Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio has landed in water --this time hot--because of a basketball court in his Hollywood Hills backyard.
Neighbours are suing the one-time King of the World for $250,000, claiming that the contractors who installed the actor's court "maliciously" removed hedges from their own property and excavated so much dirt that their deck and swimming pool became "destabilized."
At a hearing in March, Los Angeles judge Tricia Ann Bigelow branded the charges "potentially outrageous" but said there was enough evidence to warrant a trial.
A court date has yet to be determined.
Closer to home, Tuxedo residents aren't exactly crying foul over a basketball court on Jeff Rabb's property.
"Just the opposite -- everybody around here treats it like their free-to-use space," Rabb says. "Even when we're not home, we'll come back and find a bunch of kids playing on it."
Last summer, the father of three commissioned Athletic Flooring Systems of Winnipeg to install a Sport Court -- a polymer plane comprised of hundreds of Lego-like, interlocking tiles -- in his backyard. "Gary (Weinberg), the owner, had been doing my landscaping for years and told me he had a brand new product," Rabb says. "He'd just put one in down the street so I went over to take a look and immediately fell in love with it."
Rabb's court measures approximately 7.5 metres by 13.5 metres and sits on top of a concrete pad -- no nails, no adhesives. Depending on the configuration, the plastic playing surface can be used for basketball, volleyball, badminton or roller hockey. (Athletic Flooring also sells a battery of ramps and jumps so Winnipeggers can convert their yards into neo-skateboard parks.)
"And this winter we flooded over it so everyone could play (ice) hockey," Rabb says. "My kids like electronic games as much as anyone but since we put this in, they're always outside."
Sport courts -- also called game courts -- have been around for a couple of decades, but until recently, types produced by Salt Lake City-based Sport Court and competitors like Rhino Sports and SnapSports weren't readily available in Manitoba.
"I actually secured the area rights four years ago (for Sport Court), but because of timing, etc., I didn't do much the first two (years)," says Athletic Flooring's Weinberg. "We're just now starting to gain momentum: It's almost a situation where the more courts we install, the more people see them and go away thinking, 'What a great idea!'"
Prices start at about $5,000, not counting accessories like pro-style hoops, lights and retainer nets. A concrete foundation like the one Rabb chose can easily double the cost, but the units also function in tandem with cheaper underpinnings like asphalt or compacted limestone, Weinberg says. Last year, his company even mounted a court atop a wood deck at a cottage at Lake of the Woods.
Athletic Flooring offers a selection of 18 colours and, depending upon whether the shades chosen are in stock or not, installation can take anywhere from two to six weeks.
Ian Lintott, general manager of Oakville, Ont.-based Flex Court Canada, believes that game courts are an economical option for anyone considering a swimming pool or deck. "From start to finish, an average backyard basketball court will typically cost $8,000 to $15,000, which is at the low end of what a hot tub will cost, or even a large landscaping job," Lintott says. "So people may choose our courts instead of something else, or in conjunction with it.
"But the most common reason for purchasing a court is to give your kids somewhere safe to play... while also providing a great opportunity for families to play together."
Flex Court Canada is the official turf supplier for the NBA 3on3 basketball tournament that runs May 31 to June 1 at Winnipeg's Red River Exhibition Park. "That event gives us tremendous exposure and really helps to get the word out," Lintott says.
Michael Arnone is a California-based landscape architect who incorporates outdoor exercise areas -- everything from garden rooms for Pilates and yoga to regulation-size tennis courts -- in his designs. He often uses fencing and perimeter planting to soften their look.
Got a favourite team? Arnone (his is the Golden State Warriors) will match perennials and shrubs to your squad's colours.
"It's not difficult to integrate a backyard basketball court into a landscape if you have the space," Arnone says when reached at home.
"It becomes just another "outdoor room" along with the barbecue area, the pool/spa or vegetable garden in a typical design.
"We are also doing a lot more synthetic turf to save water, which is becoming a huge issue for (Californians)."
Arnone says there are orthopedic advantages to game courts as well.
"A sports court is better for wear and tear on the knees and ankles than concrete or asphalt, and it's less abrasive if you fall," he says. Major sports bodies have taken notice: Sport Court's patented lateral forgiveness to absorb shock is one of the reasons the surface is employed by the NBA, the NCAA and in all locations where the USA and Canadian Olympic volleyball teams compete.
This spring, Weinberg installed a demonstration basketball court on his company's grounds at 3130 Wilkes Ave. for people who want to try Sport Court out for themselves.
"People always tell me that experiencing it first-hand is the number one selling tool," he says, adding that "no more yard work" is a close No. 2.
"We get a lot of that when we do things like the home show," Weinberg says. "We definitely hear from people who think that having one of these would be the perfect alternative to mowing the lawn."
david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca
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