Latest News
SMASH CITY BADMINTON REACHES NEW SPEEDS WITH Taraflex® COURTS
ATLANTA, GA, DECEMBER 8, 2005 - Smash City marked a few milestones when it opened in late summer. In addition to holding the title of the San Francisco Bay Area's largest indoor badminton facility, it boasts the world's first permanent installation of Taraflex® Sports Flooring's new Sport M Plus Badminton surface.
Smash City Co-owner Wayne Lum says players coming into the facility immediately notice the floor's "grip." "I think our Taraflex® floor is extremely well balanced, not too hard or too soft," he explains. "The 'grippiness' is just right. Our players quickly realize they are using courts with surfaces intended just for badminton."
Instead of having to play on floors that are extremely firm or excessively spongy, his customers benefit from using specially designed flooring that gives them secure footing during the fast-paced game and improves their stamina. "With our Taraflex® courts, they can play as long as they want," says Lum.
Lili Zhou ranked as one of the top women's singles players in the country and coach of Smash City's Elite Junior team agrees. "The playing surface is great and I like the cushioning," she says. "The cushioning makes a big difference when I am on the court eight hours a day."
Smash City in Milpitas, CA features 12 well lit regulation size courts with ceiling clearance of 24 to 28 feet. The 44-foot by 20-foot Mint Green courts have white game lines. The seven millimeter thick flooring has a canvas-textured surface. The multilayered flooring features a pure vinyl wear layer with closed cell foam backing and a non-woven fiberglass grid.
Recently Smash City, www.smashcity.net, hosted its second badminton tournament in four months drawing 330 players. Regulars at Smash City range from recreational players to its Junior Elite team, which brought home 25 medals from the 2005 Junior National Badminton Championships.
Lum sees interest in the sport growing. While children are taking lessons, their parents who grew up in other countries are being reintroduced to the sport. With badminton as an Olympic sport and being televised during the games, Lum expects the demand for dedicated badminton facilities like his to increase.
"Smash City's permanent installation of Taraflex® Sport M Plus Badminton represents a turning point for the sport," says Stephane Leudet. "In the past, badminton courts have been portable but this installation of permanent courts demonstrates the increasing popularity of badminton and is likely to be the first of many similar installations worldwide."
The International Badminton Federation approves Taraflex® Badminton for official competitions on portable/temporary courts. Taraflex® Badminton courts have appeared at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and European Championships. The 1992 Olympics were the first games to include badminton even though it has been played for centuries in various forms around the world. Badminton is the world's fastest racket sport with shuttles reaching 200 mph in top international competitions.
Taraflex® Sports Flooring by Gerflor continues to gain international recognition throughout 2005. The ATP and Gerflor agreed to a three-year partnership which designates Taraflex® as the "Official ATP Court Surface." The ATP also selected Taraflex® as the court surface for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, China from 2005 through 2007. As of January 1, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) based in Lausanne, Switzerland and Gerflor agreed Taraflex® will be used for every FIVB-sanctioned competition and event world-wide for four years. Fitness Management magazine announced its readers selected Taraflex® as the recipient of the second annual NOVA 7 Award as the best flooring/surfacing supplier for 2004.
Taraflex® Sport M Plus Badminton joins the product line for Asia where badminton is tremendously popular. All Taraflex® synthetic floors are designed for safety and comfort. Their multi-layered construction includes 100% pure vinyl, a reinforced fiberglass grid and closed-cell foam backing to provide shock absorption, help fight fatigue and deliver consistent ball bounce. Product treatments ensure easy maintenance, stain resistance and prevention of mold and bacteria growth. Taraflex® floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations. Gerflor Sports Flooring, LLC is the exclusive agent for Gerflor Sports Flooring.
For more information, call 800-727-7505.