In North Carolina, Duke University will soon become the first collegiate field hockey program in the United States to use AstroTurf’s Poligras Tokyo GT biobased turf.
Made from sugarcane, the turf will be installed at the school’s Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium in June as part of a larger renovation project for the school’s field hockey program.
Poligras Tokyo GT was designed for the Tokyo Olympics as part of the organizers’ efforts to deliver a carbon-neutral competition. The turf will be used again at the 2024 Paris Olympics as well as the 2028 games planned for Los Angeles. Most synthetic turf is made from petroleum-based materials such as polyurethane and nylon.
“Bringing this green technology to the hockey market in the United States is a big deal. This is really the future of hockey,” says Melissa Vassalotti-Twist, AstroTurf’s Director of Field Hockey. “We have about 60 of our green technology systems installed internationally, but this is the first one in the US.”