow for newcomers, and we will open up to a new wave of Surfing fan.”