The Practice Journey Begins
Last month during our beach volleyball game, I tripped over uneven sand hard. Damn near broke my ankle! That’s when I decided we need portable flooring. No more excuses – time to build.
First, I went to my buddy’s sawmill for birch planks. Bargained hard for twenty 2-meter pieces. Hauled them home in my pickup truck – they smelled like fresh forest air but were rough as sandpaper. Dug out my orbital sander from the garage, blasted dust everywhere. Took three afternoons to make those planks smooth.
The Messy Assembly
Measuring went sideways immediately. Thought I was clever cutting boards to 1.8m. Turns out I forgot to account for connector joints. Wasted two planks! Got pissed off and kicked my workbench, still have the bruise.
Drilled holes like this:
- Used heavy-duty marine rope for linking planks
- Angled 45-degree drainage cuts on underside
- Flipped boards while drilling – splinters everywhere
Protip: Wear gloves. My hands look like I wrestled cats.
The Disaster Test Run
Took the prototype to the beach yesterday. Big mistake. Boards slipped apart when Kevin spiked the ball. Planks shifted sideways like wet noodles! Sand got jammed in the joints too.
Back in the garage, I went full MacGyver mode:
- Added rubber strips on the bottom
- Replaced ropes with heavy-duty velcro straps
- Carved X-shape patterns on surface for grip
Tested with neighbors. Had them jump simultaneously – held up!
Final Thoughts
Took four weekends and cost way more than store-bought. But hell yeah – survived 15 jump dives without shifting. Heavy to carry? You bet. Worth it? Absolutely. Next week’s tournament will prove if it holds against serious players.
