Article Summary
Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, Tennessee completed a 53,000 square foot hardwood floor redesign in four weeks by partnering with local businesses as court sponsors, creating branded courts that helped the community rebuild after the devastating 2016 wildfires while making the project financially feasible.
- The project redesigned 53,000 square feet of maple flooring across six courts at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
- Each court features a branded design sponsored by local businesses, including the Flapjack's Court, Taco Court, and Moonshine Coaster Court
- The entire project was completed in just four weeks using vinyl graphics instead of painted designs to meet the tight timeline
- The redesign served as a community rebuilding effort following the devastating 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, with sponsors reinvesting in the area
- Local business sponsorships covered almost the entire project cost, making the renovation financially feasible while uniting the community
When Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, Tenn., came to its long-time sports flooring partner Covington Flooring, based in Birmingham, Ala., about a refresh of its six-court hardwood floor, the question wasn’t only how to redesign 53,000 square feet of maple on a tight timeline—it was how to pay for it. Luckily, the sports complex had a 30-year gym floor veteran on its side, and she wasn’t intimidated. “It’s that dream project you get once in a lifetime,” Covington’s Tennessee regional athletic sales pro Erica Parker says.
Parker worked closely with Rocky Top General Manager Doug Grote to design and sell advertising space on each court to local businesses—a process made more fun considering the businesses involved. “We started with the Flapjack’s court, the most fun court, I think, because the kids are going to play on pancakes and maple syrup,” Parker says.
The Flapjack’s Court. The Taco Court. The Moonshine Coaster Court. Now instead of numbers, each court has a personality. “It changed everything, of how they even approached and looked at the gym,” Parker says, adding that kids like to pick out their favorite court to play on, including the tournament championship court featuring the iconic Smoky Mountain view from SkyBridge, North America’s longest pedestrian cable bridge, in Gatlinburg’s SkyPark.
For the town, the project carried added weight. The community continues to rebuild from the 2016 wildfires that devastated the area, and for several sponsors, the courts were a way to reinvest. “SkyBridge has been there for so long and is so important to the community, and it got totally ruined with the fires,” Parker explains. SkyPark wasn’t originally slotted for a floor, but once the owner saw the design, it was an easy “yes.”
It’s hard to imagine that the expansive floor with its detailed designs was sanded, finished and cured in four weeks—but that was the timeline they had to work with. “We had two dual Ryder sanders running long hours,” Parker says. Instead of painted designs, which would have taken too long to dry, GameTime Coatings produced vinyl graphics and laid them out with the help of Greenville, S.C.-based design firm Jack Porter. “Even if it was airbrushed, the paint would have needed much more time to dry,” Parker says. “The timeline would have been impossible.”
Parker and Grote secured enough sponsors to pay for almost the entire project, which was the goal. But in working toward that goal, the project “drew the community in because the local businesses had the spotlight,” Parker says. “It really brought everyone together.”
SUPPLIERS: Abrasive: Norton | Buffer, Big machine: American Sanders | Edger: Lägler | Filler: Woodwise | Finish: Bona | Moisture barrier, Underlayment: Stego | Moisture meter: Lignomat | Nailer: Primatech | Router, Palm sander: Festool | Saws: DeWalt, Festool | Wood flooring: Action Floors
