Bear Suit Guy Falls Short at 'Wiimbledon'

NEW YORK, June 24, 2007 — -- Adam Duerson came to Wiimbledon with a dream, but he left in defeat.

"I was one hundred percent convinced I could win and I didn't, and I'm devastated," said the 28-year-old sports reporter, who came to the tournament dressed in a bear costume, only to lose to a friend hours before the finals.

In anticipation of England's Wimbledon tennis tournament, which kicks off Monday, Duerson and 127 other competitors gathered Saturday at Barcade, a bar in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. They spent the day battling for the top prize in Wiimbledon, a simulated tennis tournament where players competed against each other using the Nintendo Wii gaming system.

The Wii made a splash in the video game world when it launched last November with its unique motion-sensor controllers, and customers lined up for months in hopes of getting their hands on the sold-out system.

The Wii has outsold Sony's Playstation 3, which was released simultaneously to much bigger fanfare and expectations. Aimed at gamers and non-gamers alike, the Wii has found success by making its games into social experiences, bringing groups of friends together around titles such as "Wii Sports" and "Mario Party 8."

Calvin Wong, 28, was one of Wii's earliest and most devoted customers. He finally bought his Wii on the fifth try, after fruitless attempts to buy it online and in various Manhattan stores -- including an all-night wait outside of one Toys R Us.

After he heard about Wiimbledon, he started practicing nonstop -- as he put it, "like any professional athlete before a big match."

His dedicated regimen paid off. Wong won his first three games, only to be knocked out by a player he dubbed "Thunderserve."

"It was almost like missing those last few questions on the SATs," he said, hanging his head. "I felt really defeated."

James McIntyre, a 27-year-old investment banker, was also eliminated early in the day.

"I wasn't mentally prepared, I wasn't sharp," he reflected after handing over his Wii controller. "This might be the worst moment of my life. But I'll be back."