Hot or cold: Extending the season

By Emma Peterson.

Learn how the development of new court surface technology is helping athletes and installers extend their work seasons.

Sports technology has come a far way in recent years and courts are no exception. Even just visually, we’ve seen leaps from two decades ago, where the prevalence of tennis meant courts were a sea of blue, with a touch of purple here and there. With the growing popularity of sports like pickleball, we see pink, orange and yellow courts popping up today! In this episode of CoatingsCast, Heidi J. Ellsworth talks with Tom Magner of California Sports Surfaces about development beyond the color have changed the court coating game.  

California Sports Surfaces has truly been one of the leaders in pushing the court coating technology further. Tom explained, “It’s the series of firsts in the industry that really defines us. A lot of what we did is now being copied by other companies, primers and line paints and things like that. For example, we were the first company to introduce a product intended for cold weather usage.”  

The need for a cold weather product is something that Tom, who lives in the Boston, Massachusetts area, knows all too well. By October, most coating installers need to put their equipment away and call it a season. In response, California Sports Surfaces has made a product that can be put down in around 35ºF thanks to an ammonia-base that dries quickly. This not only extends the work season for installers but can extend the playing season for athletes. Tom explained, “It extends the season, not just at the end of that season, but they could start a little bit earlier. If the high school tennis team needs their courts open in March, we have an opportunity for them to do so now.” 

On the other side, a lot of courts in hot places like Australia were struggling to keep athletes safe while playing with tournament temperatures reaching up to 160ºF. California Sports Surfaces’ response to this was the development of their Cool Top coatings. Tom explained what this line does, saying, “Cool Top coatings take advantage of solar reflectivity technology, and helps to reduce the heat sink of the courts themselves which makes the temperature on the court lower.” They developed this carefully to ensure they weren’t affecting the game itself by ensuring the glare levels stay low even as the solar reflectance is stronger. This not only helps the players on the court, but the larger community and environment the court is a part of by minimizing a heat sink. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the full conversation or Watch the webinar to learn more about California Sports Surfaces and how their products can extend the work season.