AstroPlay wants shot at stadium resurfacing
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
While the Hawai'i Tourism Authority meets today to discuss plans to replace the 3-year-old turf at Aloha Stadium, the makers of AstroTurf, the current playing surface at the stadium, are questioning the state's decision to bypass its product in favor of a competitor's.
Southwest Recreational Industries Inc., which owns AstroTurf, manufactures a synthetic, grass-like turf with a rubber infill called AstroPlay, which is similar to FieldTurf, the surface the NFL has said is an acceptable alternative to natural grass for its annual Pro Bowl.
Yet AstroPlay hasn't been considered a serious option for Aloha Stadium, even though Southwest Recreational Industries Inc. has surfaced the 27-year-old stadium for years, said Jim Savoca, vice president of sales for the company.
"If they're going to replace the field with one of these infill type of fields, we'd like an opportunity to play," Savoca said.
Final decision on the matter rests with the Aloha Stadium Authority, which will vote on it tomorrow. Authority chairman Larry Price has been vocal in his opposition to changing the turf — citing its relative newness.
The state paid $2.4 million for the current AstroTurf surface, which still has five years left on its warranty. Savoca said his company would be willing to reduce the cost to install AstroPlay by using warranty credit.
He added that the $877,000 price tag for FieldTurf is "an absolute gouge. They should get two or three fields for that (price)."
Both surfaces combine synthetic fibers with layers of sand and rubber infill to provide cushion and shock absorbency. Savoca said his company could install AstroPlay at 40 percent less— a conservative estimate — than what FieldTurf is charging. He said the reason it cost more to install AstroTurf three years ago is because the product is more expensive to manufacture than infill turf.
Savoca added that the NFL Quarterback Club, a group of the league's quarterbacks, "invested millions" into FieldTurf when the company entered the market several years ago.
"They're part-owners," he said of the NFL, which is urging the state to use FieldTurf. "They're part of this crazy deal ... But we've been good partners with Aloha Stadium and the tourism board, and they're just throwing us out in the rain."
Neither FieldTurf nor the NFL could be reached for comment.
Because the Hawai'i Tourism Authority brokered the contract regarding the Pro Bowl directly with the NFL, it is responsible to secure the funding for the new turf.
The new turf will need to be installed in time for the high school football season in mid-August.
Getting a new field installed in such a short amount of time will only work because the HTA is exempt from the state's bidding and procurement requirements.
