HADO is the world’s first Techno Sport, merging the best of physical sports and esports together to create a high intensity physical sport with the level playing field of a computer game. When the first UK HADO centre in Coventry wanted to create a flagship facility for its players they would, through their flooring supplier, specify Olympic pedigree Taraflex® Evolution vinyl sports flooring in ‘Anthracite’ for their all-important court areas from international flooring and interiors specialists Gerflor. The state-of-the art sport that can be only realised with AR technology, would require a world class indoor sports surface that delivers consistent safety, comfort, and performance for all players of all ages and ability and the facility would thus, only choose the best for their iconic refurbishment.

HADO is a sport that doesn’t rely on an individual’s sheer size or strength to determine victory, instead, it’s all about equal opportunities utilising skills that anyone can develop. HADO is an augmented reality experience combining physical activity and e-sport using a head-mounted display & arm senor that connects you to the game. It is a sport with simple controls that relies on the intuitive movement of players. It’s played in 32 countries with millions joining in, making it a truly global sport.

Jim Sephton, CEO of UK HADO commented, “HADO is an Augmented Reality (AR) sport, so unlike Virtual Reality (VR) where nothing is real, in AR you still see the real world. We just add computer graphics into reality with you, which allows the player to move with speed and confidence in the space. Our UK HADO centre is open Wednesday to Sunday for training, matches, parties, and team building.”

Tom Gidman, Specification Manager for Gerflor in the East Midlands, met with Blueprint Interiors who were doing the design work for the project and based off their requirements, he built a specification for them.

Tom Gidman said “It was a unique project, as the HADO Centre is the first of its kind in the UK. They required a floorcovering that would be safe and suitable to play on, ensuring players had confidence underfoot, as they would be moving around while wearing VR headsets. Taraflex Evolution was specified for both its outstanding performance and striking design. It also provided the good indentation resistance needed for various seating and furniture arrangements, whilst also providing players with the shock absorption and impact protection needed for physical activity.”

Commenting on the Gerflor flooring product and installation Jim Sephton said, “We were looking to create a flagship location for the sport of HADO in the UK and as part of that initiative, we wanted an extremely durable, safe and comfortable, indoor sports surface that would allow our athletes to perform at the best of their abilities. Gerflor’s Taraflex sports flooring provided exactly what we were looking for.”

On usage and activities, Jim Sephton also added, “The court areas are used for training and tournaments, so the Taraflex Evolution sports flooring has a major role to play.”

The installation of the new Taraflex® Evolution sports floor at UK HADO would be undertaken by the Solihull-based FLR Group. For more than 40 years, FLR Group has been supplying carpets, luxury vinyl and other high quality flooring products to commercial environments across the UK. Though they started small, FLR are now an industry leader. From their state-of-the-art showroom in Solihull, FLR are dedicated to ensuring every customer gets world class products and superb service.

 

Adam Kaid, Contracts Manager, FLR Group said, “The Owner contacted FLR Group for recommendations on sports flooring for the first UK HADO centre and were put through to myself where I booked a site survey.”

On specification Adam Kaid commented, “We specified Gerflor Taraflex Evolution for its high durability, compatibility with line marking and its colour bank suited the HADO centres used throughout Europe. After researching HADO and watching a few videos on how it was played, it was easy to see that Taraflex from Gerflor would be the perfect solution.”

On installation Adam Kaid went on to say, “We had two installers involved. The job was phased, as three courts were required for this centre. Each court was completed over one to two evenings. The Taraflex sports floorcovering is extremely easy to work with and install, our specialist floor fitters have many years of experience with laying Taraflex sports vinyl.”

Tom Gidman finally said, “The feedback from the staff and CEO at HADO has been extremely positive, they are very impressed with how Taraflex has been delivering on both performance and safety. It’s been an incredible project to work on and I’m very satisfied that the client is really pleased with the end result.”

Adam Kaid concluded, “Since our last communication with the client, we know that the Taraflex sports flooring from Gerflor is meeting and surpassing expectations. We are really delighted with the outcome and would definitely specify Gerflor again for sports projects.”

Jim Sephton ended by saying, “The Taraflex sports vinyl flooring is easy to maintain and delivers on the smart look we wanted to achieve for all our court areas. We would definitely specify Gerflor’s Taraflex sports floor coverings again.”

Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 01625 428 922, emailing contractuk@gerflor.com, or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.