Getting Curious About Gym Floors

So last Tuesday I’m hooping at the community center, right? Slipped on a sweat puddle while driving to the basket. Instead of crying about my bruised elbow, I got stuck staring at the floor. Like, what’s this stuff actually made of? Feels way springier than my apartment’s hardwood. Started poking around.

Asking the Maintenance Guy

Next morning I went straight to Bob – dude’s been fixing that gym for 20 years. He just laughs when I ask if it’s regular wood. “Regular my ass!” he says. Pulled out a chipped-up chunk from the storage room. Had layers like a cake! Top looked like pale wood grain, but underneath was darker strips glued together. Bob called it “maple sandwich” or something. Weirdly light for wood though.

Scraping & Smashing Tests

Bob hooked me up with some scraps. Took ’em home for dumb experiments:

• Scratched the surface with keys – barely any marks. My coffee table would’ve died.
• Poured Gatorade on it – beaded up like rain on a car.
• Dropped a bowling ball from hip height. Thing bounced! My floor tiles would’ve shattered.

That bounce blew my mind. Definitely not concrete under there.

Peeling Apart the Layers

Grabbed my toolbox and went full detective mode. Sawed sideways through a sample. Looked like lasagna under the sawdust:

• Top chef layer: thin maple slice (Bob said it’s “veneer”) soaking in shiny plastic goo.
• Middle plywood crap: ugly brown wood strips glued sideways. Feels like cardboard sandwiches.
• Bottom shock pads: squishy black foam strips stuck between the plywood and concrete base. Squeezed ’em like stress balls.

That foam’s why NBA dudes can jump like maniacs without exploding their knees. No wonder my apartment floor feels like jumping on bricks.

Putting Knowledge to Work

Convinced my nephew to let me test his driveway court. Place was rough asphalt – ankle-killer. Cut some dollar-store foam pads as base layer, screwed plywood sheets on top. Last layer was $5 flooring stickers from the bargain bin. Played 1-on-1. Felt like garbage compared to the real deal, but my nephew stopped limping after games. Mission accomplished.

Still can’t afford a maple floor though. Maybe someday.