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Josh Harker's Casa Fenomenal Trophy
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Joshua Harker
Close up of the skull design by Josh printed by Shapeways
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Nike Football
Andre Santos wonders who has the guts to win the trophy?
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Ganso with the Risk Everything skull
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Nike Football
Former Manchester City player Elano says to get the trophy you must "Destroy el Casa"
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Nike Football
Pato goes head to head with Josh Harker's trophy
The Brazilian way of playing football is lauded across the globe, an article in the Times yesterday suggested that the current crop of English players are inspired by the samba-like capoeira style of playing. Strength and bilateral technique are the essential keys to success.
In celebration of the Brazilian street football style Nike have launched the Casa Fenomenal, a festival of all things Brazilian from dance music to football. Based in a quay-side warehouse in Rio, the festival will see the likes of Ronaldo, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo attend to celebrate the Brazilian style and Nike's "Risk Everything" campaign.
One of the highlights of the festival, which runs concurrently with the World Cup itself, is the interactive football tournament, housed inside a hi-tech arena that narrates the gameplay with real-time statistics as it happened.
With such a cutting-edge football tournament Nike needed a cutting edge trophy, one that represents the Risk Everything skull theme as well as the style and symmetry of the Brazilian way of playing.
Hmmm style, symmetry, cutting-edge technology, skulls, … we know a guy who can offer all of those things… Joshua Harker.
Nike turned to perhaps the world’s most renowned 3D printing artist for the design of the trophy and Josh along with Shapeways delivered in spades with a section of fantastic gold-plated skulls.
Shapeways and Harker worked together, ensuring printability and structural integrity of the beautifully patterned metal skulls before getting the final approval from Nike themselves.
Brazilian players Elano, Pato, Ganso all were pictured with the trophy and former Arsenal defender Andre Santos said: "This trophy is sinister. Risk Everything? I want to see who has the balls to take him home.”
Nike are massively embracing 3D printing technology in all aspects of their business, last week we saw them 3D print bags for Rooney, Neymar and Ronaldo especially for the World Cup.
