Cayetano says turf will change at Aloha Stadium

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Gov. Ben Cayetano said he expects the University of Hawai'i to get the key items on its Aloha Stadium wish list: a new playing surface and eventual control over the Halawa facility.

Gov. Ben Cayetano, right, told the media yesterday he believes a new turf is needed at Aloha Stadium. At left is ESPN Regional's Pete Derzis and UH coach June Jones. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

UH had unsuccessfully lobbied the Legislature this past session for control over the 27-year-old stadium.

In the meantime, Cayetano suggested that a committee be formed "as soon as possible to begin planning for a new stadium."

He estimated that the stadium has "a life of 10, 15 years (left), at the most."

Cayetano also said he wants a new playing surface to be installed by August, in time for the high school football season and UH's Aug. 31 home opener against Eastern Illinois.

The current AstroTurf, which was installed in 1999 and has five years remaining on its warranty, will be replaced either by grass or a synthetic alternative, such as FieldTurf.

"I believe the turf needs to be replaced," Cayetano said. "I feel pretty good about our chances to have that new turf in the stadium before the first game that's played."

After a meeting with Aloha Stadium and Hawai'i Tourism Authority officials Monday, Cayetano met separately with Larry Price, chairman of the nine-member Stadium Authority that operates the facility, Tuesday to discuss settling the dispute to replace the current turf.

"I think everybody is on track and willing to work together," Cayetano said.

Eddie Hayashi, Aloha Stadium manager, said he was not aware of the governor's decision and deferred all questions to Stadium Authority officials. Price was not available for comment.

The state agreed to use its "best efforts" to replace the AstroTurf as part of its five-year, $22-million contract with the NFL to play host to the Pro Bowl all-star football game. That deal was negotiated by the HTA.

The NFL wanted to replace the turf with either grass or a mutually acceptable alternative, such as FieldTurf, because its players were concerned about injuries suffered while playing on AstroTurf.

Earlier this month, Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, wrote to the Stadium Authority, saying "we must insist that field conditions are improved upon. ... I strongly urge you to see to it that this issue is taken care of in a timely fashion."

UH head coach June Jones also said the turf should be replaced.

"Every player has turf burns that are with them the whole year," Jones said. "They get infected. It's not a pretty sight."

The St. Louis School football team has practiced on FieldTurf for three years. Many players prefer it to AstroTurf.

"It's good on the knees and it's good when you move left to right," said Jonathan Amano, a junior wide receiver who has been playing football for the Crusaders for three years. "It gives very well."

FieldTurf is an artificial grass product that uses layers of sand and rubber infill. Polyethylene fibers that simulate grass blades are woven into a backing. Recycled tires and sneakers partly comprise the rubber infill.

If FieldTurf is installed, company CEO John Gilman has said the turf can be replaced in about two weeks, "if the weather is nice."

When negotiations started last year, Gilman said the carpet was cut to fit the field at Aloha Stadium. Those rolls are now sitting in a warehouse in Georgia.

The arguments against replacing the AstroTurf are its recent installment cost taxpayers $2.4 million and its years of warranty remaining.

The estimated cost to install FieldTurf is $877,000, which does not include subsurface renovations, Gilman said. The state would have to contract someone to level the crown and prepare the field for installation.

The installment cost is about $100,000-150,000 less than what the company would normally charge and includes an RV Groomer, the machine that attaches to a small tractor or golf cart to clean the field.

Gilman recommends field crews "comb" through the turf after events or every six weeks, depending on the field's usage.

Those against replacing the AstroTurf have pointed at the cost of maintenance, saying that AstroTurf is easier to care for than other synthetic turfs.

"We don't think maintaining FieldTurf is that difficult," said Jim Steeg, NFL senior vice president of special events, including the Pro Bowl. "Maintenance is a factor, too, on AstroTurf, though that seems to have been forgotten."

Cayetano did not say how the state would pay for the new turf. The NFL has said it would contribute a "significant amount" to help lower the cost for the state.

Brigham Young University has publicly bashed the turf, blaming it for 18 injuries in a Dec. 8 loss to UH.

"I'm sure (the decision to replace the turf) would make our coach and players very happy," BYU athletic director Val Hale said yesterday. "There were a lot of rashes and burns and turf injuries that are finally starting to heal, thank goodness. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

But this is not the first time BYU has complained about turf, said Karl Benson, commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference, of which UH is a member.

After the Las Vegas Bowl in 1996, the Cougars complained about the surface at Sam Boyd Stadium, carpeted with Monsanto retractable turf similar to Aloha Stadium's AstroTurf.

"Obviously you want a facility with the best conditions and there are surfaces out there today that are being experimented with and are considered better than others," Benson said. "Eventually the turf will have to be replaced. It's not an issue with us or the league. No one in the WAC has complained that the turf (at Aloha Stadium) is dangerous or unplayable."

Advertiser staff writer Stephen Tsai contributed to this report.