Kink Celebrates 10,000th Shoot

SAN FRANCISCO—Kink.com announced last week that it has reached a major milestone—its 10,000th shoot. Founded by Peter Acworth in 1997 in his dorm room at Columbia, Kink estimates that in the past eighteen years it has shot over 25,000 hours of sex, hired nearly 3,000 performers and used over 192,000 ounces of lube and a half a million condoms. While the first Kink site, Hogtied.com, started in a dorm room, the company has grown to become a leading producer of BDSM and fetish entertainment, with over 100 employees working on almost two dozen sites, a fully realized webcam division, an educational division that conducts workshops and a Kink-themed bar. The company attributes its longevity to its dedication to producing high quality, authentic fetish experiences and the fact that many of its employees are part of San Francisco’s BDSM and fetish communities. “Back when I started kink.com, I never envisaged getting to 10,000 published shoots,” said Acworth. “In the early days I would tie up models I found on Craigslist with the video camera on a remote control. Looking back, the production value has risen consistently over the last 18 years thanks to the incredibly talented people who have joined kink.com. I am constantly blown away by the quality and volume of material we produce, host and sell.” The company, which continues to fight to stay in California, remains focused on the future. Acworth says that though recorded content is not the juggernaut it was in the early days, the company shows no signs of slowing thanks to live cams, classes and bars. With the documentary kink hitting theaters this summer, and the recent opening of the Armory Community Center for events, the porn company also is attempting to branch out as a lifestyle brand. This spring, Acworth plans to launch Kink University, an online learning designed to help those interested in BDSM and fetish to explore their sexuality creatively and safely. “There’s a tremendous hunger for authentic fetish entertainment and education,” added Justin Byson, Kink’s VP of Marketing. “Hardcore is only a small part of that, and we think Kink’s next chapter maybe even greater than its first.” Photo: Peter Acworth of Kink.com in front of the San Francisco Armory.