Contributed

A new student organization aiming to blend physical competition with video game-inspired mechanics is working to establish itself at East Tennessee State University.

Surferball Club, created by Preston Pittman, a digital media student, is currently in a promotional phase as organizers seek to build interest before the official launch.

“The club hasn’t started yet. This is effectively marketing for the club that I plan to start up,” Pittman said. “Ideally, either by the end of this semester or by the start of next semester we would like to be up and running.”

Pittman describes Surferball as “dodgeball plus Subway Surfers,” combining traditional dodgeball elements with movement and obstacle-based gameplay inspired by mobile games. Matches are expected to emphasize quick reflexes, evasion and continuous motion, mirroring the fast-paced style of endless runner games.

The concept originated from an episode of Unraveled, a video essay series hosted by Brian David Gilbert for Polygon.

“It started from, strangely enough, an episode of ‘Unraveled,’” Pittman said. “In making Surferball, I slightly varied the rules, but it mostly went dodgeball plus Subway Surfers. It was supposed to be designed as a sport plus esports fusion to attempt to try and merge the two worlds during the COVID pandemic.”

Games will typically follow a 3-on-3 format, though Pittman said one-on-one matchups are also possible. The club also plans to use a Discord server to organize matches and communicate with players, reinforcing its connection to gaming culture.

According to Pittman, the hybrid structure is what sets Surferball apart from other campus organizations.

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