ASB GlassFloor : the next step in Squash Court evolution
Glass walls revolutionised the spectator appeal of Squash several decades ago, and more innovation on this field will come – but now, courts with glass floors are being hailed as the next step in squash court evolution.
After years of painstaking R&D and refinement since unveiling the concept at the 2007 World Championships in Bermuda and other PSA events up to 2010, the world’s leading squash court manufacturer ASB has launched the ASB GlassFloor.
Following its successful Tour debut at the CIB PSA World Tour Finals in Egypt in June (above), the state-of-the-art ASB ShowGlassCourt was approved for use at all major Egyptian events, and was used in September’s CIB Egyptian Open (below).
Whilst the ASB GlassFloor features LED lighting to mark the service box and service line, one of the key attributes is the floor’s ability to absorb sweat in major professional events, which results in fewer stoppages due to court cleaning.
“I absolutely love it,” said world No.1 Ali Farag. “The first time I played on it, if you had blindfolded me and I stepped on court and ran, I wouldn’t be able to tell you whether it was a glass floor or wooden floor.
“But the best thing about the glass floor is that it’s always steady,” added the three-time World Champion from Egypt. “There are no grooves in it, there are no ups and downs from the sun, like the wooden floor if put under the sun.
“Sometimes the wood can crack or it can be deformed somehow in some shape or form, but the glass floor is very steady and I love that. So yes, for me I prefer the glass floor to be honest.”
The PSA’s Chief Operating Officer Lee Beachill summed it up: “The ASB GlassFloor is the next step in the evolution of squash courts and we’re pleased to be using it at multiple events during the 2022-23 season.”
Hussein Abaza, CEO and Managing Director of CIB, the Egyptian bank which owns the Cairo-based ASB ShowGlassCourt featuring the GlassFloor, said :
“As we always aspire to be ahead and embrace change, CIB is proud to have invested in the latest technology of squash courts. We would like to thank our friends at ASB for their amazing flexibility and flawless delivery.”
The concept has widespread applications in other sports, such as tennis, handball and basketball – but also offers further major benefits in squash in the world of coaching.
“We have been using it since May 2018,” said renowned Australian coach Shaun Moxham, founder of the MSquash centres in the USA. “I love the possibility of using the LED lighting underneath the floor for teaching purposes. For the players to be able to see where to hit the ball and or position themselves in action or on demand with video analysis is extremely helpful.
“The quality of the bounce is phenomenal. It is always even and true. I immediately saw the benefits of zero or virtually no maintenance whatsoever. No black marks or sanding required.
“In terms of promoting our sport through innovation and visual aid, the glass floor is as big a breakthrough as the glass back wall!”
The latest ASB GlassFloor court, which is a combination of LED lines and a 6×4 LED Video infield (see above), will be unveiled this month at the Ballsport Arena Asbach in the German city of Augsburg.
ASB spokesman Peter Schmidl concluded :
“The ASB GlassFloor is used successfully in many other sports, like basketball, handball, tennis or in multi-sports venues, but as squash has some individual needs and a different specification, we needed a bit more time and patience.
“One thing is for sure, the journey is not over yet, there are more things to improve and innovate on both the glass courts and the standard courts to lift squash to another level.”
About ASB
ASB SquashCourt is a leader in its market and has to date supplied more than 8,000 squash courts to satisfied customers in 70 countries all over the world. ASB SquashCourts have also worked very closely with the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) to deliver show glass courts for the world’s most prestigious events.
Further event highlights information: asbsquash.com/highlights/
