US Open

Winner Announced in Olympus PEN E-PL1 Contest

Amongst fierce competition, roller blading enthusiast Kevin Dowling went on to win Olympus' "PEN your story challenge" contest which we wrote about back in May. Dowling won the prize of Olympus' great new compact PEN E-PL1 digital camera (above) and $5,000 to make his documentary video Blading, in addition to an all-expense-paid trip for two to New York City to attend the Olympus-sponsored US Open National Tennis Championships where a sample of his video was displayed on the giant board in the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium before an audience of thousands. Selecting a winner from the finalists wasn't easy – Olympus received hundreds of proposal submissions which were eventually narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists and then six finalists. Dowling's selection was based on a combination of popular vote and the panel of Olympus judges, and his video showcased the professional-grade digital single lens reflex (DSLR) image quality, point-and-shoot simplicity and high-definition (HD) video capabilities of the amazingly compact camera. You can see all of the finalists' submissions in the "PEN your story challenge" playlist at http://www.youtube.com/getolympus and view Kevin's Grand Prize Winning submission on the main page video player.

Tags: camera, contest, digital camera, New York City, Olympus, PEN E-PL1, US Open, video

Win an Olympus PEN E-PL1 Camera and $5,000 in "PEN Your Story Challenge" [Video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Olympus' great new compact PEN E-PL1 digital camera with professional-grade digital single lens reflex (DSLR) image quality, point-and-shoot simplicity and high-definition (HD) video encourages you to realize your creative vision. To emphasize the point they have launched a contest to win one of the 12-megapixel cameras, along with $5,000 to bring that vision to life, and then some. Dubbed the "PEN your story challenge", the contest runs through June 6th at http://www.youtube.com/getolympus and http://www.getolympus.com, via video proposals submitted by entrants. Your "vision" can be anything you can produce with the PEN E-PL1 and a $5,000 budget, be it a short film with HD video, a fashion spread of pro-quality still images, an adventure chronicle combining both, or an amazing photomontage.

Once the proposal submissions have been narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists selected by the community via thumbs up "likes", six of the best will be selected by a panel of judges from Olympus, as well as the YouTube community. Those six individuals will receive the PEN, the funds and time to bring their proposals to life. Once the six finalists have uploaded their final creations to YouTube for the world to see, one lucky Grand Prize winner will be selected based on a combination of popular vote and the panel of Olympus judges. The Grand Prize winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to New York City to attend the Olympus-sponsored US Open on Olympus Day. The winner's work will be displayed on the giant video board at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center before an audience of thousands.

To help things along Olympus is offering professional tips on making your filmmaking dreams become a reality from multi Webby-Award winner Erik Beck, executive producer of the online DIY filmmaking network Indy Mogul . Beck has produced a how-to video with tips and tricks to assist you with the production of your submission for the PEN your story challenge. The challenge is open to residents of the United States and Canada. When submitting your video proposal for the PEN your story challenge, be sure to explain how, as a finalist, you plan to use the creative features of the Olympus PEN E-PL1 such as the in-camera art filters for your project. Meanwhile check out http://Twitter.com/getolympus, http://www.Facebook.com/getolympus and http://www.Flickr.com/groups/getolympus as well.

Tags: camera, contest, digital camera, New York City, Olympus, Olympus PEN E-PL1, tennis, US Open, video, YouTube

Do the U.S. Open In Style

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The U.S. Open just came to an end out on Long Island, drawing enormous crowds of fans who were undeterred by the unfavorable weather. Even if it hadn't rained, they would have struggled to enjoy the experience, as the event's organizers designed it in a way that made attendees earn their pleasure. And, the complaints were many. I heard one guy complain about $9 hot dogs, and the lines were awful. Trying to drive to the Bethpage golf course was a nightmare, as some had to park up to half an hour away and take buses to the tournament.

Many mused that there had to be a better way. And, there was. If you want to enjoy the U.S. Open next year, keep the following tips in mind. Plan ahead, and you can engineer a fantastic experience, even if the United States Golf Association is trying to prevent it.

1. Stay in the city
This may not be applicable next year, since the open isn't held at the same golf course every year. But, if the event is taking place on Long Island (and this goes for anything, not just golf), stay in Manhattan. You will have a bit of a hike in front of you in the morning and evening, but you'll also have the city at your disposal – which is definitely worth the trouble. I stayed at 60 Thompson down in SoHo, and I'm now more than happy to recommend it. The stylish hotel offers a great contrast to the attire worn by golfers (and golf enthusiasts).

Tags: bethpage, bethpage black, BethpageBlack, golf, golfing, lexus, long island, LongIsland, soho, us open, us open golf, UsOpen, UsOpenGolf

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Asia Muhammad Plays with Diamond Tennis Racket at the U.S. Open

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Sports

Tennis player Asia Muhammad made her professional debut at the 2008 U.S. Open and she did it with a bit of personalized flair: she played her matches with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket.

The sparkling racket, created by jeweler Michael E. Minden, featured her first name initial in 0.50 carats of diamonds on the handle. How much to get one of your own? Well you have to supply your own racket (or other sports equipment) and then it's just $1,750 for one initial or $3,400 for both.

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Tags: asia muhammad, AsiaMuhammad, diamond, diamonds, michael e. minden, michael minden, MichaelE.Minden, MichaelMinden, tennis, tennis racket, TennisRacket, u.s. open, U.s.Open, us open, UsOpen

$50,000 U.S. Open Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Sports

Tennis fans may want to know about a unique U.S. Open package for this coming September in New York City. The Lowell New York Hotel has partnered with classictravel.com to create a U.S. Open package for September 7-10 that includes three nights accommodation in the Lowell's penthouse, VIP seating at the U.S. Open's Men's and Women's Semi Finals and Finals, airport and match transfers in the Bentley Flying Spur, monogrammed Lowell bathrobes, and a gourmet picnic basket with Champagne and caviar to be enjoyed at the matches. The Lowell's penthouse is a 2,500 square foot space with three bedrooms, private terraces, a kitchen and a dining conservatory. The package costs $50,000.

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Tags: new york, teniis, travel, us open, UsOpen, vacation