Copa Challenge - Largest Online Freestyle Competition

[alexfs]

steven elias has freestyled?? 
how come he dont know shit about freestyle??? xD

who the fuck is steve elias?
i think i saw his profile on some lame canadian web-site - which also has a fuckload of info on how bullying is bad - while everybody knows bullying is fun

[Adi]

Here you go ladies and gentlemen:

Considered the godfather of freestyle soccer in North America, Steve ‘Eli Freeze’ Elias founded Freestyle Soccer Inc. in 1999 and has served as the conduit for major advancements in the promotion of freestyle culture in the US and Canada since then.

Elias’ skill set was well-known at the beginning of the decade as he was the #1 ranked freestyler on the Nikefootball.com site for three straight years and the top vote getter between 2001-2004. He capped off his competitive career at age 34 when he outlasted a field of 150 and defeated 19-year old finalist Angelo Storms to take down the 2007 Red Bull Futbol de Calle finale in New York.

Best known for the Eli Swirl, Elias is credited with developing many new tricks over the years – and has featured them in promotions for leading companies such as Adidas, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Coke, DKNY, Gatorade, Hyundai, Kelloggs, Miller Lite, MLS, Pepsi, Sony and many others.

[Adi]

By the way, please post the videos you enter with here.  We can all go and vote then.

[Miran Pirner]

The jury panel is ridiculous, lol. Out of 6 guys, 1 and a half actually know something about freestyle football. 

Nonetheless, it's definitely worth a shot. 

[Adi]

Exactly, it's worth a shot.  It will also help freestyle grow.  If we get a lot of participants, sponsors are going to stick around and the competition can continue to grow.  I don't see why this couldn't grow into a bigger competition than RBSS.  This one actually gives out big prizes.  Who knows, maybe we can make this an online and LP competition next year.  We just have to make this a success and then go from there. 

As far as the judges are concerned, I too wish there was another big time freestyler on there or just someone who knows a lot about freestyle football.  I do like the producers that are on there, though.  Maybe they don't need as many but having two is pretty legit.  This will give the creative freestylers an advantage.  If you can't pull off the best tricks, you can make up for it by making a creative freestyle movie/commercial.  Try to be somewhat creative and use some good editing and recording.  Maybe we can help each out with that?

If anyone wants feedback on their ideas for the video, please post here and we'll let you know what we think.

[Miran Pirner]

Of course, in a competition like this it's not a bad idea to have someone from another field of work, especially when it's indirectly related, but to have the majority of the jury panel like that isn't really the right way to go, IMO.

Simple example: If you show a decently directed/edited video with great freestyle skills and one that's the opposite, you can bet your ass they'll prefer the later. I even have my doubts if they'd realize if someone posted that FIFA Street 3 commercial as their video, someone should try it and see if it works. 

[Adi]

Good thing is that the main winner is chosen by the people.  Online votes are the thing that counts for the $10,000 prize.  The judges will then pick 5 separate winners.  Not bad.

[L_I_S]

Good thing is that the main winner is chosen by the people.  Online votes are the thing that counts for the $10,000 prize.

Not necessarily. Usually it's not the best person who wins but the person who knows the most people and can get them to vote or the person that spends all day making new accounts and voting for themselves.

[Miran Pirner]

Good thing is that the main winner is chosen by the people.  Online votes are the thing that counts for the $10,000 prize.

Not necessarily. Usually it's not the best person who wins but the person who knows the most people and can get them to vote or the person that spends all day making new accounts and voting for themselves.

+1

[Adi]

Yeah, that's true.  It's not a perfect system by any means.  They do have systems in place to detect duplicate votes, however.  Hopefully it's a good and effective system.  We have a good amount of people here so we can use it to our advantage as well.  We'll create a thread and so more people see it.  This will help draw attention.  Still not perfect, but you gotta roll with it.

[Miran Pirner]

He was one of the hosts/MCs, both in Brazil in 2008 and South Africa in 2010.

Is there a good freestyle video of him somewere from a few years back or something? By good I mean good at that stage in time.

Otherwise I can't imagine anyone wanting to be the "next" Eli freeze.

The only video that I can think of which fits the description is the one from the Nikefreestyle.com competition, which held #1 spot for aaaaages, was definitely another level compared to the other videos. Can't seem to find it now...

[luki]

Good thing is that the main winner is chosen by the people.  Online votes are the thing that counts for the $10,000 prize.

Not necessarily. Usually it's not the best person who wins but the person who knows the most people and can get them to vote or the person that spends all day making new accounts and voting for themselves.

Right, it's very hard to be better than computer maniacs who know everything about how to get more and more votes. I think "people's votes" is the worst option to participants. I don't  intend to spend 10 hours voting for myself. I don't know, maybe owners of that site earn some cash when people make lots of new accounts etc.
I will participate, but don't expect there's a chance for winning.