Mt Maunganui Festival of Squash
In 2009 the week long Festival of Squash included three exciting events; the A1 Homes NZ Women’s Open, the NZ Men’s Classic, and the Mt Maunganui Open. Bayfair Shopping Centre was the venue for the international events, where the glass court was erected in the shopping centre to create a stunning visual setting for the dynamic squash event.
The Mt Maunganui Squash Club was the ‘host club’ for the Festival of Squash and also staged the local Mt Maunganui Open event which gave all levels of squash players the ability to compete over the week long festival.
The week long Festival of Squash included three exciting events:
A1 Homes NZ Women’s Open
A Gold Star event on the WISPA International Women’s World Circuit. The World’s best players competed for New Zealand’s highest honour.
Women's rankings and profiles.
NZ Men’s Classic
A One Star event on the PSA International Men’s World Circuit. Spectators were able to enjoy watching New Zealand’s top male players take on internationally ranked players.
Mt Maunganui Open
A Graded Championship event which was open to all squash players. This event was played at the Mt Maunganui, Te Puke, and Tauranga Squash Clubs.
Facts about the glass court that was used:-
"The ASB GlassCourt is used for major international tournaments featuring the world’s leading players. The court has been a major feature of the Commonwealth Games, where a movable side wall has instantly converted the playing area into a doubles court.
The glass court has a stunning visual appearance and allows promoters and event organisers to stage major tournaments in superb locations in a creative and innovative fashion. The ASB court is popular among players for providing ideal playing conditions and is acclaimed by the TV industry for creating a dramatic setting that adapts perfectly to the demands of such a high-speed televised sport.
Did you know:
• The Glass Panels of the OneWay Show GlassCourt are made of 12mm “SEKURIT” safety glass with burnt-in coloured ceramic dots. More than 50% of the surface is coloured.
• The ASB ShowGlassCourt consists of 42 One-Way panels, which are all the same size (about 1.60m x 1.70m). Therefore only two replacement panels are needed.
• The ASB lighting construction is fixed to the glass fins. This helps to achieve the best illumination also for the doubles position. Intensive colours and high quality manufacturing guarantee best conditions for TV coverage, spectators and also for the players.
• More than 50% of the surface is covered by the dots. The spectator does not see the dark dots from the outside and with this optical illusion he has optimum view of the matches.
• The bright colours on the inner side of the court cause an optical illusion, which makes it difficult for the player to see the spectators outside the court.