IMG_0480In what’s becoming an awesome annual tradition, we had a blast welcoming more than 400 of you to another fun GeekWire Sounders Day this weekend in Seattle.

It was tough to beat the amazing views on the EMC/Isilon rooftop overlooking Puget Sound, where sports fans and tech geeks came together to enjoy tasty BBQ, cold microbrews, and great company before making the short walk to CenturyLink Field to watch the Sounders match on Saturday.

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Nick Kirsch, CTO of the Emerging Technologies Division at EMC
Nick Kirsch, CTO of the Emerging Technologies Division at EMC, speaks at Sounders Day 2015.

We were fortunate to have Sounders co-owner Adrian Hanauer join us to share his thoughts on the intersection between sports and technology, which he described as “really cool.”

“This crowd is young, dynamic, educated, completely engaged, and passionate,” Hanauer told the crowd. “That really corresponds well with our soccer demographic.”

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Sounders co-owner Adrian Hanauer addresses the crowd.

Hanauer described soccer the “young, up-and-coming sport,” noting the expansion of Major League Soccer in America and the recent World Cup victory for the U.S. women’s national team.

20150718_Sounders Day_98“It’s just an awesome time to be in soccer,” he said.

Hanauer said the Sounders want to be known across North America for utilizing technology on and off the field, adding that the franchise just hired an in-house software developer and plans to launch a new smartphone app soon.

“This is a crowd of people that relates to how sports and technology intersect, and if you have ideas, please email us, find us, track us down, talk to the gang at GeekWire,” Hanauer said. “The best ideas are not currently coming from within sports — they are coming from outside of sports. … Some of the coolest ideas are coming from different walks of life and we’re really interested.”

Sounders starting goalkeeper Stefan Frei also joined us on Saturday afternoon and talked about his appreciation for community support.

“You get a sense of community in Seattle very quickly,” said Frei, who signed with the Sounders last year. “I love that.”

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Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei speaks at Sounders Day 2015.

Frei, who is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, added that he’s a “bit of a geek” and was looking forward to using the FitBit his wife just bought him.

“I’m far away from 10,000 steps,” Frei joked. “I still need to work out.”

Thanks to everyone for participating in GeekWire Sounders Day, presented by EMC/Isilon. And a big thanks to our supporting sponsors: Dropforge GamesRightside and OfferUp.

Enjoy photos and video of the event below, and make sure to get your early-bird tickets for the GeekWire Summit Oct. 1-2.

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