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Arena floor is multi-faceted

But frequent changes are labor intensive

WesBanco Arena’s main floor was sculpted into a dirt track for this past weekend’s Monster Jam Triple Threat competition
The floor can and is frequently converted into an ice rink for the Wheeling Nailers and other cold-weather themed events
WesBanco is also home to fierce basketball competition, shown here hosting West Virginia University’s annual Gold-Blue game in 2016.

WHEELING — The floor of WesBanco Arena can change over as frequently as twice in the same day.

Whether it’s insulated, ice, dirt or built for basketball, arena officials say changes to the floor can require a tremendous amount of labor in a short period of time.

Just last week, more than 140 truck loads of dirt were used to transform the arena’s main floor into a track for the Monster Jam Triple Threat competition. Dennis Magruder, Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority executive director, said floor changeovers can create scheduling challenges. He said the arena is ultimately responsible for making sure the proper flooring or setting is in place for each event and tenant.

“Primarily, from the middle of September to whenever the Nailer’s season ends — usually the middle of April or slightly later — ice is the primary floor,” Magruder said.

He said the concrete base floor has a refrigeration system built in that is used to make ice. Magruder said the arena has about 500 polyurethane insulated flooring sheets weighing about 30 pounds each that are used to cover the ice for a variety of events throughout hockey season.

“It is always covered and uncovered by hand,” Magruder said. “So we use that insulated floor quite a bit. Sometimes the insulated floor goes up and down four or five days a week.”

He said there have been some occasions where the floor needs to be changed twice in the same day, and sometimes there are several layers of flooring. Magruder said that includes the concrete base covered with ice with insulated flooring sheets over top of that, with an additional “playing surface” on top of those for some events. Typically, the greatest number of floor changeovers occur between January and April because most of the touring family shows are scheduled during that time of year, he said.

“It’s basketball season, hockey season and touring season,” Magruder said.

He said the basketball court will be used frequently over the coming months as the arena hosts four separate basketball events, including the Globetrotters and the Cancer Research Classic. That’s also the time when events such as the Toughman contest, the home and garden show and bullriding are scheduled.

“We have played hockey on Friday, OVAC Cheering with over 4,000 attendees on Saturday and hockey again Saturday night,” Magruder said. “We have actually played indoor football and hockey here on the same day. … There’s a lot of moving parts.

“The schedule is important and cooperation from tenants is very important, because, remember, the tenants have a lot of props and stuff that are moving in and out through our doors and hallways.”

Crews used more than 32 tons of dirt to cover the floor for Monster Jam, and Magruder that isn’t the only dirt-floor event. It also hosts a professional bull-riding event scheduled earlier in the year. He said both events require different blends of dirt and sand, which the city keeps on supply at a loading space in South Wheeling.

“It’s city/arena-owned dirt that we use over and over for different events,” Magruder said. “Our dirt contractors haul it from there when we need it and haul it back when we’re done.”

He said it’s important for the arena to diversify and schedule a variety of events throughout the year — and floor changeovers is a necessary part of that equation.

“It’s labor intensive,” Magruder said. “It’s a challenge and it’s a tribute to our operations department and their leader, Mark Stuckey.”

He said besides Stuckey, there are only four full-time maintenance employees and a few part-time employees.

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