The Hindu : Front Page : Water from air: a champion’s new passion

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Water from air: a champion’s new passion

Priscilla Jebaraj

Tennis star Wayne Ferreira now promotes atmospheric water generators around the world

For healthy and highly oxygenated drinking water
Also to dehumidify, condition, purify and cool air

VANCOUVER: South African tennis star Wayne Ferreira should have been defending his Naples title in the Champions series for senior players this week. Instead of showing off his ground strokes in Italy, the Olympic medallist is here, with his latest passion: atmospheric water generators.

“This machine captures the moisture from the outside air and turns it into the purest and healthiest, and highly oxygenated, drinking water available on earth,” he says, gesturing as he describes the working of the EcolaBlue machines displayed at Globe 2008, a trade fair and conference on business and the environment being held here.

So what turns a former top-10 ranked professional tennis player into the president of EcolaBlue Life and Energy? “I started this company only 10 months ago, along with an old friend Henri-James [Tielman], but I’ve always been interested in environmental issues,” says Mr. Ferreira.

“I was one of the first to get a hybrid car, before I gave it up. I like the concept but I wanted to stay alive — driving at 60 [km an hour] on California roads is not a good way to survive,” he laughs.

His interest in the environment reached fruition five years ago, when his brother introduced him to a company making atmospheric water generators. Despite playing full time on the ATP circuit at the time, Mr. Ferreira found the concept compelling enough to follow up — only to find it did not work very well in practice.

Undeterred, he waited till he retired from the professional tour in 2004. After some research, in 2006 he found a company to manufacture the systems in China. Two months ago, sales began to pick up. He makes a good salesman,explaining the technology in simple terms.

He does appreciate the wide range of contacts provided by his days as a sports star. “So much of business is about the contacts, the people you know. I’ve met a lot of the right people, thanks to tennis... I also think I’ve got a head for business, even though I didn’t have time for any training. I enjoy being an entrepreneur,” he says.

Why not follow the path of his fellow tennis stars and do his bit for society by espousing a charity? “Most players just do charity stuff because other people are there to do it for them. They don’t get into something, hands-on, full-time... They’re a little scared to take the plunge into business. But I’m a go-getter and I’ve got a great partner, so I’m ready to take a chance,” says Mr. Ferreira.

Apart from the water generators, which promise an environmentally safe way to make drinking water (up to 5,000 litres a day), dehumidify the air, condition and cool outside air and effectively purify indoor air, EcolaBlue produces an additive to make fully bio-degradable plastic.

Mr. Ferreira and his five-member team are marketing their solutions across the world, using his status as an Olympic ambassador for sport and environment to spread the message at the Olympic Games in Beijing, and in Vancouver.

He still plays on the senior circuit eight weeks a year, but his 9-to-5 job is now at EcolaBlue. “I’m in this for the long-term now,” he says. “Five years on, I may not have a tennis racquet, but I will still be in the environmental business.”

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