Hickory, N.C. First To Install T°Cool On Synthetic Turf Field

Cincinnati, Ohio – April 14, 2020 – During warm weather months, synthetic turf fields across North Carolina can get dangerously hot, as temperatures consistently exceed 140 degrees, and often reach the 160 degree level - making the fields unplayable.

In advance of the facility re-opening to residents, officials at Henry Fork River Regional Recreation Park in Hickory, NC have taken a new approach to combat the dangerous and oppressive heat by becoming the first municipality in the USA to install the revolutionary T°Cool evaporative cooling technology to their new synthetic turf field. Once activated, the innovative cooling solution is proven to cool down synthetic turf surface temperatures by 30 to 50 degrees F. The new field joins 8 high schools from across the Carolinas that are also installing T°Cool®, to help make their synthetic turf fields cooler, safer and more playable.

Today, approximately 80% of synthetic turf fields nationwide use black crumb rubber infill, due to the benefits of fiber support, cushioning and consistency for performance.  T°Cool, which resists bacterial attack, is an eco-friendly solution that cools synthetic turf surfaces by coating the black crumb rubber infill. Once treated, the T°Cool solution continuously activates through rain, dew, humidity and/or watering the field, thus reducing the field temperature and bringing the overall field temperature closer to that of natural grass. However, unlike Henry Fork River Regional Recreation Park, most athletic facilities in the region do not offer a cooling solution.

According to Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research and Brigham Young University “Synthetic Surface Heat Studies,” playing on fields where the temperature is higher than 122 degrees is not considered safe. By following those safety standards, unless a synthetic turf field is treated by a cooling agent, the field would not be available for activity on many days between April - October.

“The safety of our participants using the new field at Henry Fork River Regional Recreation Park is our top priority, and we took the necessary steps to introduce a first-class facility that addressed the extreme heat levels on synthetic turf fields,” said Mark Seaman, the City of Hickory’s Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Director. “The installation of T°Cool® will enable us to maximize usage of the fields, greatly reducing the likelihood that we will need to cancel activities on hot days.”

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat illness is a leading cause of sudden death among high school athletes. Since 1995, 64 football players have died from heat stroke. Of these, 47 were in high school, 13 in college, two professional, and two organized youth. In 90% of these cases, the fatal incidents occurred during practice.

“We continue to see beautiful new synthetic turf fields installed across the country, however, municipalities and school districts are not maximizing usage because in many cases, they do not have a cooling agent, essentially making the fields unplayable during warm weather months,” said Chris Tetrault, Inventor of T°Cool®.  “In addition to helping make synthetic turf fields cooler, safer and more playable for millions of daily participants, a cooling agent maximizes usage and the overall facility investment for many years.”

As an added benefit, T°Cool’s evaporative cooling solution for synthetic turf fields also reduces the coefficient of friction, thus diminishing the severity of turf burns, while effectively resisting the growth of harmful bacteria that can grow on open wounds.

For more information on T°Cool visit www.tcoolinfill.com.