Shaw Sports Turf announced the launch of its newest product, PowerBlade Elite, which offers athletes the best combination of durability, playability and safety in synthetic sports turf. PowerBlade Elite enters the marketplace having met the laboratory requirements of the FIFA Quality Programme for synthetic turf, which includes rigorous tests identifying the best quality with the highest technical standards.
PowerBlade Elite, the next generation in engineered performance, delivers a quality turf system designed around the performance criteria that measures both athlete-surface and ball-surface interactions. Made with Shaw Turf’s advanced HP+ monofilament fiber, PowerBlade Elite combines the softness and lush appearance of natural grass with the engineered effectiveness of modern synthetic turf. The PowerBlade Elite turf system is available in six different configurations, each with its own distinct benefits, pile heights, infill types and pad systems designed to meet the requirements of various sports, usage and performance characteristics.
“With all the system options, PowerBlade Elite is one of the most comprehensive lines of products that qualify for FIFA certifications,” said Chuck McClurg, Shaw Sports Turf’s Vice President of Sales. “It was designed for maximum performance so you know you are getting the best performing field possible.”
As the world governing body of football (soccer), FIFA introduced its quality concept in 2001 to develop a recognized international standard for synthetic turf. Using natural grass as its benchmark, FIFA certifies field installations with the FIFA Quality Programme that meet its very stringent quality criteria. Every product must first pass laboratory tests to determine its composition and then must be tested for durability, climatic resistance, player-to-surface interaction and ball-to-surface interaction. Synthetic turf fields must also undergo specialized field testing in which special equipment measures how the ball reacts on the surface in terms of roll, vertical rebound and how the ball behaves when it strikes at an angle. The synthetic turf must also be tested to see how it reacts to the actions of players—including shock absorbency, surface deformation, slip resistance and traction. If the field passes both the laboratory and field tests, a FIFA certificate is issued with either a 1-Star or 2-Star designation.
About Shaw Sports Turf A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Industries is a full flooring provider to the residential and commercial markets. Shaw supplies carpet, rugs, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile/ stone flooring products, as well as synthetic turf. Shaw Sports Turf is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America and has represented quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 1,000 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations.