BMO Stadium Goes Natural the Ontario Turfgrass Industry Is Abuzz Over the Permanent Conversion of BMO Stadium from Synthetic to Natural Turf

BMO Stadium Goes Natural the ontario turfgrass industry is abuzz over the permanent conversion of BMO Stadium from synthetic to natural turf. Compre- hensive articles are available in both the March and April/May 2010 issues of Turf & Recreation magazine. Photos courtesy of Zander Sod.

Winning the Turf War. Synthetic or Natural? The Discussion Continues. Alison Brownlee, Journalism Student, Humber College

The synthetic turf of the past may have been greener than its natural predecessor, but it sure wasn’t kinder. Once the pariah of all athletic surfaces, the first-generation “carpet-on-cement” turf developed in the 1960s chewed up athletes and spat them out. Sprains, tears, concussions and turf burns were the fate of soccer, rugby, baseball, football and field hockey players who dared to take on these plastic playing fields.

ince its first appearance in the Hou- teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, New After extensive research and long con- ston Astrodome in 1965, synthetic England Patriots and Tampa Bay Rays use versations with the University of Ottawa turf has come a long way. Now, even similar fourth-generation synthetics. and Algonquin College – two schools that some multimillion-dollar varsity In 2005, Trent University took a risk and already had synthetics – Trent installed a Sstadiums popping up across Ontario aren’t installed an artificial field; a move athletic state-of-the-art plastic fiber field filled with being built around natural grass. director Bill Byrick says was the best tiny rubber pellets. Of the 30 OCAA colleges and universi- choice he could have made for his athletes. Jason Smollett, marketing manager ties, Trent, Redeemer and Algonquin have “Our natural grass field was pretty for international artificial turf supplier switched to synthetic. While the remaining rough,” says Byrick from his office in FieldTurf Tarkett, says the newest ver- colleges have natural sports fields, both Peterborough. He says the worn and tired sions’ artificial fibers are more durable Cambrian and Centennial say they are field became a safety issue. “A lot of cleats than grass, and the pellets, which are bits considering artificial turf in the near future. were getting stuck in the mud and after of cryogenically frozen tire, provide a These fields are nothing like their first- every fall late in the season, players would cushion of support for athletes, lessening generation predecessors. Professional have cuts from the frozen dirt.” joint pain caused by running and falling.

www.sportsturfassociation.com 17 Smollett says this fourth-generation “There are no variables,” synthetic turf has surpassed natural grass says Lambden. “You don’t get in safety, durability, performance and the dips and bounces, it’s just consistency. the same.” A recent study, funded by FieldTurf And members of the St. Law- and conducted by Dr. Michael C. Meyers rence Cornwall women’s soccer at Montana State University, tracked 465 team say artificial turf infill can college-level games played on both natural wreak havoc on performance. and artificial fields. The study found 7% As defender Joanna Buhr fewer injuries occurred on FieldTurf’s recalls, “Sometimes there are surface, with 12% fewer concussions, 6% too many pellets in an area and less lower joint trauma and 16% less ACL your foot slips back.” Fellow de- and associated tissue trauma. fender Kayla Laframboise adds Overall, the study found 19% fewer the smooth surface of artificial substantial injuries and 22% fewer severe turf can cause rolled ankles and injuries occurred when playing on the com- slips when pivoting, while grass pany’s newest artificial turf. Nonetheless, creates enough friction to pivot some athletes still prefer natural grass. freely and control slides. During the 2010 Ontario Turfgrass “And you don’t get rubber in Symposium at the University of Guelph, your underwear,” says forward Bob Hunter of Maple Leaf Sports and En- Sarah Tyrell, to a wave of laugh- tertainment said Toronto FC’s previously ter from her teammates. synthetic BMO Field will be completely But regardless of precon- refitted with natural grass for the 2010 ceived notions, synthetic fields soccer season. are becoming more appealing “Players were complaining about it,” for their low maintenance. The said Hunter. “There is this perceived issue biggest barrier for OCAA facili- relative to wear-and-tear on the body. I ties is cost. think there’s a recent study that came out Jim Galbraith, a founding that says it’s absolutely a bunch of bull ... member of Ontario’s Sports Above. St. Lawrence Cornwall’s Kim Leb- [But] we wanted to put in [natural grass] Turf Association and the supervisor of run poses on the turf field. Photo courtesy to bring a higher level of professionalism grounds maintenance for the University of of author Alison Brownlee. and credibility to our team.” Western Ontario, says natural grass fields He noted 13 of the 16 North American cost $100,000 to $150,000 for a soil-based professional soccer stadiums have natural field and $250,000 to $300,000 for a high As for Trent’s field, director of athletics grass and several European teams, includ- maintenance sand-based field. Byrick says he expects to get 12 years out ing AC Milan, refuse to play on artificial According to Frank Erle, Ontario of his turf. He says it’s used for varsity, turf. The BMO field project cost about Recreation and Facilities Association campus rec and community sports and has $62.9 million and involves 82,000 square member and stadium manager at Western, held up through it all. feet of natural grass. building an artificial field “from scratch” Because of Ontario’s debilitating win- Some OCAA players have their own costs about $1.5 million. Resurfacing can ters, the comparative maintenance costs reasons for choosing natural grass. David cost around $750,000. Erle says synthetic and an increasing interest in sports, Smol- Lambden, captain of the Humber Hawks fields are expected to last 10 years, while lett holds that artificial turf is the future rugby team, says the variability of natural Galbraith says natural fields are theoreti- – for all levels of sport. turf makes it more fun. “Every once in a cally permanent. “Whether it’s here, or the other side of while you get those rainy, stormy days “Grass fields have always been seen as the world, there’s no question synthetic when the field’s just completely muddy, the best to play on,” says Galbraith. “Unfor- turf is the best choice.” and in my experience, those have been tunately, as more people play on them, they some of the [most exciting] games we’ve thin out and technically self-destruct when Reprinted from Sweat Magazine, April ever had,” says Lambden. “Part of the fun it gets really wet at the end of the season.” 15, 2010, www.sweatmag.com. Sweat of it is the different possibilities.” But both Galbraith and Erle say they magazine is an award-winning magazine Lambden also says games can be more appreciate a beautifully maintained natural produced biannually by the final year jour- nalism class at Humber College in Toronto strategic, with teams using the quirks field. “If it was pristine, there’s no question since 2000. The publication is student-run of their natural grass home field to their you’d want to play on grass,” says Erle. and written, published by the Ontario Col- advantage. With synthetic turf, though, he “But there’s no guarantee you’re going to leges Athletic Association, and distributed says a field’s character disappears. get that 365 days a year.” to OCAA campuses all over the province.

www.sportsturfassociation.comwww.sportsturfassociation.com 1919