To pay tribute to the International Olympic Committee’s decision to award Salt Lake City and Park City the 2034 Winter Games, Dennis Berkholtz, a former Olympian, is introducing the Aniletes, a group of animated athletes.
These eight characters have been shaped and named in honor of the sports they represent — Ski, Puck, Bob, Sled, Speed, Skate, Board and Stone, according to Berkholtz.
“They are moral and ethical characters, clean, wholesome, athletic and full of energy,” he said. “They love kids and love talking to them.”
Berkholtz also wants it to be known that his characters are not officially sanctioned by the Olympics, the IOC or the local organizing committees in any way, shape or form.
“I do not have them on board,” he said. “So, I’m staying away from the Rings, and I’m staying away from using the word Olympics in any of the material. These characters are animated athletes in training, and they are trying to get onto any national team from around the world.”
The idea of the Aniletes is simple — get kids interested in winter sports.
“I’m a big believer that animation can not only entertain,” he said. “It can also teach and educate and give life lessons, which is basically what we’re talking about here. I’m also trying to put together the eight federations, which these characters represent, to operate as one to teach kids about life through sports.”
Berkholtz — who competed in the 1972 Olympic Summer Games in Munich as captain of the USA Team Handball Team and coached the USA Team in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal — conjured up the Aniletes idea back in 1996, while he was president of Team Handball.
“I was trying to figure out a way to promote handball to kids because nobody knew what handball was,” he said. “The concept I came up with was to teach about the sport through the eyes of the ball, because the sport is all about the ball moving through passing, jumping and all that stuff.”
Although Berkholtz came up with the idea, he didn’t have time to pursue it.
“When I worked ticketing for the Salt Lake City Games from 2000 to 2002, the concept came back to me with a little change — doing something based on the equipment that is being used for the sports,” he said. “So, that festered for a few years, and since I’m now in the latter stages of my life, I decided I needed to get it done.”
Berkholtz began seriously working on the Aniletes three years ago.
“That’s when I first designed the characters, and what you see now is their fifth rendition,” he said. “I started with pencil sketches from a friend of mine in Kansas City. And finally, I found a guy in Atlanta, Tom Sapp from Tom Sapp Design. He’s a mascot designer, and he put these guys into more of an action stance. So they look excited and willing to go and do what athletes do, which is have fun.”
Berkholtz wants to create Anilete books, a YouTube series and a movie.
“I’m working on raising money to do the YouTube series, which will follow the characters going to training camps and showing all the kinds of issues athletes usually run into,” he said. “I’m trying to make these guys like Paw Patrol and Pokémon, and I think the big one right now is Bluey. So, that’s the long-term goal.”
Berkholtz, founder of the National Senior League (NSL), which produces and manages internet Wii Bowl Championships for seniors, would also like to see the Aniletes on gaming platforms.
“Animated gaming is also a big part of this, and that will allow people of all ages from all over the world to represent your country as an animated athlete,” he said. “When the Aniletes compete in international competition, the country they represent will be identified by the color of their uniforms. Their country flag will be a part of their uniform or surrounding environment. So, this is very global in scope.”
Another aspect of the Aniletes is philanthropic, according to Berkholtz.
“I’m too old to worry about how much money that will come into my pockets,” he said. “So the mission right now is to make enough money so I can pay my investors but also give some of it back to young athletes who are training to be in the Olympic Games. I want to use the Aniletes to create a funding source for athletes in training. And this idea gives a lot of life to me and my assistant Kimberly Graham.”
Berkholtz also wants to make the Aniletes a Park City and Salt Lake City venture.
“We’re pretty excited about Salt Lake and Park City that have been named the host of the 2034 Games,” he said. “We hope to have offices in Park City, eventually.”
For information about the Aniletes, visit theaniletes.com.
Anyone interested in donating the projects can email Berkholtz at [email protected].