JOYCE — Crescent School District will unveil its renovated gym today when the Loggers volleyball team faces Neah Bay.
Since work began in June, the gym has been painted, and a new in-ground volleyball system, bleachers and floor have been installed.
The floor is a Connor Elasti Plus Wood Grain surface installed by Northern Hardwood Co. from Deer Park.
The Connor Elasti Plus Wood Grain surface is a new product that has many of the characteristics of wood floors.
“It compares favorably to a wood surface, it just isn’t a wood surface,” Crescent athletic director Dave Bingham told the Peninsula Daily News on Monday.
“It plays like wood, it looks like wood, and I was surprised that it even sounds like wood.
“It’s a gorgeous floor. This is not a second-class surface, it’s a first-class surface.
“If you showed someone the floor and didn’t tell them it wasn’t wood, they would think it was a wood surface.”
Bingham said the surface was preferable to wood due to Crescent being a K-12 school that uses the gym for various activities such as rainy day recess.
Bingham said Crescent’s gym is one of approximately 10 in the United States to have the Connor Elasti Plus Wood Grain surface.
Bingham described the floor’s installation process: “The surface has a pad under it that is glued to the floor, then a vinyl surface with the wood pattern was glued to the pad.
“Then a clear product was poured on the vinyl, followed by painting of the lines and logos and finally a satin final/finish coat.”
The new gym floor features a large school logo at midcourt and other graphics incorporated into sidelines.
The gym is being reconfigured so that all spectators will sit on the south side of the gym in the new bleachers, and all teams and event workers will be seated on the north side of the gym.
The new bleachers will seat 425 people when fully extended. They also can be partially opened further for volleyball tournaments to allow for spectator seating at volleyball matches.
There also are accommodations for wheel chairs in the front row.
Photographs of the gyms transformation can be viewed online at www.tinyurl.com/pdnLoggerGym.
________
Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
