Sportsmanship goes sky-high

by carly_mchugh | 10 February 2023 10:47 am

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By Carly McHugh

In anticipation of last year’s 109^th Grey Cup, Regina pulled out all the stops in its role as host city. Several organizations created pageantry to rile up fans, including the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club and Harvard Developments, who recruited Sleek Signs to wrap two of the Hill Towers in the downtown core.

The shop had previously decorated the towers for the Roughriders’ centennial and the Canada Day 150 celebrations and had the capacity to turn the project around in the short time frame required. Following a request for proposals, they were awarded the contract on July 12.

At the outset, the project team needed to guarantee approval, preparation, and installation over the course of just one month. This included obtaining the proper permits and completing safety training, swing stage training, and site plans within 10 days of being awarded the job. Additionally, they needed to make sure their installation equipment was in good standing, as an early inspection revealed signs of wear on their suspension ropes.

Once they completed all the necessary procedures, Sleek Signs was ready to prepare the client’s design for the printing process. It was cropped for ease of install, then printed in columns on cast 60/40 perforated window vinyl, using the shop’s latex printer. The intention for this application was to allow for adjustments due to stretch, as well as the mullions between each 1778- x 1117.6-mm (70- x 44-in.) window.

On July 28, the team was ready to begin wrapping the towers. However, Mother Nature had other plans. The first day of the installation was rescheduled due to rain, which unfortunately halted the process more than a few times throughout the given time frame.

The first dry day marked the official start on the first tower wrap. In the past, the team had used two swing stages for the application. However, for this installation, they were limited to one. They began applying the vinyl, starting at the top of each column, and working their way down with the swing stage and squeegees.

Once the first tower was complete, the team had to move the swing stage to the second one. They were able to do so during one of the weekends, with the help of Western CML cleaners. However, upon transitioning the equipment to the second tower, there was a loss of power, which was later discovered to be the result of a loose fitting. Unfortunately, this resulted in another two-day delay for the project.

Indeed, the team faced a number of challenges during the installation. On top of the rain and summer heat—which sometimes reached more than 35 C (95 F)—prairie winds above 40 km/h (24.8 mph) frequently shut down the installation, as the street and towers created a significant wind tunnel. The city also restricted any installs during certain times and days due to the farmers market, and the Regina Folk Fest interrupted an entire weekend due to the proximity of the events in the park and the number people in attendance.

Despite these difficulties, both tower wraps were completed by Aug. 9—just in time for a mid-month showcase spot on The Sports Network (TSN). Overall, the team covered more than 200 windows, which spanned nearly 929 m² (10,000 sf). After accounting for the weather, special events, and city restrictions during the installation period, the team dedicated seven days and 500 hours of labour to the project.

Later in the year, Sleek Signs was called upon once again to provide pageantry signage for the main event of the 2022 Grey Cup Festival. This follow-up project will be featured in the April issue of Sign Media Canada.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/sportsmanship-goes-sky-high/

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