Freestyle Hurling, a joint GAA/GPA initiative, was launched today in Croke Park.The aim of this initiative is to help promote the game of hurling across the world using modern media to showcase the skills of the game.Freestyle Hurling is the art of expressing yourself with a Hurley and sliotar while performing skills and trick shots using any part of the body. The challenge is simple: pick up your hurley and show the world what you can do by posting your very own ‘Freestyle Hurling’ videos online.
Inter-county players Declan Hannon (Limerick), Richie Hogan (Kilkenny), Paul Sheehan (Down) and Susan Vaughan (Clare) have signed up to be ambassadors of Freestyle Hurling. All four players feature in promotional videos which are now live on GAA.ie as well as the Official GAA YouTube Channel and can be viewed here.
The GAA/GPA Freestyle Hurling competition provides supporters with a unique opportunity to be part of the All-Ireland Hurling Final day experience on September 8 and for the winner to secure an exclusive opportunity to travel on the All-Stars trip to China later in the year.
The full entry process is outlined in detail at GAA.ie/freestylehurling and it is hoped that this initiative will help Hurling to feature prominently on the digital landscape both in Ireland and around the world.Hurling supporters are encouraged to record a video of no more than 30 seconds that best displays freestyle hurling skills.
Clips from the entries and more from our four Freestyle Hurling ambassadors will be shared on the Official GAA Facebook, YouTube and Twitter profiles in the coming weeks as well as on GAA.ie. Closing date for entries is August 31.
Páraic Duffy, Ard Stiúrthóir of the GAA, said: “We all know that hurling is the most skilful field game there is and we have to strive to attract as many people as we can to the game.
“Through this initiative we hope to encourage people from all around the world to give hurling a go and show a global online audience what they can do. This is a hugely positive joint initiative that we have worked on with the GPA and we will work on other projects to ensure the ongoing promotion of Gaelic games.”
Dónal Óg Cusack, an All-Ireland winner with Cork and Chairman of the Gaelic Players Association, said: “We believe passionately that hurling needs to be promoted far more vigorously but it is vital that we are innovative in how we do that. This novel initiative is focused on the unique skills of hurling and brings those skills to any scene, particularly the urban landscape.
We saw again on Sunday just how passionate and combative hurling can be yet central to that thrilling entertainment were the many feats of extraordinary skill performed under pressure by our players. Now we hope to develop a new audience by exploring this avenue and encouraging people to display their hurling skills.”
Promotional videos used at today’s launch can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/user/officialgaa
Pictured: Susan Vaughan (Clare), Paul Sheehan (Down), Derek Hannon (Limerick) and Richie Hogan (Kilkenny)
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For more information contact Alan Milton GAA Head of Media Relations on 018363222
