Future Motion partnered with the World Surf League to create a surreal rideable sandcastle experience
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. and HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — Future Motion Inc., the maker of Onewheel, the iconic, self-balancing single-wheel electric board, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the World Surf League (WSL) and the construction of a full-scale rideable sandcastle course at the Lexus US Open of Surfing.
Onewheel has created the US Open’s first life-size rideable sandcastle course, inviting surfing fans to experience a magical beach shredding experience. The 60×40-foot Onewheel sand course features a winding path complete with sand berms amid 6-foot sandcastle minarets. The team documented the challenging process of creating the sandcastle course in a 20-minute video.
The US Open runs from August 3 to 11 at the Huntington Beach Pier, with Onewheel’s rideable sandcastle located near the X-Games activation on the beach. During the first few days of the event, Onewheel welcomed thousands of curious beach-goers, and the activation has already earned hundreds of thousands of views on social media.
“The reaction has been amazing,” exclaimed Jack Mudd, Marketing Director at Onewheel. “Everyone who walks by stops and pulls out their phones to get a photo, and the local news has been by to cover it and go for a ride. It’s clear that the ‘Shredcastle,’ as we call it, has captured everyone’s imagination.”
Onewheel’s unique design, featuring a large single tire and self-balancing technology, makes it a highly versatile electric board for all-terrain riding, including on packed sand. Riders use the same intuitive leaning movements to carve on a Onewheel as they do in other board sports.
“We’re really excited to partner with World Surf League,” said Kyle Doerksen, CEO of Future Motion and inventor of Onewheel. “Our boards have always been popular with the surf and broader board sports communities because they deliver the same feeling of flow and freedom but make that experience accessible anywhere.”
“Onewheel has been an amazing cross-training tool for maintaining my mental and physical muscle memory when I’m on the road,” said Tyler James, who surfed competitively for seven years and is now a full-time member of the Onewheel Factory Pro Team. It was an incredibly helpful tool when I was recovering from injuries; I could train on the Onewheel before getting back on the waves.”
Since its first Onewheel launched in 2014, the company’s product lineup has grown to include a range of models, including the Onewheel Pint, Pint X, Onewheel GT, and Onewheel GT S-Series, each with its own unique performance capabilities and features.
About Future Motion, Inc.
Future Motion, Inc. is a pioneer in personal mobility, committed to redefining the future of board sports and micromobility for over a decade. Its flagship product, Onewheel, is a self-balancing single-wheel electric board using sensors and gyroscopes to maintain balance and stability. Onewheel delivers the feeling of flow and freedom, allowing riders to control their speed and direction with intuitive leaning motions. Its product lineup includes the Onewheel Pint, Pint X, Onewheel GT, and Onewheel GT S-Series, each with unique performance capabilities and features. Onewheel provides a unique and exhilarating experience that delivers both the thrill of board sports and convenient transportation. It is ideal for recreation, urban commuting, or off-road exploration with its all-terrain capabilities. Onewheel holds over 110 patents for its technology and is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. It proudly designs and manufactures its products in the United States. Learn about Onewheel and shop products at Onewheel.com, and learn more about the Onewheel Racing League at Onewheelracing.com.
Follow Onewheel on Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok, and X (formerly Twitter). Follow the Onewheel Racing League on Instagram, and catch exclusive content from the Onewheel Factory Team on Instagram.
SOURCE Future Motion, Inc.
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Major League Baseball’s long-standing relationship with Japan was highlighted during the Tokyo Series in March 2025, featuring the Dodgers and Cubs. The event generated significant revenue and broke viewership records. Japanese players, like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani, have boosted MLB’s global presence, indicating successful international investment.
Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder
When Shohei Ohtani stepped onto the field at the Tokyo Dome in March 2025, he wasn’t just playing a game – he was carrying forward more than 100 years of baseball ties between the U.S. and Japan.
That history was front and center when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs opened their 2025 regular season facing off in the Tokyo Series on March 18 and 19. The two games featured several players from Japan, capping a slate of events that included four exhibition games against Japanese professional teams.
It was a massive financial success. Marking MLB’s first return to Tokyo since 2019, the series generated over US$35 million in ticket sales and sponsorship revenue and $40 million in merchandise sales.
The first game of the Tokyo Series broke viewership records in Japan.
For MLB, which has seen significant viewership growth this season, it was proof that its investment in Japan and international baseball over the past three decades has been paying off.
Baseball, which is by far the most popular sport in Japan, was introduced to the nation during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century.
American baseball promoters were quick to see the potential of the Japanese market, touring the country as early as 1908. The most famous such tour took place in 1934 and featured a number of American League All-Stars, including Babe Ruth and catcher Moe Berg, who was later revealed to be a U.S. spy.
That trip had a long legacy. The U.S. All-Stars faced a team called The Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, which, a year later, barnstormed in the United States. When they played the San Francisco Seals, the Seals’ manager, Lefty O’Doul – who later trained baseball players in Japan – suggested a name change to better promote the team for an American audience.
