Remember the name Kyle Giersdorf.

He's one of the first of a new wave of “athlete.”

Who is Kyle Giersdorf, you ask?

The 16-year-old did something that neither Tiger Woods nor Roger Federer nor Kyle Busch could never do.

He beat 40 million other people in a single event and won a $3 million payday for the effort.

Giersdorf claimed that sum by besting an enormous field in the Fortnite World Cup.

Fortnite, for those who have been hiding in the huts of Snobby Shores for a few years, is a free video game that has generated billions of dollars since it launched in 2017.

The object of the Battle Royal portion of the game is to survive a free-for-all against 99 other players by looting for weapons and other goodies designed to keep you alive.

Think of it as a digital Hunger Games.

The unique part of the game, though, is the building aspect.

Players can use a pickaxe to scavenge materials such as wood, brick and metal to create protective walls and forts (hence the name) and construct ramps to get a drop on their opponents.

Be the last one standing and you win — and get to celebrate by doing a fancy dance.

Giersdorf was dancing all the way to the bank following his Fortnite World Cup victory.

More than two million people watched the finals — more than the number of people who watched Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Esports is becoming a big business.

And a big spectator sport.

The video game streaming service Twitch gets nearly 15 million viewers per day. That's the same amount of viewers who typically sit down a watch an NFL game on a Sunday afternoon.

Twitch is drawing the viewership of 365 NFL games per year.

Some people wonder how anyone could be entertained watching someone else play a video game.

Those are the same people who have never watched anyone at the level of Giersdorf playing a video game.

The teen's hands are working like a piano virtuoso. It's mind boggling the amount of dexterity Giersdorf and Esports athletes like him have in their nimble fingers.

That brings me to another point.

These are athletes — maybe not in the strictest sense of the word — but are still blessed with a rare and impressive talent all the same.

Just as some people don't consider professional bowlers athletes, or pro golfers athletes or even race car drivers athletes, Esports players often get a bad rap.

The closest comparison between Esports and professional sports is auto racing.

Both require tremendous hand-eye coordination. Both require exceptional concentration and anticipation. Both require quick reflexes and the ability to perform under extreme pressure.

Think playing a game like Fortnite is easy?

Just try it sometime.

Take a ride on the Battle Bus. Free fall. Deploy your parachute and land in Fatal Fields ... and die as a player like Giersdorf mows you down in seconds.

As games like Fortnite became major entertainment beasts, Esports will continue to flourish and grow.

And dudes like Giersdorf are on the cutting edge.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.