You’ve probably heard that the US women’s bobsled duo picked up a well-deserved silver medal in Sochi, but did you know who won the gold at the #XYZolympics? Let’s recap.
After we announced our official sponsorship of the New Zealand bobsled team, we wagered a friendly (yet possibly deadly) #XYZolympics bobsled bet against Name.com. They were represented by their Community Evangelist, Jared Ewy, while the big man himself, Daniel Negari, put his life on the line to compete on behalf of .xyz. Both parties quickly jumped into physical training, wardrobe selection, and some good ol’ fashion social media trash talking.
As promised, the camera crew followed the newly-minted bobsled athletes to Whistler, closely documenting the lead-up to the big race. A pre-race sneakpeak shows the two as they learned all the “worst case scenarios,” tips to avoid your underwear melting to your body (hint: roll, don’t slide), and the exciting reveal of the awesome bobsled with .xyz freshly painted across the nose.
Now for the bet.
As if catapulting down an icy course at 85 mph in a metal vessel wasn’t enough, Daniel and Jared added a little something more to increase the pressure — after all, they’re here to represent their brands.
If Jared wins, Daniel must “enthusiastically, to the point of harassment, talk about Name.com and how great it is,” all while wearing a bobsled helmet.
Upon Daniel’s triumph (naturally, as the domain extension for every website, everywhere), Jared must don the full-body .xyz. That meant, Jared must cover himself head-to-toe in .xyz stickers, for one whole day: the full-body .xyz.
They shook on it.
So who won the race? Check out this epic video as the two zip down the most dangerous bobsledding track in the world. And the best part? Catch all the drama, alleged scandal, and cashing in on the bet, as we conclude this season’s #XYZolympics.
Read up on the full story in our press release.
With our launch just right around the corner, we have more exciting promotions up our sleeves (or should I say, up our purple suits…) As always, our eyes and ears are peeled for you guys, #GenXYZ, so connect with us and stay in the know by following @xyz and our Facebook and Instagram!
How’s it going, #GenXYZ?
We’re doing fantastic, by the way. We just made history by launching the first ever .xyz website to ever hit the internet. See for yourself at nic.xyz. The new-and-improved site has the same familiar look you all love, but we’ve added some awesome new design elements to make browsing more fun and interactive. Our highly-anticipated launch dates are now front and center on the homepage, and we’ve made it even easier to learn all about .xyz, read our featured press, and access our most important files.
In case you’re wondering how this is all possible, it’s because ICANN delegated .xyz to us on February 19th. Pretty cool, huh? And this is just the beginning. On March 20th, we will be launching our sunrise phase – an exclusive 60-day period that allows brands to get first dibs on their trademarks. Next comes the landrush. Between May 20th-31st, anyone can participate in priority registration to land the .xyz domain name of their dreams. And then…drumroll please…general availability starts on June 1st! That’s right, everyone all over the world will finally be able to register that short, flexible, and memorable .xyz domain they’ve been eyeing at an uber-competitive price.
When you register a .xyz, you’re getting more than just a domain name – you’re joining Generation XYZ®. No matter when you were born, where you live, or what you do on the internet, you are connected with every other #GenXYZer in our global community. We are creating choice, accessibility, and innovation online, and we can’t wait to see all of the amazing new sites that emerge from the next generation of internet users.
We’ve got a ton more exciting news to come, including a bobsled update from our fearless leader, Daniel Negari. Be the first to know by following us on Twitter @XYZ, and don’t forget to tag #GenXYZ on your social media platform of choice.
Generation XYZ® is everyone. It combines Generations X, Y, and Z to create a whole new generation inspired by the internet and its limitless potential. .xyz is one of the first unrestricted platforms for people all over the world to share their passions, cultivate knowledge, and express themselves.
Just days removed from the Olympics opening ceremony, the .xyz Team is proud to announce our sponsorship of the New Zealand bobsled team for the 2014-2015 season! As the domain for every website, everywhere, there’s no better way to show our flexibility and bold style than supporting the team as they compete in one of the most extreme sports all over the world.
Our Olympic-savvy readers may be quick to point out that the New Zealand team is not at Sochi this year, and they wouldn’t be wrong. So instead, we’ve created our own #XYZolympics, which will be kicking off in Whistler, BC, where the 2010 Vancouver Games were held. This will be the location for our friendly competition with another team sponsor, Name.com.
That’s right – Name.com has sent Jared Ewy (who we heard had something to do with the Jamaican team’s missing luggages) to race us (or attempt to anyway) in a 1-on-1, no-holds-barred slide to the finish line at the world’s fastest and most dangerous bobsledding track. Daniel will be going 135 kph (84 mph) and recording the whole thing with a smile, while Jared tries to keep up at a pedestrian 8 kph (5 mph) with his eyes closed. Fortunately, it’s already too late to cancel the camera crew who will be documenting the entire experience, so keep your eyes peeled for some awesome – and hopefully embarrassing – videos down the stretch. We’re open to suggestions when it comes to placing bets, so send us your ideas on Twitter by tagging @XYZ and using #XYZolympics.
So when is this all going down? Your favorite domain extension will be heading north to Whistler on Wednesday, and filming promo videos and the epic once-in-a-lifetime race under the Thursday night lights.
We’re extremely excited for the opportunity to sponsor such an awesome team and sport. As we approach our March 20th Sunrise date, we’ll be doing more fun promotions like this to give our fans a better feel for the puppy-loving people behind .xyz. We don’t expect Jared to be too happy when he sees the claims we just made, so follow us at @XYZ and @NameDotCom for his response, a sneak peak at all our one-off bobsledding equipment, and the usual banter that accompanies your typical life-threatening bobsledding race. Join the conversation and place your owns bets using #XYZolympics and #GenXYZ throughout the season!
Happy 2014, #GenXYZ – the big year is here!
We started the year off with a bang, not only attending NamesCon (the biggest conference in the domain industry), but also hosting the massive NamesCon.xyz kick-off party — huge turnout, huge success! Catch a glimpse of what went down in Vegas by checking out the photos at XYZ.COM/namescon.
The party definitely set the tone for the following two days, where we had great meetings with all the registrars who attended. Most importantly, we officially announced our launch date!
Wait for it…
.xyz will be launching globally in MARCH 2014! That means if you’re a trademark holder who registered through the Trademark Clearinghouse, you can register your .xyz domain names starting in March during our Sunrise period. Keep up-to-date with more launch news by following us on Twitter @XYZ.
Because of all this excitement, there’s been much buzz in the media about .xyz. Quartz featured a great overview piece on the upcoming domain expansion, and highlighted yours truly, .xyz, as an extension to look out for.
Founder Daniel Negari also chatted with the folks at TheDomains about his bold move to team up with NameJet to auction off premium .xyz and .College domains, and also sat down with Hexonet, where he shared exciting news about the XYZ Early Access Program and why we’re gaining strong interest from China and other emerging markets.
For those of you who speak Polish (or savvy users of Google Translate), here’s an interview we had with a Polish registrar, rynekdomen.pl.
As launch is right around the corner, be sure to look out for exciting promotions by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And as always, drop us a line @XYZ — we’re happy to hear what you’re thinking!
Until next time, #GenXYZ!