Commenting that Tokyo is the New York of Japan, O’Doul suggested they take on one of their team names. And since “Yankee” is a uniquely American term, The Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club was reborn as the Tokyo (Yomiuri) Giants.
When the Giants returned to Japan, the Japanese Baseball League was formed, which was reorganized into Nippon Professional Baseball in 1950. The Giants have gone on to dominate the NPB, winning 22 Japan Series and producing Sadaharu Oh, who hit 868 home runs during his illustrious career.
The first Japanese-born MLB player, Masanori Murakami, debuted for the San Francisco Giants in September 1964. But his arrival wound up sparking a contractual tug-of-war between the NPB and MLB. To prevent future disputes, the two leagues signed an agreement in 1967 that essentially blocked MLB teams from signing Japanese players.
By the 1990s, this agreement became untenable, as some Japanese players in NPB became frustrated by their lack of negotiating power. After the Kintetsu Buffaloes refused to give Hideo Nomo a multiyear contract after the 1994 season, his agent found a loophole in the “voluntary retirement clause” that would allow him to sign with an MLB franchise. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 1995.
Nomo’s impact was immeasurable. His “tornado” windup and early success made him one of the most popular players in the major leagues, which was recovering from the cancellation of the World Series the previous year. In Japan, “Nomo fever” took hold, with large crowds gathering television screens in public to watch him play, even though his games aired in the morning. Nomo helped drive Japanese sponsorship and television rights as his first season ended with him winning National League Rookie of the Year.
But within a few years, disputes over contracts soon showed the need for new rules. This ultimately led to the establishment of posting rules for NPB players looking to transition to the major leagues.
The rules have shifted some since they were set out in late 1998, but if a player declares their intention to leave NPB, then MLB teams have a 45-day window to negotiate. If the player from NPB is under 25 or has less than nine years of professional experience, they’re subject to the limited MLB signing pool for international players. Otherwise, they’re declared a free agent.
The new rules led many more Japanese players to join major league baseball from Nippon Professional Baseball: Of the 81 Japanese players who’ve played in the majors, all but four played in NPB before their debut. Ichiro Suzuki, who became the first Japanese player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was also the first Japanese position player to make the leap.
Other players, like Hideki Matsui, the only Japanese player to be named World Series MVP, continued the success. And then came Ohtani, a two-way superstar who both hits and pitches, drawing comparisons to Babe Ruth.
For MLB, Japanese players haven’t just boosted performance on the field – they’ve expanded its global fan base. The Dodgers brought in over $120 million in increased revenue in Ohtani’s first year alone, easily covering his salary even with Ohtani signing the richest contract in baseball history. The franchise has also seen its value increase by at least 23% to nearly $8 billion. MLB has also seen a significant increase in viewership over the past two seasons, partially driven by the growing interest from Japan.
As American sports leagues deal with an increasingly distracted, fragmented domestic audience, it’s not surprising that they’re looking abroad for growth. And as MLB teams prepare to court another wave of Japanese stars this offseason, it’s clear that its decades-long investment in Japan is paying off.
Jared Bahir Browsh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Critical Sports Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Mike “Sleeves” Sliwa interviews Kelsea Thompson, Tournament Director of PickleCon 2025, discussing her journey in pickleball and details of the event happening from August 7-10 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Last Updated on August 6, 2025 by Rod Washington
Join host Mike “Sleeves” Sliwa as he sits down with Kelsea Thompson, Tournament Director of PickleCon 2025, for an inspiring conversation about passion, pickleball, and one of the sport’s most anticipated events.
In this engaging episode, Kelsea shares her personal journey into the world of pickleball – from her first time picking up a paddle to becoming the driving force behind PickleCon’s tournament operations. Discover how her love for the sport evolved and what led her to take on the massive responsibility of organizing tournaments for thousands of players.
Published May 30, 2025
Kelsea provides an insider’s look at PickleCon 2025, taking place August 7-10 in Kansas City, Missouri. Learn about this all-inclusive pickleball paradise that transforms 400,000 square feet of convention space into the ultimate destination for players of every skill level. From competitive tournaments and pro clinics to glow-in-the-dark matches and social events, PickleCon truly offers something for everyone in the pickleball community.
Whether you’re a competitive player, casual enthusiast, skill-building learner, industry professional, or simply a pickleball fan, this episode will give you the inside scoop on what makes PickleCon a must-attend event. Kelsea discusses the unique challenges of organizing such a comprehensive event and shares her vision for creating an unforgettable experience that celebrates everything we love about pickleball.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the key figures making PickleCon 2025 possible – and start planning your trip to Kansas City this August!
PickleCon 2025: August 7-10, Kansas City, MO
Learn more: https://www.picklecon.com
Get the latest updates and information on the rapidly growing sport of pickleball, specifically designed for the senior community aged 50+. Check out Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report on YouTube to stay informed and up-to-date with the ever-changing world of pickleball. Join the community and stay ahead of the game.
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
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Matthew Pittman, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Tennessee This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
