A Grip On Gaming: GAM3R GLOVES
Blake Friesen and Geoff Irwin are video game enthusiasts and the two guys behind Gamer Gloves. It’s something people are going to hear a lot more about now since Friesen got his first sample just a little over a year ago.
Friesen, 27, first thought of the idea while in college at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he meet, Irwin, 27, who both played hockey for the Mankato Mavericks. The two of them actually roomed with each other while they went to Mankato, where they would become friends and soon to be business partners. His hands would get cold or sweaty and started to wear gloves when he played video games in his down time, but noticed his thumbs would slip.
Friesen, an Excelsior, Minn., native began playing hockey at a young age, and continued all the way up through college and beyond. He played for the Idaho Steelheads (2008-09) and the Kalamazoo Wings (2009-10) His dad was in the military, and now owns a couple other businesses. He thanks his dad for teaching him about discipline, which he says helped him get to where he is at today. Blake is the President of Gamer Gloves, L.L.C., and the businessman in charge of product development, as well as the guy that does the majority of contacting/communicating with all the different leads they get.
Irwin, 27, was born in Victoria, BC. Where he too grew up playing hockey at a young age, his father was in the Canadian military where he as well got his discipline. He played with the Steelheads for two seasons and then played for Ontario Reign till 2012. Geoff is the, “numbers” guy he does all of the daily transfers and the Sales ledger, he does it all. Geoff also is Gamer Gloves, L.L.C Vice President.
Friesen and Irwin got together and started to make the plans. Friesen started by sending out fifty e-mails to separate companies asking if they could make his gloves. The gloves stretch for a tight fit on the hands getting a better feel of the controller. He also put a leather patch on the thumb to get a better grip on the controller joysticks.
After trying out several different gloves a decision was made to go with a company overseas to manufacture the glove. On March 2nd, 2011 Gamer Gloves, LLC. was officially established. Soon after that, they received their first sample and tweaked a little each time until the glove was found that he wanted to use. GAM3R GLOVES became a reality with a headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN.
Marketing the GAM3R GLOVES brand online is now their main focus. They have started to attend trade shows and are working on other ways to get the GAM3R GLOV3S name out to the ever-expanding gaming world. Their next product ideas are to be determined. Visit us online at www.thegamergloves.com
