3 days ago
Laguna Beach installs $1.165-million athletic turf at Guyer Field
The Laguna Beach Unified School District has completed a $1.165-million athletic facility renovation, installing a new turf track and field at Laguna Beach High just in time for the fall sports season.
Guyer Field, as the high school's stadium is called, has long held a spot among the top places to take in a sporting event at the prep level, the venue's elevated stands possessing an unparalleled view of the Pacific Ocean from atop its perch off Park Avenue.
In addition to the action on the field and the sweeping ocean view beyond, spectators will be able to enjoy the silhouette of a wave spanning the 100 yards between the end zones.
The center logo features the initials 'LB' in red and outlined in gray. 'Laguna' is inscribed in the east end zone, with 'Beach' appearing in the opposite end zone.
'As one of the few shared-use playing fields in the city, this stadium is an important resource for school and community athletics,' Ryan Zajda, the district's director of facilities and sustainability, said in a statement. 'Because it hosts activity nearly every day of the year, we worked to schedule the replacement in a way that minimized disruption.
'We appreciate the patience and flexibility of our regular community users throughout the process, and we're excited for everyone to enjoy the improved playing surface for years to come.'
The new playing surface replaces a 10-year-old turf field and track at a cost of approximately $760,000 to lay down new turf and $405,000 for the track surface overlay.
District officials noted the environmentally responsible features of the turf, chiefly the use of Geofill, a natural infill consisting of 80% coconut husks and 20% sand. The petroleum-free material cools during hot weather, and it reduces the need for maintenance when compared to natural grass.
A district spokesperson also said the field is free of fluorinated chemicals (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that are commonly referred to as PFAs.
The Shaw Sports Turf field was installed over a period of four weeks, and the track was resurfaced by Beynon.
Laguna Beach classes resume on Thursday, Aug. 21, with the Breakers hosting Santa Monica on Friday, Aug. 29 for the first football game on the new field.
'We are excited to share this state-of-the-art facility with the greater community and will hold a brief ceremony at the 50-yard line to mark the occasion,' said Laguna Beach Principal Jason Allemann, referring to the home opener. 'We are grateful to our community and the board of education for their support in making this project possible.'
The football team, which had been practicing on the baseball field, got onto the new turf at Guyer Field for the first time this week.
'For us, we always had that reputation of having a slick field before — and it was a slick field — because we have that issue where we really need to take care of the environment and make sure we don't get a bunch of runoff into the ocean with bad stuff,' Laguna Beach football coach John Shanahan said. 'This new field is much tackier and stickier, and I think our opponents are going to like it a lot better, which is good. I'm glad. It's a great-looking field and a great playing field.'
