SKOKIE, Ill., Sept. 26, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While residents throughout the Chicago suburbs waited anxiously for flood waters to recede earlier this month, administrators at Niles West High School marveled at how well their new Mondoturf Ecofill Star artificial turf football field handled the severe weather. The multipurpose athletic surface at Niles West's Basrak Field is from global sports flooring manufacturer Mondo.
A heavy downpour brought as much as 8 inches of rain to Chicago in early September. Flooding was a problem throughout the city and neighboring suburbs, including at Niles West. But in less than three days, the school's field had completely drained, and the surface did not show any signs of infill migration or granule loss.
"In a flood like this, artificial turf fields with reground rubber infill would have lost half of their granules down the drains," said Federico Stroppiana, president of Mondo North and South America. "That's a big problem for SBR fields. But because our Ecofill Star granules are approximately 40 percent denser than SBR granules, our Mondoturf Ecofill Star fields can weather a storm with far less infill migration."
School officials said they also appreciated how quickly the field was ready for use following the flood.
"When the water cleared, not only had the infill not migrated, but the field looked fabulous and was already playable," said Paul O'Malley, assistant superintendent for business services, Niles Township High School District 219. "A natural grass surface would have taken several days to dry out after rainfall like this."
Installation of the field was completed this summer. Next Friday, Oct. 3, immediately before the varsity football homecoming game, the school will formally dedicate the new field as part of its weekend-long celebration of Niles West's 50th anniversary.
Niles West High School serves more than 2,500 students from the Chicago suburbs of Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove and Skokie. It is the alma mater of Rashard Mendenhall, the former University of Illinois running back who was chosen in the first round of last month's NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other famous alumni include former NFL quarterback Jim Hart and Olympic gymnast Bart Connor.
Installed in more than 300 facilities worldwide, Mondoturf Ecofill Star was designed through extensive biomechanical research to reproduce all of the properties of natural grass without the problems associated with artificial fields made of the increasingly controversial reground tire pellets -- which are commonly used by other artificial turf manufacturers.
Ecofill Star, Mondoturf's infill, is an environmentally friendly material that is virtually odor free, even in hot, humid conditions. It delivers the appropriate amount of shock absorption and energy return for optimal, natural-field-like athletic performance. Ecofill also retains less heat than traditional black rubber granules, so it reduces the potential for athletic fatigue and dehydration and minimizes the need for fields to be watered down prior to use. It also is completely recyclable, which is an industry first.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing playing surfaces for virtually every sport. The official supplier of the athletic track for the past nine Olympic Games, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations, including FIBA, IAAF, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, NIRSA, U.S. Track Coaches Association and YMCA.
The company also supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and is the world's largest producer of sports and toy balls with an average daily production of 450,000 units. In addition, it manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondo Marine division.
Mondo invests heavily in research and development to ensure its products meet the highest quality standards in the industry, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo has its global headquarters in Italy. The company has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products in more than 196 countries. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
The Mondo logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3747
Mondo and Ecofill Star are registered trademarks of Mondo.